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Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: BenRG on 20 Nov 2016, 10:56

Title: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 20 Nov 2016, 10:56

Okay, a bit of comedic speculation for this week's poll. I doubt that Jeph will ever bother to expand on what made Dora and Emily get drunk so we can speculate all we want in the supreme bliss of knowing that we'll never be contradicted by canon!

FWIW, I'm sticking with Option 3 - Pintsize and May as a couple is a change to the world that you cannot process whilst sober in any way.

What about this week in the strip? Well, it depends whether Jeph has got over his recent political shocks. I hope so because, whilst his random funnies are good, I really, really want to see more of the ongoing story lines. Bubbles and Faye as well as the potential Brun-Elliot-Clinton triangle. I suspect that he is going to do some strips addressing the latter as he has been researching how to draw male muscles on a well-built male torso. So, I'm thinking that Brun is going to get her some beefcake shots, probably in some semi-random context that cannot be interpreted as 'romantic' by anyone half-sane.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Kugai on 20 Nov 2016, 11:26

Emily wanted to bring out her inner Knight.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: DonInKansas on 20 Nov 2016, 15:30

Better than her inner Michael Knight.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Zebediah on 20 Nov 2016, 16:38

Definitely better than her inner M. Night Shyamalan.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 20 Nov 2016, 16:52

Definitely better than Night of the Lepus.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Thrudd on 20 Nov 2016, 20:22

Quote from: DonInKansas on 20 Nov 2016, 15:30

Better than her inner Michael Knight.

How about a K.I.T.T. Kat then?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: cesium133 on 20 Nov 2016, 20:29

Quote from: Thrudd on 20 Nov 2016, 20:22

Quote from: DonInKansas on 20 Nov 2016, 15:30

Better than her inner Michael Knight.

How about a K.I.T.T. Kat then?

Give him a break.

edit -- New comic
mmm... yeah... condense that ethanol... that's one hell of a sexy distillery.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 20 Nov 2016, 20:37

You guys are NERDS

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: cesium133 on 20 Nov 2016, 20:38

You say that as if there's something wrong with it.  :-P

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: oddtail on 20 Nov 2016, 23:22

OK, so here's the thing.

I believe, or try to, in the descriptivist, not prescriptivist approach to language. If people* speak in a certain way, that means that is the "correct" way, because artificial constraints about what is "correct" are there only because a certain dialect or sociolect is associated with higher social status, and screw that kind of language imperialism.

Basically, the notion of "this is incorrect" does not apply to language, even if a particular form is not considered "correct". That's why it annoys me when people claim sentences can't be ended with a preposition. That's why I don't consider double negation in English to be incorrect, because there are non-standard variants of English where people speak like that.

Where am I going with this? Well, I'm a huge hypocrite, because seeing the word "pissed" in the meaning "angry" makes me angry to the point that an anime-style vein appears on my forehead. I know that's the common term in American English in general, but ARGH. The proper term, to me, is "pissed off", the way most dialects of British English tend to use it. "pissed" properly means "drunk", and for some mysterious reason the fact that Americans tend to say "pissed" when they mean "angry" is infuriating to me. Especially in a comic that is both about someone being angry and someone else being drunk. That's just confusing on top of being annoying**.

Besides, it's inconsistent and illogical. I've checked - pretty much nobody says "that pisses me". Everyone, and that includes Americans, says "that pisses me off". So the term SHOULD be "pissed off". According to my Google search, the phrase "that pisses me" without the word "off" following it appears extraordinarily rarely, and in 90% of cases, it's because "off" is misspelt as "of".

Bottom line - "pissed" means "drunk", "pissed off" means "angry", and I stubbornly refuse to acknowledge any other use of the terms is correct, despite it being the case for hundreds of millions of people who are native speakers of the language. I'm not even sure how that use of "pissed" evolved in the US (I assume lazy use of language***).

