Book:Going Postal/Annotations - Revision history

Superluser: fracas v rumpus

2023-05-28T01:07:30Z

fracas v rumpus

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	(p204) "And her hair was plaited and coiled up on either side of her head in those discs that back home in Uberwald had been called 'snails,' but in Anhk-Morpork put people in mind of a woman with a curly iced bun clamped to each ear."		(p204) "And her hair was plaited and coiled up on either side of her head in those discs that back home in Uberwald had been called 'snails,' but in Anhk-Morpork put people in mind of a woman with a curly iced bun clamped to each ear."
	– Think of old German beer waitresses, not Princess Leia from ''Star Wars''.		– Think of old German beer waitresses, not Princess Leia from ''Star Wars''.

			(p.214) Harper paperback — "'Have you heard about the fracas in Weaver Street?' 'I heard it was a rumpus'" — The distinction between a fracas & a rumpus was previously a matter of discussion in The Truth, p. 98 (Harper paperback).

	(p224) "'Tell me,' said Moist, 'have you ever heard of something called the Smoking Gnu?'"		(p224) "'Tell me,' said Moist, 'have you ever heard of something called the Smoking Gnu?'"

Superluser: gone bursar

2023-05-26T19:13:54Z

gone bursar

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:13, 26 May 2023
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	(p99(''British edition'')). Grandad's speech on "We keep that name moving in the Overhead", referring to the mysterious death of [[John Dearheart]] and the great unhappiness this has provoked among long-time Linesmen. The following text quotes almost verbatim from Glen Campbell's country and western hit ''Wichita Lineman'', about the life and death of an electrical lineman in the heart of the USA....		(p99(''British edition'')). Grandad's speech on "We keep that name moving in the Overhead", referring to the mysterious death of [[John Dearheart]] and the great unhappiness this has provoked among long-time Linesmen. The following text quotes almost verbatim from Glen Campbell's country and western hit ''Wichita Lineman'', about the life and death of an electrical lineman in the heart of the USA....

			(p.100) Harper paperback — "gone bursar" — long time Discworld readers are likely well aware that the Bursar of Unseen University is well-known for being mad, but since this isn't in the Rincewind series of books, & is the starting book in the Moist von Lipwig series, new readers may not yet be aware.

	(p104(''Corgi edition'')) "It overwhelms the soul, very much like the state he elsewhere describes as ''Vonallesvolkommenunverstandlichdasdaskeit''. " – This German is a bit mangled. With proper spaces it is "Von Alles Vol'''l'''kommen unverständlich das das -keit" which translates as "from everything completely non-understandable (=incomprehensible) the<sub>neuter</sub> the<sub>neuter</sub>" and a suffix changing a word into a noun (this might refer to "unverständlich": Unverständlichkeit would be incomprehensibility). This also appears to foreshadow the extensive employment of cod-German philosophy which defines Mr Nutt's character in {{UA}}		(p104(''Corgi edition'')) "It overwhelms the soul, very much like the state he elsewhere describes as ''Vonallesvolkommenunverstandlichdasdaskeit''. " – This German is a bit mangled. With proper spaces it is "Von Alles Vol'''l'''kommen unverständlich das das -keit" which translates as "from everything completely non-understandable (=incomprehensible) the<sub>neuter</sub> the<sub>neuter</sub>" and a suffix changing a word into a noun (this might refer to "unverständlich": Unverständlichkeit would be incomprehensibility). This also appears to foreshadow the extensive employment of cod-German philosophy which defines Mr Nutt's character in {{UA}}

Superluser: some annotations: fiber optics, accuphile, agatean wall, trunking

2023-05-23T23:06:13Z

some annotations: fiber optics, accuphile, agatean wall, trunking

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	"If the SVP (Sound Velocity Profile) shows a strong thermocline change, we would have negative buoyancy above the layer, and positive buoyancy below the layer. Slow down, using the planes to dive towards layer depth, and just sit on the layer! It’s just as stable as sitting on the bottom, and you can sit there, motionless, forever!"		"If the SVP (Sound Velocity Profile) shows a strong thermocline change, we would have negative buoyancy above the layer, and positive buoyancy below the layer. Slow down, using the planes to dive towards layer depth, and just sit on the layer! It’s just as stable as sitting on the bottom, and you can sit there, motionless, forever!"

