https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=108.162.237.160&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T00:33:39ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=105:_Parallel_Universe&diff=144398105: Parallel Universe2017-08-23T02:16:31Z<p>108.162.237.160: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 105<br />
| date = May 22, 2006<br />
| title = Parallel Universe<br />
| image = parallel_universe.jpg<br />
| titletext = It's possible. Better to be on the safe side.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Cueball]] has (by some ritual, judging by the {{w|pentagram}}) summoned himself from a {{w|Multiverse|parallel universe}}. [[Hairy]] suggests that Cueball should take advantage of this rare opportunity and {{w|Making out|make out}} with his other self.<br />
<br />
In the third panel, Cueball seems to turn his head in response to the unexpected response. Hairy suggests that Cueball should make out with him instead, since he could also vanish at any moment. This indicates Hairy may be attracted to Cueball, and he may have made the previous suggestion with the ulterior, voyeuristic motive of observing two attractive persons making out with each other.<br />
<br />
The title text is ambiguous. It could mean that Cueball should not risk his other self disappearing, or it could mean that the risk is Hairy disappearing.<br />
<br />
; Alternative explanation<br />
By a very big stretch of imagination, we can think that the other person is [[Megan]] instead of Hairy (i.e. a female instead of a male).<br />
<br />
If the character is Megan, the third panel is her having reconsidered that she would rather Cueball not make out with anyone other than her, by threatening that she would leave him.<br />
<br />
Supposedly the title text does not help in deciding this if this alternative is correct or not. If it is Megan, Cueball should stay safe and not make out with himself. If it is not, he should play it safe and make out now, before his alternate self goes back to the parallel universe.<br />
<br />
All this ambiguity suggests a third joke. Perhaps there are two universes that this is playing out in, in one of them the character is Megan, the other is not.<br />
<br />
It could also be noted that the universe the parallel universe that the comic takes place in is not of the normal comics, and that the Cueball summoned could be of the standard comics. In this universe, Hairy could be the replacement for Megan.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and Hairy are standing next to a large pentagram with candles at the points. A figure is hovering above it in a wave of energy.]<br />
:Cueball: Sweet. I summoned myself from a parallel universe.<br />
:Hairy: You know, he could vanish at any moment.<br />
:Hairy: You should take this chance to make out with yourself.<br />
:Hairy: . . . You know, '''<u>I</u>''' could vanish at any moment.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Homosexuality]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]</div>108.162.237.160https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:853:_Consecutive_Vowels&diff=144314Talk:853: Consecutive Vowels2017-08-20T23:22:19Z<p>108.162.237.160: </p>
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<div>Present tense, or {{w|gerund}}? -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 14:52, 16 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I always thought the voyeur reference was to the statistical voyeurism is http://xkcd.com/563/<br />
<br />
I don't think '''y''' is a vowel in that word. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 05:17, 8 July 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Y is ''always'' a vowel.[[Special:Contributions/76.29.225.28|76.29.225.28]] 15:21, 17 July 2013 (UTC)<br />
::No --[[User:JSekula71|JSekula71]] ([[User talk:JSekula71|talk]]) 05:33, 18 July 2013 (UTC)<br />
:From the grammatical point of view, “y” is a vowel. If you would look at the pronunciation point of view then even “queue” is read /kjuː/ and therefore has only one vowel. [[User:Sten|'''S<small>TEN</small>''']] <small>([[User talk:Sten|talk]])</small> 19:53, 5 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Depends on barely audiable differences in pronunciation (vowel in voy-eur and consonant in vo-yeur). Would have to be voy-e-yor for every writen vow to be pronounced distinct from the others, though. Equally kyu-e-oo-ee. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.111|108.162.210.111]] 17:52, 4 April 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Can't you think of some way to find out?<br />
<br />
[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 18:17, 24 January 2015 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
Y has to be a vowel here or it's not funny ~JFreund<br />
<br />
I don't know if it's related, but 'queue' is the french word for 'tail', and it's slang for dick. Queueing sounds like 'queuter', which is slang for 'to fuck'. [[User:Bonob|Bonob]] ([[User talk:Bonob|talk]]) 14:30, 31 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:So ''THAT'''s why the French are lovers, not fighters! Anonymous 04:30, 5 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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Seems to me the explanation does a pretty good job explaining. as the incomplete did not include a specific reason, I deleted it. Anonymous 06:51, 10 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Isn't it related to the kind of long scream containing long string of vowels during climax ? {{unsigned ip|173.245.53.138}}<br />
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I'm slightly worried that Cueball has a (huge) database containing data on sexual arousal and consecutive vowels, such that they can be plotted against each other.... --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 15:39, 9 October 2014 (UTC)<br />
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I don't think Megan is shouting here, considering how close the two are. While I can see that the italics may imply shouting, I would instead interpret the dialogue to be whispered with intensity, so as to establish a mood. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.5|141.101.99.5]] 18:39, 11 March 2015 (UTC)Now That I'm Signing Right, I Guess I'll Go Make An Account<br />
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the axes aren't labeled #http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/833:_Convincing {{unsigned ip|173.245.49.129}}<br />
<br />
Even if it's acting as a consonant, it should count as half a vowel: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/semivowel [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.160|108.162.237.160]] 23:22, 20 August 2017 (UTC)</div>108.162.237.160https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=68:_Five_Thirty&diff=14202668: Five Thirty2017-06-26T16:27:54Z<p>108.162.237.160: /* Explanations of the individual panels (numbered left to right, top to bottom) */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 68<br />
| date = February 24, 2006<br />
| title = Five Thirty<br />
| image = five_thirty.jpg<br />
| titletext = The 8th panel is my favorite<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