[/rant]


* Well, native speakers of the language. Not just anyone.
** "Emily found some booze Faye stashed in the shop and we cracked it open. Hanners got pissed (...)" can be easily read, without the context of the previous comic, to mean "Hanners got drunk", after all. Heck, I did a double take of that sentence.
*** Lazy language is the source of pretty much ALL language evolution, anyway ;)

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 20 Nov 2016, 23:37

I think that the reason Tai is so good for Dora is that she's the first SO that Dora's had who has had the courage to continuously and consistently call her out when her personal issues make her behave in a bad way. She's even shown the willingness to walk out on her and maybe even dump her if she won't change. That's focussed Dora's mind on trying to change herself for the better before and maybe it will again.

Additionally, yes - IMHO, there is nothing sexy about someone smelling of cheap booze.

@oddtail,
Language is a living and dynamic thing and no definition is forever (sometimes it doesn't even last a generation). 'Pissed' as a synonym for 'angry' is used pretty much universally these days and it has for a while. I think that you can comfortably assume that it is a definition by 'common usage' these days.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: anahata on 21 Nov 2016, 00:16

Quote from: BenRG on 20 Nov 2016, 23:37

'Pissed' as a synonym for 'angry' is used pretty much universally these days and it has for a while.

(a) not in the UK, but(I can't speak for other non-American English users.
(b) in this specific (drinking) context, "Hanners got pissed" is comically ambiguous  - but if that was an intentional comedy pun on Jeph's part, it didn't work as such for me.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: NyxDarkness on 21 Nov 2016, 00:48

Keep in mind that Jeph is American, so it is more likely that he would use the American meaning of words/phrases than the UK meaning, unless the dialogue included somebody of UK origin. And in the US (to my knowledge) we only ever use "pissed" as a verb, or with the context of being angry.

On a different note, I always like to see Tai and Dora together. The dynamic between them always seems to be exactly what each needs, whether it's being called on their crap, or it's being comforted. 

I also feel like the problem with Faye being drunk at work, and what caused her to be fired, was the fact that she was consistently drunk at work, all the time. While it was irresponsible of Dora to drink on duty, if it had only been once that Faye had done it, she probably wouldn't have been fired.
I, too, am excited to see where things are headed for Brun.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Akima on 21 Nov 2016, 01:01

Meh... "Pissed" meaning angry I regard as an Americanism, but English has many dialects, and a competent user should be able to cope with that. In Australia, as in the UK, "pissed" means drunk, or as a verb means "urinated", while "pissed off" means angry, but QC is set in the USA (and Jeph is American) so I'd expect the cast to speak American English.

Quote from: oddtail on 20 Nov 2016, 23:22

* Well, native speakers of the language. Not just anyone.

Speaking as a non-native speaker, I take issue with this. The price native English-speakers pay for the convenience of the widespread use of their language all over the world, is that they don't own the language any more. The existence of long-established variant forms of English (American, Australian, British, Canadian, Jamaican etc.) already disproves the notion that all native-speakers agree on what is correct. Where English is used for communication between people who all speak it as a second language, another dialect invariably develops, influenced by habitual structures and ways of thinking derived from their native languages. I have encountered this with ESL speakers from India, in Singapore, and apparently it is happening in Europe too (http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21697210-institutions-european-union-will-still-speak-kind-english-if-britain). I believe this happened with Latin too, so it might be the inevitable fate of imperial languages.

Hasn't Tai come a long way from the irresponsible stoner of her early appearances? I think she is good for Dora, but maybe Dora is good for her too.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 21 Nov 2016, 01:09

I could care less about this.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: NyxDarkness on 21 Nov 2016, 01:27

Quote from: Akima on 21 Nov 2016, 01:01

Hasn't Tai come a long way from the irresponsible stoner of her early appearances? I think she is good for Dora, but maybe Dora is good for her too.

I agree with this completely. She has definitely matured from the time we first met her. She and Dora have both evolved to be deeper people individually and as a couple. They benefit by learning from each other's experiences.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: gopher on 21 Nov 2016, 01:51

tai really seems to have reined in the sleazy sexual predator talk/vibe she used to have.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: oddtail on 21 Nov 2016, 01:57

Quote from: Akima on 21 Nov 2016, 01:01

Quote from: oddtail on 20 Nov 2016, 23:22

* Well, native speakers of the language. Not just anyone.