			(p.4) Harper paperback — "It could send messages up to 4 times faster than the old towers, thanks to the new shutter system and the colored lights" — This appears to be a reference to fiber optic data transmission. The use of multimodal (multiple color) fiber optic transmitters & optical fiber has increased the bandwidth to 40Gbps (though the same bandwidth can be achieved using single mode fiber these days)

	(p8) US hardcover- – reference to “the clacks”		(p8) US hardcover- – reference to “the clacks”
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	(p63) "'The free golems work 24-8...."		(p63) "'The free golems work 24-8...."
	– It's rarely mentioned anymore that the number [[7a\|eight]] is magically significant on the Disc and tends to occur wherever our world would use a seven. In particular, the Discworld week is 8 days long. But at this point, go to your copy of {{GP}}, which is the first Discworld book to be separated into formal chapters. (Each has a heading where the chapter contents are summarised at the start, in the manner of a Victorian morality fable). Now look at the chapter heading for the one that comes in between Chapter Seven and Chapter Nine. Look ''closely'' at it.		– It's rarely mentioned anymore that the number [[7a\|eight]] is magically significant on the Disc and tends to occur wherever our world would use a seven. In particular, the Discworld week is 8 days long. But at this point, go to your copy of {{GP}}, which is the first Discworld book to be separated into formal chapters. (Each has a heading where the chapter contents are summarised at the start, in the manner of a Victorian morality fable). Now look at the chapter heading for the one that comes in between Chapter Seven and Chapter Nine. Look ''closely'' at it.

			(p.65) Harper paperback — acuphilia appears to be a neologism by Terry, the love of pins, or perhaps love of accupunture

	(p72) "'However, I note that since you acquired the [[Grand Trunk Semaphore Company\|Grand Trunk]] at a fraction of its value, breakdowns are increasing, the speed of messages has slowed down, and the cost to customers has risen.'"		(p72) "'However, I note that since you acquired the [[Grand Trunk Semaphore Company\|Grand Trunk]] at a fraction of its value, breakdowns are increasing, the speed of messages has slowed down, and the cost to customers has risen.'"
	– While there are some parallels to the Grand Trunk and America's now-broken AT&T telecommunications monopoly, there are far more parallels to the UK's British Telecom, which is still a monopoly there and has very few friends among its consumers. Interestingly, the history of BT is that it was originally part of the British Post Office and was still known as "Post Office Telecommunications" until 1980, shortly before it became privatized.		– While there are some parallels to the Grand Trunk and America's now-broken AT&T telecommunications monopoly, there are far more parallels to the UK's British Telecom, which is still a monopoly there and has very few friends among its consumers. Interestingly, the history of BT is that it was originally part of the British Post Office and was still known as "Post Office Telecommunications" until 1980, shortly before it became privatized.

			In telecommunications, "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trunking trunking]" is the process of taking several smaller data streams (originally, phone lines, but later applied to data) & aggregating them onto a higher bandwidth circuit which takes them all.

	(p74) "'This, my lord'," said Gilt, gesturing to the little side table..."'Is this not an original [[hnaflbaflsniflwhifltafl]] slab?'"		(p74) "'This, my lord'," said Gilt, gesturing to the little side table..."'Is this not an original [[hnaflbaflsniflwhifltafl]] slab?'"
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	(p83) "'They were hand-drawn and had his trademark silver head with a microscopic engraving of a cockerel.'"		(p83) "'They were hand-drawn and had his trademark silver head with a microscopic engraving of a cockerel.'"
	– Perhaps this is a reference to the fancy microscopic engravings computer chip designers use when endorsing their work.		– Perhaps this is a reference to the fancy microscopic engravings computer chip designers use when endorsing their work.

			(p.86) Harper paperback — "Agatean Wall" — the Roundworld term for this business practice is "Chinese Wall"

	(p96) "'Do you understand anything I'm saying?' shouted Moist. 'You can't just go around killing people!' 'Why Not?'"		(p96) "'Do you understand anything I'm saying?' shouted Moist. 'You can't just go around killing people!' 'Why Not?'"

