explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1602: Linguistics Club

2015-11-11T05:27:42Z

Platus: Minor punctuation tweak

{{comic
| number = 1602
| date = November 11, 2015
| title = Linguistics Club
| image = linguistics_club.png
| titletext = If that's too easy, you could try joining Tautology Club, which meets on the date of the Tautology Club meeting.
}}

==Explanation==
A "sesquiannual" meeting is one that occurs every one and a half years, or every 18 months. It comes from the Latin roots "sesqui-" which means "one and a half" and "annua," which means "year." A linguist, the joke suggests, should be able to figure that out.

Regarding the title text, a "tautology" is a statement that is true because of it's logical form, such as "all birds are birds" or "A = A." As such, the statement "the Tautology Club meets on the date of the Tautology Club's meeting" is itself tautological.

The title text is a reference to [[703: Honor Societies]] in which where Cueball announces that "the first rule of the Tautology Club is the first rule of the Tautology Club."

==Transcript==
Meghan: You should come to our Linguistic Club's sesquiannual meeting. Membership is open to anyone who can figure out how often we meet.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1602: Linguistics Club

2015-11-11T05:24:14Z

Platus: Added a transcript

{{comic
| number = 1602
| date = November 11, 2015
| title = Linguistics Club
| image = linguistics_club.png
| titletext = If that's too easy, you could try joining Tautology Club, which meets on the date of the Tautology Club meeting.
}}

==Explanation==
A "sesquiannual" meeting is one that occurs every one and a half years, or every 18 months. It comes from the Latin roots "sesqui-" which means "one and a half" and "annua," which means year. A linguist, the joke suggests, should be able to figure that out.

Regarding the title text, a "tautology" is a statement that is true because of it's logical form, such as "all birds are birds" or "A = A." As such, the statement "the Tautology Club meets on the date of the Tautology Club's meeting" is itself tautological.

The title text is a reference to [[703: Honor Societies]] in which where Cueball announces that "the first rule of the Tautology Club is the first rule of the Tautology Club."

==Transcript==
Meghan: You should come to our Linguistic Club's sesquiannual meeting. Membership is open to anyone who can figure out how often we meet.

{{comic discussion}}

1602: Linguistics Club

2015-11-11T05:23:02Z

Platus:

{{comic
| number = 1602
| date = November 11, 2015
| title = Linguistics Club
| image = linguistics_club.png
| titletext = If that's too easy, you could try joining Tautology Club, which meets on the date of the Tautology Club meeting.
}}

==Explanation==
A "sesquiannual" meeting is one that occurs every one and a half years, or every 18 months. It comes from the Latin roots "sesqui-" which means "one and a half" and "annua," which means year. A linguist, the joke suggests, should be able to figure that out.

Regarding the title text, a "tautology" is a statement that is true because of it's logical form, such as "all birds are birds" or "A = A." As such, the statement "the Tautology Club meets on the date of the Tautology Club's meeting" is itself tautological.

The title text is a reference to [[703: Honor Societies]] in which where Cueball announces that "the first rule of the Tautology Club is the first rule of the Tautology Club."

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

1602: Linguistics Club

2015-11-11T05:22:13Z

Platus: Explained even more of the joke.

{{comic
| number = 1602
| date = November 11, 2015
| title = Linguistics Club
| image = linguistics_club.png
| titletext = If that's too easy, you could try joining Tautology Club, which meets on the date of the Tautology Club meeting.
}}

==Explanation==
A "sesquiannual" meeting is one that occurs every one and a half years, or every 18 months. It comes from the Latin roots "sesqui-" which means "one and a half" and "annua," which means year. A linguist, the joke suggests, should be able to figure that out.

The title text is a reference to [[703: Honor Societies]].

Regarding the title text, a "tautology" is a statement that is true because of it's logical form, such as "all birds are birds" or "A = A." As such, the statement "the Tautology Club meets on the date of the Tautology Club's meeting" is itself tautological. The joke is similar in form to one made in comic 703, where Cueball announces that "the first rule of the Tautology Club is the first rule of the Tautology Club."