Speaking as a non-native speaker, I take issue with this. The price native English-speakers pay for the convenience of the widespread use of their language all over the world, is that they don't own the language any more.

I may not have been 100% clear, so let me explain my point better.

I don't mean to say non-native speakers do not influence a language at all. English has had huge influence on it throughout its history. In fact, every language has. And I very much subscribe to the idea (as I mentioned) that there is no "right" or "correct" language. Language is correct by virtue of being used a certain way. There is always a "standard" version of a language (or several standard versions, as the case may be), but this is strongly connected to social issues, to literary language, to perceived "appropriateness" of a certain form of language. This has nothing to do with one form of language being objectively correct. As I said, it's a tool of cultural imperialism more than anything else.

As a result, if a variant of a language (not just English) is used by a certain group or community, and it is "incorrect" in the prescriptivist sense, I think that notion is useless from any reasonable point of view. It's a way to paint a group of people as inferior to another group, there is no objective reason one, enshrined version of a language is "better". It's all about status. There are ways to use language appropriate for certain situations or social circles, but if you speak a language a certain way in a consistent way, it works.

But. Non-native speakers are a more complicated case, and there's a reason I made an exception regarding that. A person speaking a foreign language uses it differently, from my understanding of linguistics, than a person using it natively. It's more about learnt rules of using a language. This leaves room for errors, due to imperfect understanding of grammar or idioms or even vocabulary. It can be less about "that particular person speaks a certain way" and more of a "this person has problems following the patterns of the language".

This is not clear-cut, because a person well-acquainted with a language is, to my mind, much closer to a native speaker than to a language learner after passing a certain threshold. English is not native for me, but it's natural enough for me to think in English. I don't mimic the way English works, I use it naturally and with ease. I imagine this is the same way for you. And most if not all non-native users of English in this forum, for that matter.

But, lines are much more blurred with non-native speakers. I did not mean to imply the development of the English language is solely on 100% purely native speakers. But I am more wary of putting learned English on the same level as naturally acquired English, because even if there are gray areas, some less experienced speakers of English clearly speak it in a way that is not "correct" in the sense of following the way the language works. Using a grammar form incorrectly or misunderstanding an idiom by a language learner is not necessarily just a pecularity of their speech, it *can* be regarded as an error. For a native speaker using a form consistently, I reject the notion that they are *capable* of making an error in this manner. If a native speaker speaks in a certain way, this way is, in my view, correct pretty much by definition. For a non-native, it... weeeeeell, it might be or might not be. It's complicated. That's why I avoid taking this "anything goes" approach when talking about a non-native speaker. I hope that makes any sense.

The same ambiguity goes for groups of people. Indian English is not *technically* native for most of its users, but it's distinct enough and has repeatable patterns to a large enough extent that it's a borderline case of an actual English dialect. Same goes for the way English is used in much of Asia. I hesitate to say that's the case for Europe, yet.

But there's no clear divide here, so I am cautious about thinking of English being used non-natively by a group (based on their ethnicity, nationality, geographic area) as a kind of fully, for the lack of a better word, legitimate English. After a long enough time, it is. But the time where the transition of "a group of people use a foreign language and they misuse it in a certain way" to "a group of people use a language and they make it their own" happens is difficult to pinpoint. It's not clear when a dialect is already there as its own thing. In fact, it's impossible, like many things in linguistics, to define that in a sharp way.

And, I should point out that this is a point of contention, especially among linguists.

Quote

The existence of long-established variant forms of English (American, Australian, British, Canadian, Jamaican etc.) already disproves the notion that all native-speakers agree on what is correct. (...)

That's just the thing. ALL the forms of English that you mention are, in my view, 100% correct, by virtue of being forms of English used natively. My "if a native speaker says it, it's automatically correct" belief is very common-sense to me, because I see it as logical and at least approaching objectivity in the sense that I get rid of elitist, cultural interference of an arbitrary "you can't speak like THAT, it's not proper" that English has struggled with much more than some other major languages. But this "anything goes", as much sense as it makes for me, in itself is controversial, and I know many would think the notion ridiculous. The level to which non-native use of a language is legitimate and "correct" is bound to be even more controversial and complicated. Again, that's why I avoid making a categorical statement of "everything is correct", the way I do with native speakers of any language.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: epmin on 21 Nov 2016, 03:57

Delurking because I got peeved by this :-D

Quote from: oddtail on 20 Nov 2016, 23:22

Bottom line - "pissed" means "drunk", "pissed off" means "angry", and I stubbornly refuse to acknowledge any other use of the terms is correct, despite it being the case for hundreds of millions of people who are native speakers of the language. I'm not even sure how that use of "pissed" evolved in the US (I assume lazy use of language***).