At 5:30 AM, one's sleep-deprived mind sometimes comes up with things that seem like nonsense later.<br />
<br />
None of the twelve panels in this comic seem to have any correlation with one another, each one being its own "story," and none of them really make any sense. It is unknown whether Randall really wrote this comic while awake at 5:30 in the morning, or if he wrote it while completely alert and is trying to pass off his rejected ideas by saying what one's mind may experience when trying to process information at an hour when the person is not used to being awake.<br />
<br />
===Explanations of the individual panels (numbered left to right, top to bottom)===<br />
# "80s night" is a special theme many nightclubs hold, inviting their guests to wear fashions that were popular in the 1980s while playing dance music from the same period.<br />
# {{w|Jack the Ripper}} was an infamous serial killer in Victorian {{w|England}}. {{w|Jack Black}} is a rock star and actor. "There is no Tuesday" is likely a reference to ''{{w|The Matrix}}''.<br />
# There doesn't seem to be too much to this panel that isn't self-explanatory, but it's possible that there's a reference to the ''{{w|Civilization (video game)|Civilization}}'' series of video games, in which it's possible (albeit unlikely) for medieval soldiers to attack and destroy 20th-century military helicopters.<br />
# Stick figures standing upright are indeed drawn without any thought as to which section of their legs are the shins.<br />
# Two Cueballs seems very upset as indicated by them shouting ''shit'' ten times without break and as indicated at the end they will continue to do so, as only "sh" of the 11th shit is written. What they should have been alarmed about is the '''third arm''' that seems to have '''grown out''' of the left Cueball's torso. But as it turns out they are worried about daylight savings ''[sic]'', which comes out in the second line of their shouting. {{w|Daylight saving time}} (DTS) was {{w|History_of_time_in_the_United_States#Start_and_end_dates_of_United_States_Daylight_Time|not due}} until April 2nd in the USA in 2006, more than a month after the release of this comic. This seems to be the first to use DTS as part of a joke, but it is by far not the last time that Randall made it clear that he is [[:Category:Daylight saving time|not a fan of DTS]] which he sometimes directly mocks! It's hard to tell what the two stick figures are actually doing and what the black blobs at the end of their arms should represent, given that Randall normally doesn't draw hands on his stick figures. One guess is that they're both wearing watches one on each of their combined five arms. In that case they are upset because they forgot to adjust all their clocks for the DTS. Alternatively the two Cueballs represents two clocks, the right one with only hour-hand and minute-hand, but the left one also with a seconds-hand, and it is these hands that are drawn. In that case the left Cueball is one hour ahead of the right Cueball, as his shortest arm, points down left at around 8 o'clock (with the seconds-hand above, and the minutes-hand at 20 minutes past), and the right Cueball has his hour hand at 7 o'clock and the minute hand also at 20 past. This would explain both the three arms, the "hands" at the end of the arms, and the different length of especially the left Cueballs arm, and finally why they are so upset about one of them forgetting DTS.<br />
# "Ointment" may be a reference to the infamous lotion scene in ''{{w|Silence of the Lambs}}'', as the panel appears to be invoking horror movie visuals.<br />
# The farthest left angle is labeled theta. The joke is that finding the cosine, the length of the adjacent leg divided by the length of the hypotenuse, would be difficult as the adjacent leg is poorly drawn and does not resemble a straight line to be measured.<br />
# Lots of jokes have been made out of the template "does liking X make you gay?", where the speaker is afraid that he may be a homosexual. Here, the speaker has apparently transformed into a {{w|mermaid}} at some point. His friend seems to be eager to both turn into a mermaid himself, and confirm himself for a homosexual. <p>Another explanation may be that the friend thinks that a man who was a mermaid for five minutes, should be homosexual afterwards, because he simply can't imagine something else about it. In this explanation the friend has no interest in others being gay or not, he just thinks that this may be a realistic progress.</p><br />
# Waving a gun around and declaring that things you hate are "for pussies" is stereotypical "{{w|macho}}" behavior. Possibly, the man with the gun is going to cut the other man's hair with bullets because it's more "macho" than going to the barber.<br />
# This doesn't seem to mean anything whatsoever. However, both of the characters say something irrational: "My hair is bleeding" is irrational because strands of hair can't bleed, and "√3" is an {{w|irrational number}}.<br />
# A bachelor party is traditionally raucous party that is thrown for a groom on the night before his wedding. Because these parties can be wild, (involving drinking and such) this may explain why the figure is upside down.<br />
# Likely a reference to the "{{w|ant on a rubber rope}}" thought experiment. Apparently in Randall's mind the experiment does not end well for the ant.<br />
<br />
---- <br />
<br />
The title text could actually refer to two different panels. If a person chooses to read the comic left-to-right, top-to-bottom (which is more likely given that this is the order in the official transcript), the eighth panel could be the one with where Cueball asks "Does being a mermaid for five minutes make you gay?" However, if a person chooses to read the comic top-to-bottom, left-to-right, the eighth panel will instead be the one with Cueball hanging upside down shouting "Bachelor party!"<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:Comics from 5:30 AM<br />
:[A succession of unrelated and completely random panels.]<br />
<br />
:Cueball: It's 80's night at the club. Wanna go?<br />
<br />
:Friend: There is no Tuesday.<br />
:Cueball: Jack the Ripper or Jack Black?<br />
<br />
:[Cueball in this panel is holding a glinting sword.]<br />
:Friend: You crashed my helicopter!<br />
:Cueball: Verily!<br />
<br />
:[A small figure is talking with a larger figure.]<br />
:Figure 1: Basically, neither of us have shins.<br />
:Figure 2: Over and out.<br />
<br />
:[Two men are shown: one with three arms, and another with just two. All arms have round appendages at their ends.]<br />
:Men: shitshitshitshitshitshitdaylightsavingsshitshitshitshitsh<br />
<br />
:[Two figures with pumpkins (carved with faces) for heads.]<br />
:Figure 1: You're out of ointment and out of time!<br />
<br />
:[A diagram of a right-angled triangle, with a theta at the smallest angle.]<br />
:FUCK THE COSINE<br />
<br />
:Friend: Does being a mermaid for five minutes make you gay?<br />
:Cueball: I hope so!<br />
<br />
:[The friend is holding a gun to Cueball's head.]<br />
:Friend: Barbershops are for pussies.<br />
<br />
:Friend: My hair is bleeding.<br />
:Cueball: √3<br />
<br />
:[Cueball seems to be walking on the ceiling.]<br />
:Cueball: Bachelor party!<br />
<br />
:[Warning sign with picture of an ant.]<br />