Tag at 08:38, 13 April 2023

2023-04-13T08:38:02Z

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	The name, the character description, and the Gormenghast-like Post office building, are straight out of Mervyn Peake: Tolliver Groat's personal take on the grotesque means that he could walk in to Peake's fantasy virtually as is. Indeed, Groat's dogged adherence to rule and ritual, his having practically memorised the Post Office rulebook long after the system has effectively collapsed and his insistence the rules still be followed because, well, they are the Rules, is reminiscent of Gormenghast's Master of Ceremonies, the ageing, repellent, and soap-innocent Barquentine. Moist von Lipwig has arrived in the Post Office system in time to be a less malevolent Steerpike - i.e., the character who shakes the system up and reinvigorates it. (Hmmm, Moist as Steerpike in a Gormenghast-like system - the manipulative outsider who causes a stir and gets things done.) Steerpike also, metaphorically and literally, climbs from the lowest Hell-like depths of the kitchens where is otherwise imprisoned for life as a lowly scullion, to the higher floors of the castle - via the ''outside'' of the building - where nobody questions his right to be there and he can re-integrate himself at a higher social level with a series of plausible cover stories. Compare this to Moist's resurrection from the dead and rebirth into a higher social position. The climbing metaphor becomes more explicit in {{MM}}, where, as with Steerpike's desperation climb, Moist is found edificeering on the exterior of his own building and just about to be exposed as a thief and a crook - for all the wrong reasons...		The name, the character description, and the Gormenghast-like Post office building, are straight out of Mervyn Peake: Tolliver Groat's personal take on the grotesque means that he could walk in to Peake's fantasy virtually as is. Indeed, Groat's dogged adherence to rule and ritual, his having practically memorised the Post Office rulebook long after the system has effectively collapsed and his insistence the rules still be followed because, well, they are the Rules, is reminiscent of Gormenghast's Master of Ceremonies, the ageing, repellent, and soap-innocent Barquentine. Moist von Lipwig has arrived in the Post Office system in time to be a less malevolent Steerpike - i.e., the character who shakes the system up and reinvigorates it. (Hmmm, Moist as Steerpike in a Gormenghast-like system - the manipulative outsider who causes a stir and gets things done.) Steerpike also, metaphorically and literally, climbs from the lowest Hell-like depths of the kitchens where is otherwise imprisoned for life as a lowly scullion, to the higher floors of the castle - via the ''outside'' of the building - where nobody questions his right to be there and he can re-integrate himself at a higher social level with a series of plausible cover stories. Compare this to Moist's resurrection from the dead and rebirth into a higher social position. The climbing metaphor becomes more explicit in {{MM}}, where, as with Steerpike's desperation climb, Moist is found edificeering on the exterior of his own building and just about to be exposed as a thief and a crook - for all the wrong reasons...

			Prologue -
			"The flotillas of the dead sailed around the world on underwater rivers."
			Although this idea may seem fanciful, it has a basis in reality. The ocean does have layers of different density (based on temperature and salt concentration). A submarine can adjust its buoyancy so that "it stops sinking and ends up floating on an underwater surface, beyond the reach of the storms but far above the ocean floor." (Sir Terry makes a minor error that the effect is due to density, not viscosity).

			A quotation from a former submarine sonar Chief Petty Officer ([https://www.quora.com/Can-submarines-stay-still-underwater-without-moving-at-a-given-depth]):

			"If the SVP (Sound Velocity Profile) shows a strong thermocline change, we would have negative buoyancy above the layer, and positive buoyancy below the layer. Slow down, using the planes to dive towards layer depth, and just sit on the layer! It’s just as stable as sitting on the bottom, and you can sit there, motionless, forever!"

	(p8) US hardcover- – reference to “the clacks”		(p8) US hardcover- – reference to “the clacks”

Moishe Rosenbaum: /* By page number */ L. Frank, not Frank L.

2022-01-10T00:42:22Z

By page number: L. Frank, not Frank L.

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	(p175) "'I won't be long. I'm off to see the wizard.'"		(p175) "'I won't be long. I'm off to see the wizard.'"
	– The author has probably been waiting years to use this line from ~~Frank~~ L. Baum's ''The Wizard of Oz''.		– The author has probably been waiting years to use this line from L. Frank Baum's ''The Wizard of Oz''.

	(p176) "Just below the dome, staring down from their niches, were statues of the Virtues: Patience, Chastity, Silence, Charity, Hope, [[Tubso]], [[Bissonomy]], and Fortitude."		(p176) "Just below the dome, staring down from their niches, were statues of the Virtues: Patience, Chastity, Silence, Charity, Hope, [[Tubso]], [[Bissonomy]], and Fortitude."

Jusuwa: /* By page number */ p131 added the sentence that begins with, "Rottweilers are a kind of black dog with orange eyebrows..."

2018-04-09T23:51:01Z

By page number: p131 added the sentence that begins with, "Rottweilers are a kind of black dog with orange eyebrows..."