The fun thing about the English language is that some words and phrases, despite being spelt the same, can mean different things based on the circumstances they are used in.
'Pissed' as used by Dora to describe Hanners would be an accurate usage in spoken form, whereas if it was Hanners texting station about it, then pissed off would be correct.

Interestingly, I rarely hear 'pissed' to describe drunk these days, it's more often 'pished'

Relurks again

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Neko_Ali on 21 Nov 2016, 05:49

There were several times when the staff has had drinks or gotten tipsy at work. Heck, Dora keeps a bottle of 'Emergency Bourbon' in the shop for just those circumstances. The big difference between that and Faye's drinking at the end was it happened when Dora was aware of it, approved it and wasn't a particular danger of causing harm to her business. Having pizza and a beer when the shop is dead is a far cry from showing up drunk and sneaking drinks all day through your shift.  And again there is the whole thing where Faye was caught, told not to do it again, and then was right after caught sneaking drinks again. That's showing a complete lack of respect to both the business and the owner, as well as being potentially dangerous to herself, the other staff and the customers. Faye may not have been dealing with dangerous machinery that could kill, unless she was welding out back. But accidentally (or intentionally, this is Faye) dumping a scalding hot coffee on someone and sending them to the hospital would have been a huge fine and possible lawsuit.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 21 Nov 2016, 07:33

How does pissed meaning drunk inherently make any more sense than pissed meaning angry?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Skewbrow on 21 Nov 2016, 07:41

Re: the poll

Dora and Emily came up with the bright idea of trying to do this trick (http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Champagne-Bottle-with-a-Sword) with a bottle of cheap bourbon instead of champagne.

• The trick worked in the sense that the bottle lost its cork and neck.
• But the cork didn't fly 20 feet (bourbon is not pressurized the way champagne is), it just sorta dropped on the floor.
• But they still had an open bottle of alcohol, and no obvious way to keep it contained.
• From that point on every step followed from the preceding one logically.
• It was NOT two girls and an oblong instrument gone wild. You pervs. That sword is effing sharp.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: oddtail on 21 Nov 2016, 07:43

Quote from: Method of Madness on 21 Nov 2016, 07:33

How does pissed meaning drunk inherently make any more sense than pissed meaning angry?

I'm not saying it does. But "pissed off" is a phrase that is understandable anyway, means the same as the American meaning of "pissed", and "pissed" by itself is confusing vis a vis the British meaning of "drunk". Plus, as I said, the American usage is inconsistent, because to my knowledge, nobody really says "this really pisses me", but rather "this really pisses me off", even in the US.

But, since a few people have commented on this, I was only half-serious in my original post. Apparently it didn't come across very clearly in text.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 21 Nov 2016, 07:45

Quote from: Method of Madness on 21 Nov 2016, 07:33

How does pissed meaning drunk inherently make any more sense than pissed meaning angry?

People who drink heavily can have reduced bladder control. Therefore, 'pissed'.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: sitnspin on 21 Nov 2016, 08:57

People who are old an have reduced bladder control, too, but we don't use pissed as slang for elderly.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 21 Nov 2016, 09:25

True but, nonetheless, that does seem to be the origin of the word and it has been in use in my part of the UK for as long as I can remember (35+ years).

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: blt on 21 Nov 2016, 09:49

As a Canadian and exposed to a lot of regional variance through work I regularly use and hear "pissed" to mean "drunk" or to mean "angry". Determining which is which is fully context dependent...