:WARNING: STRETCHY DEATH<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}} <br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]<br />
[[Category:Homosexuality]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Daylight saving time]]</div>108.162.237.160https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1529:_Bracket&diff=1417491529: Bracket2017-06-23T15:56:08Z<p>108.162.237.160: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1529<br />
| date = May 25, 2015<br />
| title = Bracket<br />
| image = bracket.png<br />
| titletext = I'm staring at the "doctor" section, and I can't help but feel like I've forgotten someone.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
A {{w|Bracket (tournament)|tournament bracket}} shows the planned series of matchups in a tournament. In this comic [[Randall]] has shown a plan for a tournament between a wide range of cultural icons, both real and fictional, based mostly on similarities in their names. Various Internet groups have speculated on who would win in a fight between characters from different films. It may be relevant that the film {{w|Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice}} is soon to be released where the two eponymous {{w|superheroes}}, {{w|Batman}} and {{w|Superman}}, fight against each other.<br />
<br />
The individual starting pairings are generally based on common or similar given names or surnames. Some adjacent brackets are "segued" by someone like Jeff Daniels, who segues from a bracket of "Jeff"s into a bracket of "Daniels"es. The bracket itself is fairly arbitrary. Most initial matchups are pairs, although several are trios and there's a quadruplet in the Russels group, while a single entry, {{w|Beyoncé}}, is given a first- and second-round {{w|bye (sports)|bye}}. Most of the participants in the tournament are people, with a few exceptions. {{w|Shallots}} (small onions), {{w|scallops}} (bivalve mollusks), and {{w|scallions}} (green onions) are similar sounding foods, therefore may be confusing for some individuals (perhaps including [[Randall]]). The final grouping on the lower right of the bracket features a several retail stores and a film.<br />
<br />
The [[title text]] possibly refers to {{w|Dr. Dre}}, particularly as a reference to his 2001 song "{{w|Forgot About Dre}}". Alternatively, the title text could simply be a reference to the large number of pop culture personas that include the word "Doctor", such as {{w|Gregory House|Doctor House}}, {{w|Mehmet Oz|Dr. Oz}}, {{w|Phil McGraw|Dr. Phil}}, {{w|Dr. Watson}}, {{w|Emmett Brown|"Doc" Brown}}, {{w|Dr. Seuss}}, {{w|Dr Pepper}}, {{w|Doctor Doom}}, {{w|Zoidberg|Dr. Zoidberg}}, {{w|Dr. Horrible}}'s Sing-Along Blog and {{w|List of fictional doctors|many others}}. Another simpler explanation is that it would cause the reader to question "Doctor Who?" answering their own question.<br />
<br />
The incentive for the comic may have been the {{w|2015 French Open|French Open 2015}}, which started on the day of the publication.<br />
<br />
The comic inspired several groups to play out versions of the bracket. One user-voting based match-up on twitter, [https://twitter.com/xkcdbracket XKCD Bracket], was featured by Randall on the xkcd home page, with a link at at the top of the website, although the account was not created by Randall. (The link was part of a "news" flash, the other was regarding his book based on [[1133: Up Goer Five]]. See more on this news in that comics explanation). In the final match on July 29, Neil Armstrong defeated Mister Spock (see the [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CLKJUpFWIAAlDnW.png:orig complete bracket]). The link was removed sometimes before Monday, 10 August 2015, within two weeks of the final result was revealed.<br />
<br />
===Table of the bracket===<br />
*The names and other entries in the bracket are given here below, sorted to explain why the individual entries have been grouped as they are.<br />
*The first-round match-ups are grouped by shading.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!Grouping<br />
!Subgrouping<br />
!Person/Entry<br />
!Known as<br />
!Winning probability<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="4"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Armstrong<br />
|{{w|Louis Armstrong}}<br />
|Jazz-musician<br />
| rowspan="4" |1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Neil Armstrong}}<br />
|First human on the moon<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Lance Armstrong}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Cyclist<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Stretch Armstrong}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Action figure<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|Jeff *<br />
|Jeff Gordan (Probably {{w|Jeff Gordon}})<br />
|Retired race car driver<br />
| rowspan="9" |1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Jeff Bridges}}<br />
|Actor in ''King Kong'', ''The Big Lebowski'', ''Iron Man'', ''Tron: Legacy''<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Jeff Daniels}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Actor in ''Dumb and Dumber''<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|J* Daniels<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Jack Daniel's|Jack Daniels}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Alcoholic beverages<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="4"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>Well<nowiki>*</nowiki><br />
|{{w|Orson Welles}}<br />
|Director of ''{{w|Citizen Kane}}'' and known for his {{w|The War of the Worlds (radio drama)|radio-play}} of {{w|H. G. Wells}}' ''{{w|The War of the Worlds}}''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|H.G. Wells}}<br />
|Author, known for ''The War of the Worlds'' and ''{{w|The Time Machine}}''<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|George Orwell}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Author of ''{{w|Nineteen Eighty-Four}}'' and ''{{w|Animal Farm}}''<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Wells Fargo}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Bank and stage coach company<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="4"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Russell *<br />
|{{w|Kurt Russell}}<br />
|Actor in ''John Carpenter's Escape from L.A.'', ''The Thing'', ''Big Trouble in Little China'', ''Fast & Furious 7''<br />
| rowspan="5" |1/128<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Russell Brand}}<br />
|Comedian<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Russell Crowe}}<br />
|Actor in ''Gladiator'', ''A Beautiful Mind'', ''Les Misérables'', ''Noah''<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Russell Simmons}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Rapper<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Simmons<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Richard Simmons}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Host of exercise program<br />
| rowspan="3" |1/64<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Gene Simmons}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Musician, known from ''KISS''<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Gene <nowiki>*</nowiki><br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Gene Hackman}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Actor<br />
