explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1429: Data

2014-10-03T11:33:46Z

Marcus Hill: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1429
| date = October 3, 2014
| title = Data
| image = data.png
| titletext = If you want to have more fun at the expense of language pedants, try developing an hypercorrection habit.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Explain the two sides of the data singular/plural debate. }}
"Kirk vs. Picard" is a debate that many ''{{w|Star Trek}}'' fans engage in- specifically which was a better captain of the {{w|Starship Enterprise|starship ''Enterprise''}} on the TV show. Captain {{w|James T. Kirk}} and {{w|Jean-Luc Picard}} each were captains of the ship (Kirk was captain of USS Enterprise 1701 in {{w|Star Trek: The Original Series|The Original Series}}, while Picard was captain of USS Enterprise 1701-D in {{w|Star Trek: The Next Generation|The Next Generation}}), but fans argue over who was the "best". With such a neck-and-neck race, most third-place candidates are pretty distant and a more multi-faceted debate, so for the sake of example the article Cueball seems to be looking up is polling for the ''third'' most popular character.

The humor in this comic stems from the fact that the word "data" is plural (the singular form of "data" is "datum".) Since there are very few uses for the singular form, many people do not use it and assume data to be singular as well, which sometimes leads to subject-verb agreement errors.

{{w|Data (Star Trek)|Data}} is a character from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Since it is a character's name, when used to refer to the character, "Data" should be treated as singular.

By reversing the subject-verb agreement in both cases, you are basically going out of your way to annoy any grammatically obsessed people.

The title text suggests the mocking of language pedants/amateur grammar Nazis by {{w|Hypercorrection|hyper-correcting}} your use of language. The example given is "an hypercorrection habit", following from 'an honour' (/ˈɒnə/) and 'an hour' (/ˈaʊə(ɹ)/) in English. These two are correct as they are French derived, and so the 'h' is silent and the words start with a vowel sound, and thus the use of 'an'. "Hyper-correction" (/ˌhaɪ.pə.kəˈɹɛk.ʃən/) starts with a standard consonant 'h' sound and so must be preceded with 'a', not 'an'. Contrast 'an umbrella' and 'a uniform'. This comic also complements [[326: Effect an Effect]], which discusses the trolling of amateur grammar Nazis.

Whether intended or not, this comic may annoy grammar pedants for another reason: Even if "Data" was not a name, the correct sentence would use the word "is" rather than "are" because the subject of the sentence is the word "character", and not "data". Consider for example the correct (though somewhat awkward) sentence "Matter is many atoms." vs. the incorrect sentence "Matter are many atoms."

==Transcript==
:[Cueball reading off a smart phone to someone off the panel]
:Cueball: According to this polling data, after Kirk and Picard, the most popular Star Trek character are Data.
:Off-panel character: Augh!
:Annoy grammar pedants on all sides by making "data" singular except when referring to the android.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1412: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2014-08-26T09:26:27Z

Marcus Hill:

Looks like they renamed the Wikipedia article mentioned as "Maple Syrup Urine '''Syndrome'''" to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_syrup_urine_disease Maple Syrup Urine '''Disease'''].[[User:Keavon|Keavon]] ([[User talk:Keavon|talk]]) 05:03, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

This rythmic sounding has to do with metrical <strike>foots</strike> feet, I think. Maybe someone more into it than I can explain...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_%28prosody%29 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.164|108.162.229.164]] 05:21, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

: It's just a 4-foot trochaic ("trochaic octameter"?) meter. ^- ^- ^- ^-. Also, I'm curious now, is "foots" the proper plural when discussing meter, or is that just a typo/misunderstanding? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.150|199.27.128.150]] 06:37, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

:: Oh, right, the plural must be "feet". I just had a brain fart. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.164|108.162.229.164]] 10:23, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

:: It is a trochaic tetrameter. Tetra = 4, octa = 8.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.38|108.162.216.38]] 12:26, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

::: Right, it's number of feet, not number of syllables. My mistake. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.150|199.27.128.150]] 15:04, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

: This one is definitely related: http://xkcd.com/856/ --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.68|141.101.104.68]] 08:08, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

Unless "Gloucester" is two syllables, Randall made a mistake/wanted to see if we're awake.--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.224|108.162.246.224]] 06:33, 25 August 2014 (UTC)
:Depending on where you're from, it can be pronounced (quasi-phonetically) as "Glow-ster". [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 13:24, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

: Actually it is. Silly British accents. It's pronounced roughly "Gloss-ter". [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.150|199.27.128.150]] 06:37, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

::In that case, I retract my previous statement and apologize.--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.224|108.162.246.224]] 07:20, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

With regards to the roll-over text, mention could be made of the long-running BBC radio show "I'm sorry I haven't a clue" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Sorry_I_Haven%27t_A_Clue ). It is comedy panel game, and one of the regular rounds is 'One Song to the Tune of Another'. It may be coincidence, but one panellist of the show is Barry Cryer ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Cryer ) who happened to have recorded Purple People Eater... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.184|141.101.98.184]] 08:26, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

Why isn't Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the list? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.120|103.22.201.120]] 11:41, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

