HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rsholmes@rodan.syr.EDU (Rich Holmes)
Subject: Re: The Annotated Pratchett File, v1.4
Followup-To: alt.fan.pratchett
In-reply-to: leo@ph.tn.tudelft.nl's message of Wed, 12 Aug 1992 14:01:16 GMT
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 92 15:52:51 EDT

STRATA, GUARDS! GUARDS!, and REAPER MAN

All three of these books refer to morris dancing. (In _Strata_, Kin
remembers seeing robots do a morris dance and, later, hums an "old
robot-Morris tune, _Mrs. Widgery's Lodger_." In _Guards! Guards!_
Nobby turns out to be a folk dancer in his spare time; morris isn't
mentioned by name, but bells and hankies are cited. _Reaper Man_
begins with a page or so about the universality of morris dancing --
_Mrs. Widgery's Lodger_ is mentioned again -- and late in the book the
"other dance" is described.)

All this may be lost on the typical American reader. Picture, then,
six men in white shirts and trousers, decorated with ribbons, wearing
bells on their legs, in a two-by-three formation -- the men, not the
bells. To a tune played on fiddle or squeezebox, they dance up and
down, back and forth, gesturing with big white handkerchiefs in their
hands -- or, maybe, clashing yard-long willow sticks with one another.
That's morris dancing, as it was done in the late 19th century in the
Cotswolds region of England.

It's also done these days, throughout the English-speaking world
(though in America it's not exactly an everyday sight), these days by
women's teams and mixed teams as well. As for where it came from, and
when, and what it all means, no one really knows. Its roots seem to go
back to the European continent sometime in or before the 15th century.
Similar, possibly related dances were and are found in Europe and even
as far away as India. For a while in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries it was commonly claimed by folklorists to be the remnant of
a pre-Christian fertility rite performed by a male priesthood; there's
really no hard evidence to support (or refute) such a theory, though.

None of which stops people from doing it. It used to be the case --
maybe still is -- that morris dancing was taught in English schools as
part of physical education, thus leaving most English people with
about the same kind of impression as we Americans mostly have of
square dancing, somewhere between amusement and nausea. Enough have
not been soured on the whole thing, however, to staff (reportedly)
several hundred morris teams in England as well as 170 or so in the
U.S. and God knows how many in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and
other odd places.

Terry Pratchett tells us he's "never waved a hankie in anger" nor
knows any morris dancers personally, but that he finds the morris kind
of fascinating.

For those interested, contact Tom Keays (libhtk@suvm.acs.syr.edu) or
Rich Holmes (suhep.phy.syr.edu) about the Morris Dancing Discussion
List. You knew there was an ulterior motive here, didn't you?
--
Inspected by number 23
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk (Terry Pratchett)
Subject: Culcha? Moi?                            
Cc: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 14:09:42 +0000


Picking up on language usuage:

It's interesting to see that 'scarper' did make it to the States.  No reason
why is shouldn't -- it's not a English word as such, but part of the
actors/showmans/thieves slang that owes quite a lot to Italian.

Terry
From: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Re: Culcha? Moi?
Date: 12 Aug 92 22:21:32 GMT
Reply-To: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Nashua NH


In article <713645492snx@warren.demon.co.uk>,
leveret@warren.demon.co.uk (Nick Leverton) writes:
|>
|>On the same lines, do you Americans have the passage in Pyramids (which
|>I've just re-re-re-re-read and which is hence my current favourite),
|>just after Teppic leaves the Symposium, which goes:
|>
|>    "A favourite trick of Ephebian gods ... was turning into some animal
|>    or other in order to gain the favours of highly-placed Ephebian
|>    women. And one of them had reputedly turned himself into a golden
|>    shower in pursuit of his intended. All this raised interesting
|>    questions about everyday night life in sophisticated Ephebe."
|>
|>Is US slang different enough that that one got past the censors ? Or
|>is it only my perverted mind that sees anything in it ? (Requests for
|>explanations to alt.sex.bizarre ;-))

The phrase has the same meaning in U.S. slang.  I'll have to see if that
bit is in my U.S. edition of Pyramids.