|rowspan="5" |1/96<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>ckman<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Hugh Jackman}}<br />
|Actor in the ''{{w|X-Men}}'' franchise as {{w|Wolverine (character)|Wolverine}}<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Alan Rickman}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Actor in ''Die Hard'', ''Harry Potter'' franchise, ''The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy''<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|Alan <nowiki>*</nowiki><br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|Alan Par*<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Alan Parsons}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Musician<br />
|rowspan="7" |1/64<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Alan Partridge}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Fictional radio character<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> McCarthy<br />
|{{w|Jenny McCarthy}}<br />
|Anti-vaccination activist<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Joseph McCarthy}}<br />
|American Senator known for anti-communist policies.<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Eugene McCarthy}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Senator and Presidential candidate<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>gene<nowiki>*</nowiki><br />
|rowspan="2"|Eugene <nowiki>*</nowiki><br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Eugene V. Debs}}<br />
|Labor leader<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wilde*<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Gene Wilder}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Actor in ''Young Frankenstein'', ''Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory''<br />
| rowspan="4" |1/96<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Olivia Wilde}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Actress in ''Tron: Legacy'', ''Her'', ''House M.D.''<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Oscar Wilde}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Writer<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Oscar *<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Oscar De La Renta}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Fashion Designer<br />
|rowspan="3"|1/32<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Oscar De La *<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}<br />
|Boxer<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Jack Nic*<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Jack Nicklaus}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Golf player<br />
| rowspan="9" |1/32<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Jack Nicholson}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Actor in ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'', ''The Shining'', ''The Bucketlist''<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>ichol* / *ickel* / *ickle*<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Phil Mickelson}}<br />
|Golf player<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Nicholas Nickleby}}<br />
|Charles Dickens protagonist in the novel by the same name<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>ryan Adams<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Ryan Adams}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Singer<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Bryan Adams}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Singer<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Singers with Stage Names Referencing Weight/Games<br />
|{{w|Chubby Checker}}<br />
|Singer famous for "The Twist"<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Fats Domino}}<br />
|Rock and Roll Singer<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Colin F*<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Colin Firth}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Actor, ''Pride and Prejudice'', ''Love Actually''<br />
| rowspan="5" |1/64<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Colin Farrell}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Actor in ''Daredevil'', ''In Bruges'', ''Total Recall''<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|F*rell*<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Will Ferrell}}<br />
|Comic actor, ''Anchorman'' and ''The Other Guys''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}<br />
|Comedy film-makers<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|J<nowiki>*</nowiki> * *evitt/*ewitt (three names)<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Actor in ''Third Rock from the Sun'', ''Dark Knight Rises''<br />
| rowspan="2" |1/32<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Actress in ''Garfield: The Movie'' <!-- Nothing else really --><br />
|-<br />
<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|D* Glover<br />
|{{w|Danny Glover}} <br />
|Actor, ''Lethal Weapon'' series<br />
| rowspan="7" |1/64<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Donald Glover}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Actor, ''Community'', also a rapper, aka ''Childish Gambino''<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Don*<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Donnie Wahlberg}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Singer, ''{{w|New Kids on the Block}}'', actor, ''Blue Bloods''<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wahlberg<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Mark Wahlberg}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Actor in ''The Departed'', ''The Other Guys'', and former hip-hop singer for ''Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch''<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|Mark *<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Mark Ruffalo}}<br />
|Actor, known for his role as {{w|Hulk (comics)|the Hulk}} in the film ''{{w|The Avengers (2012 film)|The Avengers}}''<br />
| rowspan="2" |1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}<br />
|Entrepreneur, founder of {{w|Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu}}<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Pullman<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Philip Pullman}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Author, ''Dark Materials'' and ''The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ''<br />
|rowspan="4"|1/48<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Bill Pullman}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Actor in ''Spaceballs'', and ''Independence Day''<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|Bill *<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Bill Paxton}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Actor in ''Apollo 13'', ''Aliens''<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Bill Murray}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Actor in ''Ghostbusters'', ''Groundhog Day''<br />
|rowspan="3"|1/32<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Ghostbusters/SNL alumni<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Dan Aykroyd}}<br />