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

1602: Linguistics Club

2015-11-11T05:18:58Z

Platus: Explained the joke, thereby killing it

1476: Ceres

2015-01-21T06:20:31Z

Platus:

{{comic
| number = 1476
| date = January 21, 2015
| title = Ceres
| image = ceres.png
| titletext = Earth clearly hasn't been inspected, since it's definitely contaminated with salmonella.
}}

==Explanation==

Ceres is the name of a large dwarf planet found in the asteroid belt of our solar system, between Mars and Jupiter. CERES (Certification of Environmental Standards) is also the name of a food inspection company based in Germany. The joke is that someone from CERES has inspected Ceres and has left his/her inspection number behind, indicating that Ceres is clean. Earth, however, has not been inspected by CERES, and also contains salmonella. It is probably not safe to eat the earth.

Dawn is the name of a probe sent by NASA in 2007 to examine Ceres and the protoplanet Vesta. It is scheduled to reach Ceres on March 6, 2015. The white dot is a physical characteristic of Ceres visible on photographs taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, and whose nature is currently uncertain.

The choice of the number six may also be a reference to The Prisoner, a British spy thriller show that ran from 1967 to 1988, and whose main character was called Number 6.

==Transcript==
:[Megan talks to Cueball]
:Megan: Dawn has almost reached Ceres. I'm excited that we'll finally learn what that stupid white dot is.
:[Zoom on Ceres, white dot resolves to a badge]
:Inspected by No. 6

{{comic discussion}}

1476: Ceres

2015-01-21T06:17:25Z

Platus:

{{comic
| number = 1476
| date = January 21, 2015
| title = Ceres
| image = ceres.png
| titletext = Earth clearly hasn't been inspected, since it's definitely contaminated with salmonella.
}}

==Explanation==

Ceres is the name of a large dwarf planet found in the asteroid belt of our solar system, between Mars and Jupiter. CERES (Certification of Environmental Standards) is also the name of a food inspection company based in Germany. The joke is that someone from CERES has inspected Ceres and has left his/her inspection number behind, indicating that Ceres is clean. Earth, however, has not been inspected by CERES, and also contains salmonella. It is probably not safe to eat the earth.

Dawn is the name of a probe sent by NASA in 2007 to examine Ceres and the protoplanet Vesta. It is scheduled to reach Ceres on March 6, 2015.

The choice of the number six may also be a reference to The Prisoner, a British spy thriller show that ran from 1967 to 1988, and whose main character was called Number 6.

==Transcript==
:[Megan talks to Cueball]
:Megan: Dawn has almost reached Ceres. I'm excited that we'll finally learn what that stupid white dot is.
:[Zoom on Ceres, white dot resolves to a badge]
:Inspected by No. 6

{{comic discussion}}

1476: Ceres

2015-01-21T06:14:34Z

Platus: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1476
| date = January 21, 2015
| title = Ceres
| image = ceres.png
| titletext = Earth clearly hasn't been inspected, since it's definitely contaminated with salmonella.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

Ceres is the name of a large dwarf planet found in the asteroid belt of our solar system, between Mars and Jupiter. CERES (Certification of Environmental Standards) is also the name of a food inspection company based in Germany. The joke is that someone from CERES has inspected Ceres and has left his/her inspection number behind, indicating that Ceres is clean. Earth, however, has not been inspected by CERES, and also contains salmonella. It is probably not safe to eat the earth.

The choice of the number six may also be a reference to The Prisoner, a British spy thriller show that ran from 1967 to 1988, and whose main character was called Number 6.

==Transcript==
:[Megan talks to Cueball]
:Megan: Dawn has almost reached Ceres. I'm excited that we'll finally learn what that stupid white dot is.
:[Zoom on Ceres, white dot resolves to a badge]
:Inspected by No. 6

{{comic discussion}}