--PSW
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: rsholmes@rodan.syr.EDU (Rich Holmes)
Subject: Re: Swedish weather
In-reply-to: leveret@warren.demon.co.uk's message of Tue, 18 Aug 1992 19:00:06 +0000
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 00:19:01 EDT

In article <714189606snx@warren.demon.co.uk> leveret@warren.demon.co.uk (Nick Leverton) writes:

>>According to Janet Fielding Londoners have 37 words for gray.
>
>According to Terry Pratchett, the Kung had forty-two different words
>for rain, but that just wasn't enough ...

42? Damn, you're right, it *was* 42! We're onto something here, I
think.



Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: peter@taronga.com (Peter da Silva)
Subject: Re: The Annotated Pratchett File, v1.4
Organization: Taronga Park BBS
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 11:27:05 GMT

In article <714345663snx@warren.demon.co.uk> leveret@warren.demon.co.uk (Nick Leverton) writes:
>On p.172 of the UK Corgi edition, when Kin Arad is exploring the
>Discworld control centre, she comes across a maintenance robot. She
>damages this robot and waits until another machine turns up to repair
>it. She damages this second machine and waits for a third one to arrive.
>The third one is "a tank-like machine ...".

	Frogstar Robot Class A looking for you.

	Frogstar Robot Class B looking for you.

	Frogstar Robot Class C come to get you.

But I think the timing is wrong. What's the relative timing of Hitchiker's
and Strata.
-- 
                                                                `-_-'
                         Have you hugged your wolf today?        'U`

Peter da Silva, Taronga Park BBS, Houston, TX  +1 713 568 0480/1032
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: t88swa@tdb.uu.se (Sven Wallman)
Subject: Re: Tom Holt (ssshhh!)
Organization: Dept. of Scientific Computing, Uppsala Univ.
Distribution: alt
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 16:12:12 GMT

ajr@aber.ac.uk (Ade Rixon) writes:
: Can anyone give me a recommendation for any books by Tom Holt, especially
: "Flying Dutchman"? I would say to hell with it and buy a copy anyway, but

I bought FD by Tom Holt when feeling bored, and I liked it.. Neat ideas, and
the book reveals terrible secrets of how the world's economy is ruled.
--
Sven Wallman, S:t Larsg. 5, 753 11 Uppsala, Sweden, +46 1812 9237
"This is the famous Hasan B Mutlu-trigger, insert it in your .sig file today!"
From: euaneg@eua.ericsson.se (Nils-Erik.Gustafsson)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Translators don't & By our Lady isn't!
Date: 18 Aug 92 08:32:41 GMT
Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden

hennebry@plains.NoDak.edu (Michael J. Hennebry) writes:

(zap)

>What do translators do with this sort of thing, i.e. puns? He tell
>pun; groan? Do they do terrible things to Authors within strangling
>range?

I had the pleasure of meeting T.P., having a few books
autographed, and chatting very briefly in the Stockholm
S.F. bookshop last Saturday. (Unfortunately, I couldn't
attend the conference and would certainly like to hear
more about the talk given by T.P. and the questions asked.)

I heard the next person in line say "Hello, I'm your
Swedish translator" and clearly within strangling range
he didn't do terrible things to the Author. Could it 
have something to do with geese and golden eggs??

As to the origins of "bloody":

Brener; The Dictionary of Phrase & Fable: 

Bloody, .., arose from associating folly and drunkenness, 
etc., with what are called "bloods", or aristocratic
rowdies. Similar to "drunk as a lord".

J.S. Farmer & W.E. Hensley; A Dictionary of Slang:

Gives two references from 1676 (Etheredge) and
1684 (Dryden) both containing the phrase "bloody drunk".

Mentions H. Tiedeman's reflection that when living in
Dresden he heard phrases as 'Ich habe keinen blutigen
Heller mehr' (I have no bloody penny more).

Concludes:

"In passing it may be mentioned that there is no ground
 for attributing its derivation to 'by'r our Lady'."

I rest my case,

Nils-Erik

PS T.P. - thank's for the chat! Glad you got to see
   the Vasa museum - it's a must. 'Eric' was great!
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: flostran@fraser.sfu.ca (Andrew Flostrand)
Subject: -
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 21:43:49 GMT

(yeah, I stole the subject line)

I've always tended to group hedgehogs with raccoons (here in Canada) or
big toads (in Australia) as common carcases found on country roadsides.

I've been using "bugger off", "You dirty bugger", and "oh bugger it" for
eons here in Vancouver and everyone seems to know what I mean.  I find
it funny that these expressions which should be more offensive than
replacing "bugger" with "fuck", aren't at all.