|Actor in ''Ghostbusters'', ''The Blues Brothers''<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Rogers<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Ginger Rogers}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Actress known for dancing with {{w|Fred Astaire}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|1/64<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Confusing reference to {{w|Fred Rogers}} (host of children's show, popularly known as "Mister Rogers") and to {{w|Fred Astaire}} (Dancer, actor, and singer)<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Spock<br />
|{{w|Mister Spock}}<br />
|Character on ''Star Trek'' portrayed by {{w|Leonard Nimoy}}<br />
|rowspan="10"|1/96<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Doctor Spock}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Author of book on childcare<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="8"|Doctors<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Doctor Octopus}}<br />
|Villain in Spider-Man comic books<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Doctor Manhattan}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Character in Alan Moore's Watchmen<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Doctor Strangelove}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Character in a movie about nuclear war by {{w|Stanley Kubrick}}<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Doctor Strange}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Sorceror Supreme in Marvel Comics<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Julius No|Dr. No}}<br />
|Main villain in the {{w|Dr. No (film)|first James Bond movie}}<br />
|-<br />
|The Doctor<br />
|Ambiguous reference to either the {{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|main protagonist}} of the science fiction series ''{{w|Doctor Who}}'' or the {{w|Doctor (Star Trek: Voyager)|emergency medical holographic program}} in ''{{w|Star Trek: Voyager}}''. <br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Cory Doctorow}}<br />
|Real person - [[:Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow| who has been in a number of xkcd comics]]<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|J* Lewis<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Rock and Roll singer<br />
|rowspan="9"|1/32<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Jerry Lewis}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Comedian and former chairman of charitable organization<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Jenny Lewis}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Indie singer-songwriter<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Sounds like *"enny"<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Xeni Jardin}}<br />
|Digital commentator, Boing Boing co-editor<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|Chris *<br />
|rowspan="2"|Chris * (Avengers actors)<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Chris Evans (actor)|Chris Evans}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Actor, ''Captain America''<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Chris Hemsworth}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Actor, ''Thor''<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|Chris P*<br />
|{{w|Chris Pine}}<br />
|Actor, ''Star Trek''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Chris Pratt}}<br />
|Actor, ''Guardians of the Galaxy''<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|S*all*o*s Foods<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Shallots}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Small onions<br />
|rowspan="3"|1/96<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Scallops}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Bivalve mollusks<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Scallions}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Green onions<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Suz* (Similar phonetics)<br />
|{{w|Siouxie Sioux}}<br />
|Rock singer<br />
|rowspan="2"|1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Suzanne Vega}}<br />
|Folk rock singer-songwriter<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Arnold *<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Tom Arnold (actor)|Tom Arnold}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Actor; ex-husband of {{w|Roseanne Barr}}<br />
|rowspan="4"|1/48<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Arnold Palmer}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Golf player<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|A* Palmer<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Amanda Palmer}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Singer/songwriter<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Wes *<br />
|{{w|Wes Craven}}<br />
|Film maker<br />
|rowspan="10"|1/64<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Wes Anderson}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Movie Director<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|* Anderson<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Film maker<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|P*ul Anderson<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Poul Anderson}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Science fiction author<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|Sirs<br />
|rowspan="2"|Sir Walter *<br />
|{{w|Sir Walter Scott}}<br />
|Scottish poet and writer<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}}<br />
|British explorer of Virginia<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|F* Drake<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Sir Francis Drake}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|British explorer, 2nd to circumnavigate the Earth<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Frank Drake}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Astrophysicist, SETI pioneer<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="5"|"Van"<br />
|rowspan="3"|Van *<br />
|{{w|Van Halen}}<br />
|Rock band<br />
|rowspan="3"|1/96<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Van Morrison}}<br />
|Singer/songwriter<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Van Wilder}}<br />
|Comedy film<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|R* Van Winkle<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Robert Van Winkle}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|AKA Vanilla Ice, rapper<br />
|rowspan="3"|1/64<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Rip Van Winkle}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Fictional character<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|Rip/Torn<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Rip Torn}}<br />
|Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, actor on ''Cross Creek'', ''Larry Sanders Show''<br />
|rowspan="2"|1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}<br />
|Singer of "Torn"<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Businesses with the word "Body" in their name<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|The Body Shop}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Shop<br />