Granted in Dora's story it would make it hard to figure out which Hanners was, but sometimes that's the way she go.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: DSL on 21 Nov 2016, 12:38

I find context helpful.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Neko_Ali on 21 Nov 2016, 12:52

Well, the context is pretty clear. Hanners didn't drink. She was angry. And she was 'pissed'. Which definition of the term is pretty clear. Plus, using 'pissed' for drunk is not very common for us USA-type people.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Kugai on 21 Nov 2016, 12:54

At least Dora recognises the fact that it was a double standard, which speaks well of her over this. 

I would assume they eventually managed to disarm and calm Emily down.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Case on 21 Nov 2016, 13:17

Quote from: Akima on 21 Nov 2016, 01:01

Quote from: oddtail on 20 Nov 2016, 23:22

* Well, native speakers of the language. Not just anyone.

Speaking as a non-native speaker, I take issue with this. The price native English-speakers pay for the convenience of the widespread use of their language all over the world, is that they don't own the language any more.

Quote

non-native speakers as of 2003 outnumbered native speakers by a ratio of 3 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-speaking_world)

Why don't 'we' simply have a vote on who 'owns' the language?  :evil:

---

Quote from: Tova on 21 Nov 2016, 01:09

I could care less about this.

http://blog.dictionary.com/could-care-less/

Typical native-speaker's lack of competence in clearly communicating in an international setting, according to the BBC:

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20161028-native-english-speakers-are-the-worlds-worst-communicators

Quote

“The native English speaker… is the only one who might not feel the need to accommodate or adapt to the others,” she adds. ... With non-native English speakers in the majority worldwide, it’s Anglophones who may need to up their game.

I'd add that I personally would tentatively exempt Canadian native speakers of English from that conclusion - the few that I know mostly communicate in a way typical for someone who is aware that there's 'other ways to communicate in than the one taught at Smallville Junior High, Ohio'.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 21 Nov 2016, 13:32

Quote from: BenRG on 21 Nov 2016, 09:25

True but, nonetheless, that does seem to be the origin of the word and it has been in use in my part of the UK for as long as I can remember (35+ years).

Are you familiar with the word etymology? The word was formed from the Latin "etus" ("eaten"), the root "mal" ("bad"), and "logy" ("study of"). It meant "the study of things that are hard to swallow." True story. *nods*

Don't forget that the word 'piss' is used to refer to (usually foul-tasting) alcohol, so it may well come from that.

Personally, I also have a history of getting a bit cranky about all kinds of language misuse, but regional slang variations would have to be very low in that list. So, to be frank, I'm a little bemused at the fuss over the word "pissed." It's slang, it doesn't "really" have either meaning, if you want to be technical about it.

Regarding the bait that I threw out there (sorry, Case, I was deliberately referring to this): David Mitchell (https://youtu.be/om7O0MFkmpw)

If you haven't seen it before, then enjoy. Spoiler: he doesn't mention "pissed."

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 21 Nov 2016, 14:02

Quote from: Method of Madness on 21 Nov 2016, 07:33

How does pissed meaning drunk inherently make any more sense than pissed meaning angry?

Because its a contracted version of "piss drunk", as in someone is so drunk they can't control their bladder.
Its more that in the UK "pissed" is more related to drunk than angry, while the reverse seems to be the case in the US. Its regional.

(click to show/hide)

And for anyone interested, some terms for being drunk around the UK & Ireland:
- Ankled (Bristol)
- Bladdered (UK & Ireland, rarely used, but its the same idea as pissed)
- Blocked
- Gashed (Scotland, presumably someone so drunk they'll get into a fight)
- Langers/Langered (Cork, Ireland. Although its a broad term, including fool, as well as other terms)
- Loaded (UK, though this is used more with wealth than drunkenness)
- Locked
- Rat-arsed
- Smashed

Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list, but rather a short list of the most commonly heard ones.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 21 Nov 2016, 14:42

I prefer "Rickety Rickety Wrecked".

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Travis B. on 21 Nov 2016, 15:19

I do not see what the issue with using a North American English usage in QC is. After all, it is set in the US and the author is an American, so it is natural that captions in QC would be in some variety of North American English. And personally I find it very annoying when people view English English or some sort of international English as "more correct" than North American English; in this context, both would be entirely inappropriate given the setting of QC - except maybe in the mouth of a character specifically from the UK or one who specifically learned English outside North America as a non-native speaker - and in general because North American English has far more native speakers than any other English dialect group.