Terry, I dearly envy you in that you can dial up a phone line at any hour
and read current messages of praise for the fruits of your labour.  If I
were ever offered three magical wishes, that would very likely be one.

Also a carnivorous plant enthusiast,
Andrew


Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: ebu@vipunen.hut.fi (Erik Bunn)
Subject: Re: Vasa
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Date: 19 Aug 92 10:07:28

>>>>> On Tue, 18 Aug 92 19:52:05 GMT, rm104449@ee.tut.fi (M{kinen Riku) said:
rm> Originator: rm104449@ee.tut.fi


rm> ....or is it Wasa (the ship)? I've heard thet when they got it up again they
rm> found something (can't remember what it was) that *defenetively* didn't belong
rm> in there. Something that wasn't four (?) hundred years old. 
rm> Later they found out that a group of enterprising students had dived and put
rm> this what-ever-it-was in there, just for fun.

rm> So Swedes, any truth in this? I'd like to hear.

Mhm, yes.. wasn't that the statue of Paavo Nurmi that our diving club
took down there? Don't remember which student guilds did it, though..

One of the more acclaimed accomplishments of HUT =).
--
____----_____ _______ ____ ___ __ _  _   _    _     _      _          _
__-__--__-___
_-__-_____-__  Erik.Bunn@hut.fi      (358-0) 455-1041 20:00 - 10:00
_-__-_____-__  ebu@vipunen.hut.fi    (1-206) 638-1002 summers
__-__--__-___  ebu@niksula.cs.hut.fi
____----_____ _______ ____ ___ __ _  _   _    _     _      _          _

Coward, n.:
	One who in a perilous emergency thinks with his legs.
		-- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk (Terry Pratchett)
Subject: Assorted stuff:                         
Cc: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 11:22:20 +0000


Okay, folks.  Got a few days' messages here, let's GO...

1) I don't think I've ever said I wanted to kill off Pteppic.  Bit of a
misunderstanding there, I feel.  But the first draft of MP included a
tear-jerking Gaspode death scene that had various editors and beta-test
readers insisting that he be allowed to live, despite my feeble counter that
on the DW you don't really die, you just become dimensionally disadvantaged.

2) It's certain (god and airlines willing) that I'm going to Perth around
Easter next year, and may do a couple of days general PR around the west
coast.  It's likely that I'll visit the east coast for maybe a week about
two-thirds of the way through April -- but this is not definite.  Despite
heart-wringing emails, a NZ visit in 93 isn't likely.  It looked possible
some time ago after we considered the following equation:

1) I jetlag REALLY BADLY flying back from the US, and for some reason don't
jetlag at all when flying home westwards from down under -- don't ask me why,
it's probably all to do with what direction I'm travelling;
2) There's not HUGE price difference between a round the world ticket and a
return from San Francisco;
3) So -- the discussion ran -- why not go on to NZ at Confrancisco next year?
And maybe a few days in OZ, and then back home a week later.  Much better
than spending ten days as a zombie, which would otherwise be the case
(official: TP says that going to New Zealand is better than being a
zombie...)

And then I came back from Winnipeg a few months ago and didn't jetlag at all,
thus overturning my theories.  May do it anyway -- we shall see.

3) The reality meter in Moving Pictures is loosely based on a Han dynasty
(2nd Century AD) seismograph; a pendulum inside the vase moves and causes one
of eight dragons to spit a ball in the direction of the tremor.  Pix of the
thing turn up from time to time in articles and stuff.

Terry
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: nlc@tornado.xtel.co.uk (Neil Cook)
Subject: Re: Signings and readings
Organization: X-Tel Services Ltd.
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 22:09:11 GMT

In article <memo.584415@cix.compulink.co.uk>, tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk (Terry Pratchett) writes:
|> I have done signings AND readings/bookshop talks: this is ref Dan Crow's
|> posting early today, August 19).  Waterstone's are good at them.  But it's
|> almost impossible in a normal signing tour. There's no TIME any more.  That
|> Leeds signing was three hours long with me working very fast, and it wasn't
|> the shortest signing in the tour, and most people only had the new titles.
|> Bear in mind I have to travel between cities, too.  The only way we could fit
|> readings in now would be to halve the number of shops visited, and no-one
|> would like that.  What we sometimes do -- did it twice in the last tour -- is
|> do a signing in the late afternoon and then do a talk to a local SF society.