|rowspan="6"|1/64<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|{{w|Bath and Body Works}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6" rowspan="2"|Shop<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Businesses with the word "Bath" in their name<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Shop<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2" rowspan="3"|Beyon*<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Beyond Thunderdome}}<br />
|Motion picture<br />
|-<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|{{w|Beyoncé}}<br />
|bgcolor="E6E6E6"|Singer<br />
|1/16<br />
<br />
|}<br />
==Trivia==<br />
The "Chris" group (Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pine, Chris Pratt) was later referenced in Chris Pine's opening monologue for SNL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGurtL83zhY<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A tournament bracket. With the names listed in groups on the left-hand side and right-hand side as shown below. Within individual groups the names are ordered in match-ups, two, three or even four in the first match. The last name on the right, Beyoncé, is not even matched for first round. The winners goes on to the next match, but there are many that skips some of the matches up until the quarterfinals, so some need to win 5 matches to reach the quarterfinals, others only need to win 4 of 3, and Beyoncé only 2. After the first level, the match-ups are always between two names. The two sides join up in a final in the middle, where the winner of the left side has a place for the name below and the winner of the right a place for the name above a central rectangular frame with place for the winners name. Below the pairing in the first round matches are mentioned above each of the clear groupings of the bracket.]<br />
:{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"<br />
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|<br />
<br/>[These are paired two and two.]<br />
<br/>Louis Armstrong<br />
<br/>Neil Armstrong<br />
<br/>Lance Armstrong<br />
<br/>Stretch Armstrong<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired two and two.]<br />
<br/>Jeff Gordan<br />
<br/>Jeff Bridges<br />
<br/>Jeff Daniels<br />
<br/>Jack Daniels<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired two and two.]<br />
<br/>Orson Welles<br />
<br/>H.G. Wells<br />
<br/>George Orwell<br />
<br/>Wells Fargo<br />
<br />
<br/>[The first four, two, three and two are paired.]<br />
<br/>Kurt Russell<br />
<br/>Russell Brand<br />
<br/>Russell Crowe<br />
<br/>Russell Simmons<br />
<br/>Richard Simmons<br />
<br/>Gene Simmons<br />
<br/>Gene Hackman<br />
<br/>Hugh Jackman<br />
<br/>Alan Rickman<br />
<br/>Alan Parsons<br />
<br/>Alan Partridge<br />
<br />
<br/>[The first four, three and two are paired.]<br />
<br/>Jenny McCarthy<br />
<br/>Joseph McCarthy<br />
<br/>Eugene McCarthy<br />
<br/>Eugene V. Debs<br />
<br/>Gene Wilder<br />
<br/>Olivia Wilde<br />
<br/>Oscar Wilde<br />
<br/>Oscar De La Renta<br />
<br/>Oscar De La Hoya<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired two and two.]<br />
<br/>Jack Nicklaus<br />
<br/>Jack Nicholson<br />
<br/>Phil Mickelson<br />
<br/>Nicholas Nickelby<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired.]<br />
<br/>Ryan Adams<br />
<br/>Bryan Adams<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired.]<br />
<br/>Chubby Checker<br />
<br/>Fats Domino<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired two and two.]<br />
<br/>Colin Firth<br />
<br/>Colin Farrell<br />
<br/>Will Ferrell<br />
<br/>The Farrelly Brothers<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired.]<br />
<br/>Joseph Gordon-Levitt<br />
<br/>Jennifer Love Hewitt<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired two and two.]<br />
<br/>Danny Glover<br />
<br/>Donald Glover<br />
<br/>Donnie Wahlberg<br />
<br/>Mark Wahlberg<br />
<br/>Mark Ruffalo<br />
<br/>Mark Shuttleworth<br />
<br />
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|<br />
<br/>[The first three and two are paired.]<br />
<br/>Philip Pullman<br />
<br/>Bill Pullman<br />
<br/>Bill Paxton<br />
<br/>Bill Murray<br />
<br/>Dan Aykroyd<br />
<br />
<br/>[The first two, and then three times three are paired.]<br />
<br/>Ginger Rogers<br />
<br/>Fred Rogers|Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers<br />
<br/>Mister Spock<br />
<br/>Doctor Spock<br />
<br/>Doctor Octopus<br />
<br/>Doctor Manhattan<br />
<br/>Doctor Strangelove<br />
<br/>Doctor Strange<br />
<br/>Dr. No<br />
<br/>The Doctor<br />
<br/>Cory Doctorow<br />
<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired two and two.]<br />
<br/>Jerry Lee Lewis<br />
<br/>Jerry Lewis<br />
<br/>Jenny Lewis<br />
<br/>Xeni Jardin<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired two and two.]<br />
<br/>Chris Evans<br />
<br/>Chris Hemsworth<br />
<br/>Chris Pine<br />
<br/>Chris Pratt<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired.]<br />
<br/>Shallots<br />
<br/>Scallops<br />
<br/>Scallions<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired.]<br />
<br/>Siouxie Sioux<br />
<br/>Suzanne Vega<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired.]<br />
<br/>Tom Arnold<br />
<br/>Arnold Palmer<br />
<br/>Amanda Palmer<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired two and two.]<br />
<br/>Wes Craven<br />
<br/>Wes Anderson<br />
<br/>Paul Thomas Anderson<br />
<br/>Poul Anderson<br />
<br />
<br/>[These are paired two and two.]<br />
<br/>Sir Walter Scott<br />
<br/>Sir Walter Raleigh<br />
<br/>Sir Francis Drake<br />
<br/>Frank Drake<br />
<br />
<br/>[The first three, two and two are paired.]<br />
<br/>Van Halen<br />
<br/>Van Morrison<br />
<br/>Van Wilder<br />
<br/>Robert Van Winkle<br />
<br/>Rip Van Winkle<br />
<br/>Rip Torn<br />
<br/>Natalie Imbruglia<br />
<br />
<br/>[The first four are paired two and two the last is the only one not paired.]<br />
<br/>The Body Shop<br />
<br/>Bath and Body Works<br />
<br/>Bed Bath and Beyond<br />
<br/>Beyond Thunderdome<br />
<br/>Beyoncé<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]<br />
[[Category:Doctor Who]]<br />
[[Category:Star Trek]]</div>108.162.237.160https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1845:_State_Word_Map&diff=1413601845: State Word Map2017-06-14T20:05:01Z<p>108.162.237.160: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1845<br />
| date = June 2, 2017<br />
| title = State Word Map<br />
| image = state_word_map.png<br />
| titletext = The top search for every state is PORN, except Florida, where it's SEX PORN.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
This is another of the many comics where [[Randall]] used a map of the United States for his joke (see below for examples).<br />
<br />