About the BBC article, that seems to indicate that native speakers of English should be expected to impoverish their language because non-native speakers just cannot be expected to understand, that one is now supposed to treat English as an international auxiliary language rather than a language with actual native speakers who speak actual dialects (even if they think they speak a standard variety) who don't grow up learning to dumb down their speech because people elsewhere happen to have adopted it as an IAL. Personally, I work with people from India and China quite a bit, and while I often have a good bit of trouble understanding them because the English they speak often does not follow the sort of phonology I am used to (lack of stressed fortis plosive aspiration (e.g. in Indian English), lack of strong stress accent, lack of strong vowel length allophony (e.g. in any non-native sort of English, and even in some native sorts), different sibilants than native English (e.g. in Indian English), etc. are often problems for me), I have never been told to simplify how I speak, nor have I been told to use a more standard phonology (and apparently I have a very strong accent too).

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 21 Nov 2016, 15:41

I think the discussion is more to do with how slang varies from region to region and where the confusion leads to delightful conversations about where one person says "I thought it meant..." and everyone laughs at the misunderstanding like the end of a cheesy and horribly dated sitcom. Because let's laugh at the funny foreigners!

No, the fact is that we have had similar discussions before and to be honest, I like hearing what others say. Its interesting, because despite the fact we share the same language, there is a certain amount of lingual drift where a word in one country has a different meaning in another and a wildly different meaning in a third. Not to mention that due to the fact that English is the current lingua franca, there are many on the forum for whom English is a second or even third language, this type of discussion both helps them understand the vagaries of the language and to help them connect to others.

Though this might be a forum about a comic in a North American setting, it is an international forum and this type of discussion is going to crop up from time to time. None of us can claim to know everything (except Akima, but that's because she actually does know everything and able to prove it), but if we can learn something else from others, great.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Blood-Tree on 21 Nov 2016, 15:51

It's possible that we may be worrying over nothing:

Quote

Unless the present progress of change [is] arrested...there can be no doubt that, in another century, the dialect of the Americans will become utterly unintelligible to an Englishman... Thomas Hamilton, 1833

After all, tis not as if any man hast axed for eggys:

Quote

And one of theym named Sheffelde, a mercer, cam in to an hows and axed for mete and specyally he axyd after eggys, and the goode wyf answerde that she could speke no Frenshe. And the marchaunt was angry, for he also coude speke no Frenshe, but wolde have hadde egges; and she understode hym not. And thenne at laste a-nother sayd that he wolde have eyren. Then the good wyf sayd that she understod hym wel. Loo, what sholde a man in thyse dayes now wryte, egges, or eyren? Certaynly it is hard to playse every man, by-cause of dyversite and chaunge of langage. William Caxton, 1490

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 21 Nov 2016, 15:54

Quote from: Blood-Tree on 21 Nov 2016, 15:51

It's possible that we may be worrying over nothing:

Yes, that's what we do here.  :laugh:

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Case on 21 Nov 2016, 16:05

Quote from: Tova on 21 Nov 2016, 13:32

Regarding the bait that I threw out there (sorry, Case, I was deliberately referring to this): David Mitchell (https://youtu.be/om7O0MFkmpw)

Why, did you now? Really? What a sneaky ... sneaker you are.

Jokes aside - The BBC-link in the post you're referring to just jumped from the page when I googled the ratio of non-native to native speakers of English. Couldn't resist using your bait as a "Steilvorlage" (https://www.dict.cc/?s=Steilvorlage) ...

Good thing about the spread of social justice-jargon? At least people have stopped crying 'racism' when they mean 'chauvinism' or 'nationalism' - that one always irked me pissed me off.  :evil:


P.S.: The 'could care less'-fallacy is also at the heart of the (allegedly) shortest math-joke: 'Let epsilon be smaller than zero'. A favourite of natsci-undergrads around the globe ...