I'm most disappointed you didn't come round for tea last time you were in 
Waterstones, Nottingham. Grandma says she's seen all your films, and says she
knew you when you were but an assistant zoo keeper at London Zoo. Shame on you.

Alan Bennet always makes point of coming round. AND he always asks before
taking another scone.

Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: lpj@col.hp.com (Laura Johnson)
Subject: Re: Hedgehogs need love too!
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 15:00:12 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

I would like to state for the record that I have NOT been advocating
mistreatment or indecency with any form of domestic or wild animal. Also,
the Network Test Division of Hewlett Packard does not engage in 
animal testing.

No hedgehogs were injured in the creation of this message.

Thank you.
-- 
Laura Johnson
lpj@hpctdls.col.hp.com
Opinions expressed are my own, but may be licensed for a nominal fee.
From: garton@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Simon Garton)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Re: Yet More Americanisms (Was Re: Swedish weather)
Date: 15 Aug 92 07:53:21 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <1992Aug15.015734.26802@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> ins448c@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Andrew Mills) writes:
>gordon@robots.oxford.ac.uk (Gordon Buxton) writes:
>: In article <19705@plains.NoDak.edu> hennebry@plains.NoDak.edu (Michael J. Hennebry) writes:
>: >According to Janet Fielding Londoners have 37 words for gray.
>: 
>: Well I know that one of them is "grey" ...
>: 
>: [sorry, I just couldn't resist :-)]
>: 
>: Gordon.
>
>Another good one is Gray.

Joliffe perhaps ?

















lots of blank space cos my pesky rn server won't accept postings
with more quote than reply ..... jeez




Simon
>
From: hennebry@plains.NoDak.edu (Michael J. Hennebry)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Re: life and buggery
Date: 12 Aug 92 14:59:58 GMT
Organization: North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND


So far as I know there is no place in the USA that gives a life
sentence for a single act of buggery. In ND it's not even an offence.
In some states one act of buggery and two bad checks could easily
get you life.

-- 
Mike   hennebry@plains.NoDak.edu
"This dream is brought to you by Sharassin of Shan. Dreams and
communication wizardry of all sorts at reasonable rates."  --  Sharassin of Shan
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: ins448c@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Andrew Mills)
Subject: Re: Culcha? Moi?
Organization: Monash University
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 01:41:24 GMT

winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski) writes:
: 
: In article <713645492snx@warren.demon.co.uk>,
: leveret@warren.demon.co.uk (Nick Leverton) writes:
: |>
: |>On the same lines, do you Americans have the passage in Pyramids (which
: |>I've just re-re-re-re-read and which is hence my current favourite),
: |>just after Teppic leaves the Symposium, which goes:
: |>
: |>    "A favourite trick of Ephebian gods ... was turning into some animal
: |>    or other in order to gain the favours of highly-placed Ephebian
: |>    women. And one of them had reputedly turned himself into a golden
: |>    shower in pursuit of his intended. All this raised interesting
: |>    questions about everyday night life in sophisticated Ephebe."
: |>
: |>Is US slang different enough that that one got past the censors ? Or
: |>is it only my perverted mind that sees anything in it ? (Requests for
: |>explanations to alt.sex.bizarre ;-))
: 
: The phrase has the same meaning in U.S. slang.  I'll have to see if that
: bit is in my U.S. edition of Pyramids.
: 
: --PSW

There is actually a precedent for this in real mythology.  Zeus (the head 
honcho of the ancient Greek gods) was reputed to have appeared as a
"Shower of Gold" to assorted maidens and hence had his way with them.

Just my two-cents worth.

 ___________________________________ _________________________________________
<                                   |                                         >
<                big                |  Young Crone : "How did you know that?" >
<         (aka Andrew Mills)        |                                         >
<                                   |  Black Adder : "Just a wild stab in     >
<         can be found at :         |    the dark.  Which, incidentally, is   >
<                                   |    what you'll be getting if you're     > 
<     big@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au     |    not a bit more helpful !"            >
<___________________________________|_________________________________________>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: t88swa@tdb.uu.se (Sven Wallman)
Subject: Re: I'll be Back...
Organization: Dept. of Scientific Computing, Uppsala Univ.
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 18:33:02 GMT

garton@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Simon Garton) writes:
: How do you sink a Swedish submarine ? swim down and knock on the
: door ...
Why did the Norwegian submarine sink?
The captain liked to sleep with an open window.