Similar in spirit to [[1138: Heatmap]], this comic pokes fun at many maps that attempt to use data to discern unique characteristics about various sub-regions, in this case {{w|U.S. state|American states}}. This map may have been inspired by [https://twitter.com/GoogleTrends/status/869624196921303040 this map] posted on Twitter by Google Trends the day before the comic was posted. Many web companies use maps like this in viral marketing, but the methodology behind them is pretty weak. The random noise in the data will mean that there will be variations between states even if there is no underlying pattern - and this can be further boosted by statistical tricks. A common one is to show the "most characteristic" or "most distinctive" term for each state. For instance, [http://www.businessinsider.com/most-common-causes-of-death-in-each-state-2014-6?IR=T the most common cause of death is heart disease or cancer] in every US state, but this makes for a boring map. Looking at the [https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2015/14_0395.htm most distinctive cause of death] produces a more interesting map, but it highlights very minor trends - Lousiana is marked as having syphilis as its most distinctive cause of death, even though [https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/stateprofiles/pdf/louisiana_profile.pdf only 15 Louisianans in every 100,000 have the disease] and there were only 22 syphilis deaths in the state over a whole decade. These maps can give a misleading impression of huge variation between states that doesn't really exist.<br />
<br />
This map does not include real data, but says (when read left to right/west to east): <br />
:You can make these maps say whatever you want by adjusting the methodology. Half of the time you're just amplifying random noise because the underlying data doesn't vary that much from one state to another. But whatever. Nobody checks this stuff. Just pick whatever normalization lets you make fun of Florida.<br />
<br />
The primary joke is that the likelihood of these being the words used most often by the inhabitants of each state is low, rather than accurately representing the most used words Randall has just done exactly what he says he can do (make fun of Florida by putting whatever he wants). He also has not obtained the data from anywhere, just 'Something Something'. <br />
<br />
The joke about Florida is that the most used word in Florida is "Florida", which would make people in Florida very self-centered. <br />
<br />
The comic continues to make fun of Florida in the title text by saying that Florida searches for ''sex porn'' instead of ''porn'', which is not needed since porn means images and film of people having sex. This is also probably a reference to PornHub's [https://www.pornhub.com/insights/united-states-top-searches data-farming] exercises, where they have periodically released the most frequently searched term by state.<br />
<br />
{{w|Florida}} is often the butt of many jokes, including the {{w|Florida Man}} meme and many mocking jibes regarding its {{w|2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida|messy electoral history}}. {{tvtropes|OnlyInFlorida|"Only in Florida" phenomenon}}<br />
<br />
Randall previously used a map of the United States as the basis for his comics in [[1767: US State Names]], [[1653: United States Map]], [[1509: Scenery Cheat Sheet]] and in [[1079: United Shapes]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption above the map, with sub caption:]<br />
:<big>Most-Used Word in Each State</big><br />
:Based on Something Something Search Data<br />
<br />
:[Beneath the captions are a colorful map of the United States of America. Each state has one color, but the colors do not change from state to state, but rather between rows of states. The top "row" is purple, the second row is gray-blue, but only goes half across. Where it stops a pink row of states begins. Beneath this runs a yellow row, except it does not take California with it, since it belongs to the next purple line beneath this yellow line. Finally the two states not in the contiguous states as well as the southern states from Texas to Florida are again pink. Inside each state is written one, and only one word (or for small states the word is outside and if needed a line indicates which state it belongs to). The words size depends on the size of the state and the word. If it can fit inside the state it will be written in a font large enough to fill the entire state if possible (in one case a hyphen is used). So a short word, like "lets" in huge Texas becomes huge, but a word like "noise" which has been fitted inside small Massachusets becomes small.]<br />
<br />
:[Here are the 50 words written in lines resembling the colors on the map (from left to right). Purple, gray-blue, pink, yellow, purple and pink:]<br />
:You can make these maps say whatever you want <br />
:by adjusting the methodology. <br />
:Half the time you're just amplifying random noise. <br />
:Because the underlying data doesn't vary that much from one state to another. <br />
:But whatever. Nobody checks this stuff. Just pick<br />
:whatever normal-ization lets you make fun of Florida.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
* In [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/0/04/20170602113432%21state_word_map.png the original version of this comic] the border line dividing {{w|New Hampshire}} and {{w|Maine}} was missing, although both states had distinct words attributed to them ("you" for NH and "want" for ME). The error was later corrected by Randall to the current version.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Maps]]<br />
[[Category:Geography]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]</div>108.162.237.160https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1850:_Air_Force_Museum&diff=1413581850: Air Force Museum2017-06-14T20:01:24Z<p>108.162.237.160: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1850<br />
| date = June 14, 2017<br />
| title = Air Force Museum<br />
| image = air_force_museum.png<br />
| titletext = I had fun visiting the museum at Dover Air Force Base, unless they don't have a museum, in which case I've never been to Delaware in my life.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete| Perhaps more detail is needed?}}<br />
[[Megan]] asks [[Cueball]] about his day. He tells about his visit to a military {{w|Aviation museum|aircraft museum}} at the {{w|Military air base|air force base}} and lists some of the things he saw. It starts with things you would expect at a typical museum, such as a mix of modern, older, and even older aircraft, before revealing the fact that Cueball was able to watch missiles being loaded, which is something that would be extremely out of place and dangerous at a museum. Realizing this, Cueball remarks that he hopes that he was at a museum, and Megan asks him if he hears helicopters. The implication is that there was no museum to begin with and Cueball went to observe the actual air force base and is now being pursued by the military.<br />
<br />
The mention of "planes from different eras" alludes to the fact that military aircraft are often still in use after a much longer time than they were originally designed for. Examples of this are the US Air Force's B-52 bomber, first introduced in 1955 (62 years before the publication of this comic) and the C-160 Transall, which has been in service in, e.g., the German Luftwaffe, since 1967 (50 years before). Additionally, aircraft museums typically house military aircraft from previous eras, such as from WWII and the Cold War, to show the evolution in aircraft design and to showcase technological advances.<br />
<br />