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	(p131) "This was going to be...ironic. They'd actually got hold of Lipwigzers!"		(p131) "This was going to be...ironic. They'd actually got hold of Lipwigzers!"
	– The author possibly seems to be punning on Weimaraners ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimaraner]), which are a German breed of dog that take their name from the Grand Duke of Weimar, Karl August. The cover of the UK edition depicts two dogs similar in appearance to Rottweilers. Rottweilers are a kind of black dog with orange eyebrows, as mentioned on the same list that mentions Mrs. Cake. (And there is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottweil Rottweil])		– The author possibly seems to be punning on Weimaraners ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimaraner]), which are a German breed of dog that take their name from the Grand Duke of Weimar, Karl August. The cover of the UK edition depicts two dogs similar in appearance to Rottweilers. Rottweilers are a kind of black dog with orange eyebrows, as mentioned on the same list that mentions [[Mrs. Cake]]. (And there is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottweil Rottweil])

	(p131) US hardcover: Worshipful Master: “Yes, well, you know what we used to say: you do have to be mad to work here!”		(p131) US hardcover: Worshipful Master: “Yes, well, you know what we used to say: you do have to be mad to work here!”

Jusuwa: /* By page number */ p131 added the sentence that begins with, "Rottweilers are a kind of black dog with orange eyebrows..."

2018-04-09T23:44:33Z

By page number: p131 added the sentence that begins with, "Rottweilers are a kind of black dog with orange eyebrows..."

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	(p131) "This was going to be...ironic. They'd actually got hold of Lipwigzers!"		(p131) "This was going to be...ironic. They'd actually got hold of Lipwigzers!"
	– The author possibly seems to be punning on Weimaraners ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimaraner]), which are a German breed of dog that take their name from the Grand Duke of Weimar, Karl August. The cover of the UK edition depicts two dogs similar in appearance to Rottweilers. (And there is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottweil Rottweil])		– The author possibly seems to be punning on Weimaraners ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimaraner]), which are a German breed of dog that take their name from the Grand Duke of Weimar, Karl August. The cover of the UK edition depicts two dogs similar in appearance to Rottweilers. Rottweilers are a kind of black dog with orange eyebrows, as mentioned on the same list that mentions Mrs. Cake. (And there is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottweil Rottweil])

	(p131) US hardcover: Worshipful Master: “Yes, well, you know what we used to say: you do have to be mad to work here!”		(p131) US hardcover: Worshipful Master: “Yes, well, you know what we used to say: you do have to be mad to work here!”

Bytesphere451: /* By page number */

2016-07-10T14:40:01Z

By page number

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:40, 10 July 2016
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	(p106) "Twelve and a half percent! Twelve and a half percent!"		(p106) "Twelve and a half percent! Twelve and a half percent!"
	– As Moist almost explains later in the book, this is a financial joke. Long John Silver's parrot always repeated "Pieces of eight!" Pieces of eight were one-eighth pieces of a gold dollar coin. A dollar is one hundred cents, and one hundred percent make a whole. Twelve and a half percent, then, is exactly one-eighth of a dollar--a piece of eight.		– As Moist almost explains later in the book, this is a financial joke. Long John Silver's parrot always repeated "Pieces of eight!" Pieces of eight were one-eighth pieces of a gold dollar coin. A dollar is one hundred cents, and one hundred percent make a whole. Twelve and a half percent, then, is exactly one-eighth of a dollar--a piece of eight.
	-- While the above may correct according to what everyone knows; a piece of eight is actually a ~~spanish~~ silver dollar worth 8 reales(~~royals~~), meaning that a piece of eight is actually 800% of the ~~spanish~~ base currency. The common misconception seems to come from the ~~interpretaion~~ of pieces of eight, with most people reading it as one piece ~~out of eight~~(1/8) rather than one piece ~~made of~~ eight ~~pieces(8/1)~~.		<!-- While the above may correct according to what everyone knows; a piece of eight is actually a Spanish silver dollar worth 8 reales also called royals(the Spanish base currency at the time), meaning that a piece of eight is actually 800% of the Spanish base currency.
			The common misconception seems to come from the interpretation of pieces of eight, with most people reading it as one piece worth an eighth(1/8) rather than one piece worth eight reales. -->

	(p129) "les buggeures risible"		(p129) "les buggeures risible"