There's a typo in "Quantuum vacuum plasma thruster". [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.184|141.101.98.184]] 12:08, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

Dang someone beat me to writing in the transcript. Oh well, you did a much better job than I was doing anyway. =8o) [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 13:24, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

Is it just me, or do these lyrics not REALLY match the TMNT title song? The first three lines are OK, but the following lines just repeats the pattern - the TMNT song has a different rhythm. {{unsigned|141.101.98.16}}
:Each title is meant to be sung only to the "TMNT" part of the song. They aren't meant to be sung one after another to match the whole song. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.211|173.245.52.211]] 03:09, 26 August 2014 (UTC)

If you speak with a western US accent like me, museum is pronounced with 2 syllables (myoo zahm). I guess if you pronounce it correctly, its more like myoo-zee-uhm, which would make 'Edgar Allan Poe Museum' fit. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.213|108.162.246.213]] 03:18, 26 August 2014 (UTC)

It's a shame that "Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer" has a syllable too many, because that would've been perfect. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.197|141.101.104.197]] 08:31, 26 August 2014 (UTC)

Is there any particular need to have a separate section for the wikilinks, rather than just embedding them in the transcript?--[[User:Marcus Hill|Marcus Hill]] ([[User talk:Marcus Hill|talk]]) 09:26, 26 August 2014 (UTC)

1380: Manual for Civilization

2014-06-11T09:09:46Z

Marcus Hill: /* Explanation */ fixed misreading of comic

{{comic
| number = 1380
| date = June 11, 2014
| title = Manual for Civilization
| image = manual_for_civilization.png
| titletext = We will have an entire wing of the library devoted to copies of book #26, because ohmygod it's the one where Jake and Cassie finally KISS!!!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}
{{w|Animorphs}} is a series of books written by {{w|K.A. Applegate}}. It follows a group of five children (later, an alien joins as the sixth member), that try to stop the parasitic aliens that are known as the yeerk by transforming into animals. A yeerk that enters a human has complete control over their host, and can read their memories. Because the yeerk can imitate their host almost perfectly, humanity is slowly being taken over, without knowing it. Because the yeerk can imitate their host so well, the children cannot contact the authorities and are on their own in the battle against the yeerk.

In this comic {{w|Brian Eno}} is suggesting that reading the animorphs books would help humanity in rebuilding society. When asked if all the books on the list are from the Animorph series, Eno misses the point of the question by naming the Andalite Chronicles and the Megamorphs books, both Animorph side stories. However, the Hork-Bajir Chronicles, Visser, and the Ellimist Chronicles are not mentioned. The Alternamorphs choose your own adventure books are also not mentioned, probably because they are not considered to be in the same continuity.

According to [[1360: Old Files]] Cueball was an Animorphs fan. The {{w|Long Now Foundation}} is also mentioned in [[1340: Unique Date]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
:[Brian Eno is talking to an unseen audience]
:Brian Eno: Hi. I'm music's Brian Eno, co-founder of the Long Now Foundation.

:[Panel 2 shows he is standing on a stage]
:Brian Eno: As part of our mission to promote long-term thinking, we've asked experts to help us assemble a collection of books from which civilization can be rebuilt if it ever collapses.

:[Panel 3 shows he is holding a manuscript]
:Brian Eno: Today we're showing the results - the first ever ''Manual for Civilization''.

:Brian Eno: *Ahem* ''Animorphs #1: The Invasion'', ''Animorphs #2: The Visitor'', ''Animorphs #3: The Encounter''
:Unseen Audience member: ...Are they ''all'' Animorphs Books?
:Brian Eno: No! There's also ''Megamorphs'' and ''The Andalite Chronicles''.
{{comic discussion}}

1378: Turbine

2014-06-06T07:28:21Z

Marcus Hill: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1378
| date = June 6, 2014
| title = Turbine
| image = turbine.png
| titletext = Ok, plan B: Fly a kite into the blades, with a rock in a sling dangling below it, and create the world's largest trebuchet.
}}

==Explanation==

This is a pun. A windmill (where the blades are moved by the wind) is not a fan (where the fan blades move the air).

A {{w|trebuchet}} is a type of catapult. The setup described would not be a trebuchet, as the energy rotating the arm and flinging the rock would not be from a raised counterweight.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is talking to a giant wind turbine.]
:Megan: I'll hold up a big kite, and you blow air at me until I lift off!
:Megan: What do you think of that idea?
:Wind turbine: I'm not a huge fan.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1369: TMI

2014-05-16T08:38:03Z

Marcus Hill: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1369
| date = May 16, 2014
| title = TMI
| image = tmi.png
| titletext = 'TMI' he whispered, gazing into the sea.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}
"TMI" is an acronym that means "too much information". It is typically used as a response to someone telling you details that you would prefer to have no heard. Here, however, Cueball may be using it to voice his frustrations: he feels stressed and overwhelmed with whatever his job is. Alternatively, he may be commenting on the colossal amount of information that is now generally available to anyone with an internet connection.

==Transcript==
Cueball is at a desk looking at a laptop
:Cueball: Ugh, TMI.
:Someone Off-panel: Oh? What?
:Cueball: Just... Everything.
:Someone Off-panel: True.

{{comic discussion}}