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 21 Nov 2016, 16:47

Quote from: Case on 21 Nov 2016, 16:05

Jokes aside - The BBC-link in the post you're referring to just jumped from the page when I googled the ratio of non-native to native speakers of English. Couldn't resist using your bait as a "Steilvorlage" (https://www.dict.cc/?s=Steilvorlage) ...

That is a marvellous word. I wish there were an English language equivalent.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Thrudd on 21 Nov 2016, 17:05

A newer recent idiom coined by a Canadian Mayor having had to deal with very drunk, very stupid Americans [some would call that redundant] drifting to the wrong side of a border waterway that has very large very heavy ship traffic.
He referred to them as "Overly Refreshed".

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Gyrre on 21 Nov 2016, 17:12

Quote from: Kugai on 20 Nov 2016, 11:26

Emily wanted to bring out her inner Knight.

But did she Light Up the Night?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Gyrre on 21 Nov 2016, 17:24

Does anyone else think Tai looks a tad more anime-ish than usual today?

I'd peg her with a voice like Allison Keith's.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Storel on 21 Nov 2016, 17:43

Quote from: oddtail on 20 Nov 2016, 23:22

Where am I going with this? Well, I'm a huge hypocrite, because seeing the word "pissed" in the meaning "angry" makes me angry to the point that an anime-style vein appears on my forehead. I know that's the common term in American English in general, but ARGH. The proper term, to me, is "pissed off", the way most dialects of British English tend to use it. "pissed" properly means "drunk", and for some mysterious reason the fact that Americans tend to say "pissed" when they mean "angry" is infuriating to me. Especially in a comic that is both about someone being angry and someone else being drunk. That's just confusing on top of being annoying**.

Besides, it's inconsistent and illogical. I've checked - pretty much nobody says "that pisses me". Everyone, and that includes Americans, says "that pisses me off". So the term SHOULD be "pissed off". According to my Google search, the phrase "that pisses me" without the word "off" following it appears extraordinarily rarely, and in 90% of cases, it's because "off" is misspelt as "of".[/rant]

I grew up in the '60s and '70s and one thing I've noticed in recent years is that a lot of expressions from that time are still around, but they've been shortened in recent years by dropping the preposition. If you had a blank moment back then, you'd say "Sorry, I spaced out," but nowadays people just say "Sorry, I spaced." Back then, people who were unexpectedly startled would freak out; nowadays they just freak.

So it seems to me that this may be just another example of the same linguistic movement. Back then, people got pissed off, but nowadays they just get pissed. That actually makes it consistent with the way other expressions have changed since then. Language evolution in action.

Although I agree, nobody says "that pisses me," it's always "that pisses me off," but I think in that phrasing the "off" is there to add extra emphasis, as in "that pisses me OFF, you [unprintable thing]!"

Does that make sense?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 21 Nov 2016, 19:06

I haven't heard anyone say "pissed off" or "pisses me off" in years, I would agree that the shortening is pretty complete at this point.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Neko_Ali on 21 Nov 2016, 21:26

Looks like Emily got her 'little off the top' anyway...

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Thrudd on 21 Nov 2016, 21:39

Nothing Grows? For shame.
So many varieties of arctic berries as well as lichens and a few others.
Mind you still better than moose milk  [reference to a quickly censored beer commercial]

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: brasca on 21 Nov 2016, 22:20

I imagine an add campaign using that Frank Zappa song.  Don't you know where the huskies go don't you eat that yellow snow.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Gyrre on 21 Nov 2016, 23:21

Quote from: Blood-Tree on 21 Nov 2016, 15:51

It's possible that we may be worrying over nothing:

Quote

Unless the present progress of change [is] arrested...there can be no doubt that, in another century, the dialect of the Americans will become utterly unintelligible to an Englishman... Thomas Hamilton, 1833

After all, tis not as if any man hast axed for eggys:

Quote

And one of theym named Sheffelde, a mercer, cam in to an hows and axed for mete and specyally he axyd after eggys, and the goode wyf answerde that she could speke no Frenshe. And the marchaunt was angry, for he also coude speke no Frenshe, but wolde have hadde egges; and she understode hym not. And thenne at laste a-nother sayd that he wolde have eyren. Then the good wyf sayd that she understod hym wel. Loo, what sholde a man in thyse dayes now wryte, egges, or eyren? Certaynly it is hard to playse every man, by-cause of dyversite and chaunge of langage. William Caxton, 1490

Quote

That serait be the embárrassing  to speak the incorrect! I würde be the avoid de that!"