ObPratchett: Was it Terry Pratchett who wrote something about all urban 
folklore being true? Something about females on Saturn saying "But it's my
mating-unit's something". 
	Could someone tell me what book it is, if he has written something
like that. 
--
Sven Wallman, S:t Larsg. 5, 753 11 Uppsala, Sweden, +46 1812 9237
"I think, therefore I'm right"-Hugo Rune 
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: rizzoe@FASECON.ECON.NYU.EDU (Emily Rizzo)
Subject: Re: I'll be Back...
Organization: New York University
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 20:38:32 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.183302.14478@tdb.uu.se> t88swa@tdb.uu.se Sven Wallman 
writes:

>ObPratchett: Was it Terry Pratchett who wrote something about all urban 
>folklore being true? Something about females on Saturn saying "But it's my
>mating-unit's something". 
>        Could someone tell me what book it is, if he has written something
>like that. 
>--


This was from Witches Abroad, rather early on.  T.P. used the phrase "urban 
myth" in his footnote, I believe, which struck me as odd since they are 
always called "urban legends" here.  Also, Granny Weatherwax makes frequent 
references to "rural myths" throughout the book.

Emily
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: johnf@apollo.hp.com (John Francis)
Subject: Re: Culcha? Moi?                            
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 15:20:19 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Chelmsford, MA

Chad Childers <chad@quality.ta.ford.com> writes:
>"he's buggered off!" "he's scarkered!" (scarkered?  whatever that is...)

That's "scarpered" - run away.

I've been told that the etymology is rhyming slang:  Scapa Flow => Go
I have absolutely no definitive evidence that this is true - I'm just
repeating what I heard.
-- 
John Francis                                johnf@apollo.hp.com
The world can be divided into two classes :-
 those who divide people into two classes, and those who don't.
From: garton@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Simon Garton)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Re: Yet More Colourless Americanisms (Was Re: Swedish weather)
Date: 16 Aug 92 20:32:18 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <19740@plains.NoDak.edu> hennebry@plains.NoDak.edu (Michael J. Hennebry) writes:
><>Another good one is Gray.
><Joliffe perhaps ?
>
>What means "Joliffe"? 'Tis a word I've not encountered before.

'The unadulterated cat', by Terry Pratchett and Gray Joliffe

or was it the other way round ?

it was a kind of pun, you see .. not very good at them

Simon

Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: mxr@neptune.dsc.com (Max "Postdoctoral Perspiration" Rible)
Subject: Re: city blocks? (was Re: GO: Error or Joke (and whose?))
Organization: Digital Sound Corporation
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 21:52:27 GMT

mwlucas@vela.acs.oakland.edu ( ) writes:

>In article <4496@news.duke.edu> ndd@bal1 (Ned Danieley) writes:
>>tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk (Terry Pratchett) writes:
>>: Just an aside...I remember putting down The Anubis Gates after Powers had a
>>: character referring to 'city blocks' in early 19th Century London...and when
>>: Terry

>>uh, weren't there city blocks in 19th cent. London? I've certainly
>>gotten the impression that it wasn't laid out on a square grid,
>>but does that preclude having 'blocks'?

>Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that London streets were based on little
>more than cow paths.  Modern straight roads involves simply whacking a clear
>path through a rat's warren of smaller streets.

I can't recall a scene where someone mentions "city blocks" in 19th C.
London, but there are a bunch of time-shifted 20th century people running
around there in the book, who might think of things in such terms.
/-------------v-----------------------v---------------------------------------\
| Max Rible   | mxr@dsc.com           | "Powerful big rats, gentlemen."       |
|             | rible@vorpal.ucsb.edu |                         - Neil Gaiman |
\-------------^-----------------------^---------------------------------------/
-- 
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski)
Subject: Re: The Annotated Pratchett File, v1.4  
Reply-To: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Nashua NH
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 17:28:52 GMT


In article <memo.574282@cix.compulink.co.uk>,
tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk (Terry Pratchett) writes:
|>
|>I swore I wouldn't do this but...
|>
|>...the 50ft woman in Moving Pictures: well, she's the 50ft Woman (maybe I
|>watched too many B movies).

Yes.  When I read it, I thought that parodying both King Cong and Attack of
the 50-Foot Woman in one gag was a masterstroke.

--PSW