Bytesphere451: /* By page number */

2016-07-10T14:32:11Z

By page number

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:32, 10 July 2016
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	(p106) "Twelve and a half percent! Twelve and a half percent!"		(p106) "Twelve and a half percent! Twelve and a half percent!"
	– As Moist almost explains later in the book, this is a financial joke. Long John Silver's parrot always repeated "Pieces of eight!" Pieces of eight were one-eighth pieces of a gold dollar coin. A dollar is one hundred cents, and one hundred percent make a whole. Twelve and a half percent, then, is exactly one-eighth of a dollar--a piece of eight.		– As Moist almost explains later in the book, this is a financial joke. Long John Silver's parrot always repeated "Pieces of eight!" Pieces of eight were one-eighth pieces of a gold dollar coin. A dollar is one hundred cents, and one hundred percent make a whole. Twelve and a half percent, then, is exactly one-eighth of a dollar--a piece of eight.
			-- While the above may correct according to what everyone knows; a piece of eight is actually a spanish silver dollar worth 8 reales(royals), meaning that a piece of eight is actually 800% of the spanish base currency. The common misconception seems to come from the interpretaion of pieces of eight, with most people reading it as one piece out of eight(1/8) rather than one piece made of eight pieces(8/1).

	(p129) "les buggeures risible"		(p129) "les buggeures risible"

Thnidu: Actual American saying. Replace ''neutrum'' (Latin, used in German) with English ''neuter''.

2015-06-13T19:44:20Z

Actual American saying. Replace ''neutrum'' (Latin, used in German) with English ''neuter''.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:44, 13 June 2015
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	(p99(''British edition'')). Grandad's speech on "We keep that name moving in the Overhead", referring to the mysterious death of [[John Dearheart]] and the great unhappiness this has provoked among long-time Linesmen. The following text quotes almost verbatim from Glen Campbell's country and western hit ''Wichita Lineman'', about the life and death of an electrical lineman in the heart of the USA....		(p99(''British edition'')). Grandad's speech on "We keep that name moving in the Overhead", referring to the mysterious death of [[John Dearheart]] and the great unhappiness this has provoked among long-time Linesmen. The following text quotes almost verbatim from Glen Campbell's country and western hit ''Wichita Lineman'', about the life and death of an electrical lineman in the heart of the USA....

	(p104(''Corgi edition'')) "It overwhelms the soul, very much like the state he elsewhere describes as ''Vonallesvolkommenunverstandlichdasdaskeit''. " – This German is a bit mangled. With proper spaces it is "Von Alles Vol'''l'''kommen unverständlich das das -keit" which translates as "from everything completely non-understandable (incomprehensible) the ~~(neutrum)~~ the ~~(neutrum)~~" and a suffix changing a word into a noun (this might refer to "unverständlich": Unverständlichkeit would be incomprehensibility). This also appears to foreshadow the extensive employment of cod-German philosophy which defines Mr Nutt's character in {{UA}}		(p104(''Corgi edition'')) "It overwhelms the soul, very much like the state he elsewhere describes as ''Vonallesvolkommenunverstandlichdasdaskeit''. " – This German is a bit mangled. With proper spaces it is "Von Alles Vol'''l'''kommen unverständlich das das -keit" which translates as "from everything completely non-understandable (=incomprehensible) the<sub>neuter</sub> the<sub>neuter</sub>" and a suffix changing a word into a noun (this might refer to "unverständlich": Unverständlichkeit would be incomprehensibility). This also appears to foreshadow the extensive employment of cod-German philosophy which defines Mr Nutt's character in {{UA}}

	Freidegger is a clever pun on the famous German philosopher Heidegger[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidegger]] who wrote about time. (And he is difficult to understand either in his native German or in a translation).		Freidegger is a clever pun on the famous German philosopher Heidegger[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidegger]] who wrote about time. (And he is difficult to understand either in his native German or in a translation).
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	(As in American slang "mad" tends to mean "angry" rather than "crazy", I wonder if this is also an echo of Susan's maxim from Hogfather - don't get scared, get angry?)		(As in American slang "mad" tends to mean "angry" rather than "crazy", I wonder if this is also an echo of Susan's maxim from Hogfather - don't get scared, get angry?)
			:(The American expression uses "crazy": “You don’t have to be crazy to work here, but it helps”. "Mad" in colloquial usage is almost always "angry" this (West) side the Water.)

	(p137) "'Look, I'm not the One you're looking for!'"		(p137) "'Look, I'm not the One you're looking for!'"