The title text builds on this premise. Cueball (or Randall Munroe?) says that he had fun visiting another Air Force "museum", but he adds that if they don't have a museum (in which case he was trespassing on a military base) then he denies going anywhere near it. Fortunately for Cueball, there is in fact an Air Force museum nearby: the {{w|Air Mobility Command Museum}} about half a mile south of the {{w|Dover Air Force Base}}.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Megan walks from left over to Cueball.]<br />
:Megan: How was your day?<br />
:Cueball: I visited the military aircraft museum over at the Air Force base. It was really neat!<br />
<br />
:[Both walking together to the right.]<br />
:Cueball: They have planes from different eras, all kinds of cool equipment, and you can even watch missiles being loaded.<br />
<br />
:[Both walking while they contemplate.]<br />
<br />
:[Both still walking.]<br />
:Cueball: ...at least, I ''hope'' that was a museum.<br />
:Megan: Do you hear helicopters?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>108.162.237.160https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1662:_Jack_and_Jill&diff=115919Talk:1662: Jack and Jill2016-03-30T14:39:58Z<p>108.162.237.160: </p>
<hr />
<div>Often water in spring (up hill) has better quality than in stream or river (down in the valley) --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 14:23, 30 March 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
jack and Jill / went up the hill / to have a little fun / but silly Jill / forgot the pill / and now they have a son. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.151|141.101.104.151]] 14:28, 30 March 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'd always assumed that there was a well at the top of the hill, though I hadn't realised I'd made that assumption until now. And, come to think of it, the top of a hill's a pretty bad place to put a well. --jwanders [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.160|108.162.237.160]] 14:39, 30 March 2016 (UTC)</div>108.162.237.160https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=946:_Family_Decals&diff=93089946: Family Decals2015-05-11T16:48:09Z<p>108.162.237.160: Alternate meaning of the title text.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 946<br />
| date = September 2, 2011<br />
| title = Family Decals<br />
| image = family decals.png<br />
| titletext = My decal set has no adults, just a sea of hundreds of the little girl figures closing in around a single cat.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
There exists a current fashion among car owners to place decals on their back window that represent their family. The decals consist of stick figures to depict the parents and children, perhaps shown doing a favorite activity, and even pets.<br />
<br />
The first car window features a couple with three children, while the other shows just a couple, with large sacks of money. The humor comes from the opportunity cost implied in this — not having children allows you to avoid the expense of raising them and accumulate money for your own use.<br />
<br />
One might expect that the cars would represent the difference in wealth, and they are identified as 'urban SUV' and 'sporty hatch back' in the transcript. The oval badge on the first hints that it could be a {{w|Ford}} which is a typical brand used by families. The identity of the other car is not clear, but it has a roof spoiler, a sloping roof-line and more complicated rear light assemblies, all pointing to a more expensive, less practical choice.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the humorous description of cats as the real masters of their household, and the little girls surrounding the cat refers to their ability to influence humans with their cuteness (as referenced in [[Cat Proximity]]). The implication is that any adults in the household have a limited, non-credited role. The title text could also be a reverse of the stereotypical "crazy cat lady". Instead of someone owning a very large quantity of cats it could be one cat with an ungodly number of little girls.<br />
<br />
Also, Decals based on this comic do in fact exist.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Two cars are parked next to each other. The car on the left is an urban SUV and has stickers on the rear window representing a family. From left to right there is an adult male, adult female, female youth, male youth, and young child. The car on the right is a sporty hatch back, it has similar stickers on the rear window, with an adult male and adult female. Instead of the youth and child stickers there is instead a large pile of money.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]</div>108.162.237.160https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1463:_Altitude&diff=812411463: Altitude2014-12-22T20:28:54Z<p>108.162.237.160: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1463<br />
| date = December 22, 2014<br />
| title = Altitude<br />
| image = altitude.png<br />
| titletext = "TURN OFF THE LASER GUIDE STAR" "WHY" "STAR CATS"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|}}<br />
In this comic, Randall is making fun of how {{w|Altitude sickness|oxygen deprivation}} can lead to reduced mental acuity. In this case, mental state of the researchers devolves as the approach the high altitude telescope, and reaches such a poor state when they arrive as to lead to juvenile (almost intoxicated) behavior. While "dizziness" and "lightheadedness" are common symptoms, the other behavior is not.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to a device used to make artificial reference points in the sky for astronomical observation. The reference points are created by shooting a powerful laser into the sky. The concern of the astronomer in the comic is that an imagined "star cat" may be attracted to the laser in the same way cats on Earth playfully chase laser beams projected on surfaces.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.237.160https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1463:_Altitude&diff=812401463: Altitude2014-12-22T20:26:39Z<p>108.162.237.160: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1463<br />
| date = December 22, 2014<br />
| title = Altitude<br />
| image = altitude.png<br />
| titletext = "TURN OFF THE LASER GUIDE STAR" "WHY" "STAR CATS"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|}}<br />
In this comic, Randall is making fun of how {{w|Altitude sickness|oxygen deprivation}} can lead to reduced mental acuity. In this case, mental state of the researchers devolves as the approach the high altitude telescope, and reaches such a poor state when they arrive as to lead to juvenile (almost intoxicated) behavior. While "dizziness" and "lightheadedness" are common symptoms, the other behavior is not.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to a device used to make artificial reference points in the sky for astronomical observation. The reference points are created by shooting a powerful laser into the sky. The concern of the astronomer in the comic is that an imagined "star cat" may be attracted to the laser in the same way cats on Earth playful chase laser beams projected on surfaces.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.237.160