(click to show/hide)

(http://www.viruscomix.com/bignose.jpg)

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 21 Nov 2016, 23:47

Congratulations, Dora! You and Emily were apparently drinking industrial ethanol that some bright spark at a local fuel refinery realised also could be used to cater to desperate drinkers! Enjoy your shakes because I understand that stuff has a killer punch!

Meanwhile, I suspect that we're about to see something that we've never seen before: Emily in a Faye-style foul mood!

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Akima on 22 Nov 2016, 00:07

Apparently you drink this stuff and turn into a monster. I guess it could be called lichenthropy.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: anahata on 22 Nov 2016, 00:21

Quote from: Tova on 21 Nov 2016, 13:32

Regarding the bait that I threw out there

I was tempted for a couple of seconds, but I am sufficiently familiar with your quality of posting and sense of humour around here to guess that you were being ironic. Well played!

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 22 Nov 2016, 01:24

@Travis B.,

Welcome, new person!

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Gyrre on 22 Nov 2016, 03:15

Quote from: Akima on 22 Nov 2016, 00:07

Apparently you drink this stuff and turn into a monster. I guess it could be called lichenthropy.

I mostly read QC on work breaks and lunch. It took a bit to find that comic. Read how the cockatrice speaks.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: DSL on 22 Nov 2016, 03:57

Quote from: Neko_Ali on 21 Nov 2016, 12:52

Well, the context is pretty clear. ...

I thought so too. But it seems not all agree with us. Well, dang.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Kugai on 22 Nov 2016, 12:10

It also cleans and disinfects Rocket Engines

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Storel on 22 Nov 2016, 16:02

Quote from: Blood-Tree on 21 Nov 2016, 15:51

It's possible that we may be worrying over nothing:

Quote

Unless the present progress of change [is] arrested...there can be no doubt that, in another century, the dialect of the Americans will become utterly unintelligible to an Englishman... Thomas Hamilton, 1833

"There even are places where English completely disappears!
In America, they haven't used it for years."

 -- Henry Higgins, in "Why Can't the English", from My Fair Lady

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 22 Nov 2016, 16:23

The fuck's he on about?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: WareWolf on 22 Nov 2016, 17:14

Quote from: Method of Madness on 21 Nov 2016, 14:42

I prefer "Rickety Rickety Wrecked".

I've always been fond of the British idiom "legless."

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 22 Nov 2016, 18:10

Quote from: Method of Madness on 22 Nov 2016, 16:23

The fuck's he on about?

https://youtu.be/EAYUuspQ6BY

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 22 Nov 2016, 20:59

Oh, I was perfectly aware of what it's from, it just seemed like the proper response.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: cesium133 on 22 Nov 2016, 21:05

New comic. And the question is, who will run out of money first, Marten or Pintsize?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 22 Nov 2016, 21:07

And why do I get the feeling that May is thinking $40 for materials and services, but Corpse Witch bumping it to $400 for the danger to her enterprise?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 22 Nov 2016, 21:35

Corpse Witch would be foolish to let a potential informant near her operation now that she knows the heat is on.

"Potential informant", because the police can pressure somebody on probation easily and damn near irresistibly.

Meanwhile, the wackiness of today's strip is a delight.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: WoaLG on 22 Nov 2016, 23:29

Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 22 Nov 2016, 21:35

Corpse Witch would be foolish to let a potential informant near her operation now that she knows the heat is on.

"Potential informant", because the police can pressure somebody on probation easily and damn near irresistibly.

Meanwhile, the wackiness of today's strip is a delight.

I doubt Faye would take her to the workshop. Corpse Witch got pissy about it last time she did (can't remember the exact comic number) and Page 3030 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3330) implies that Faye has her own tools, since I also doubt that Corpse Witch would have let her take any of the workshop's tools.

And May already knows about it, though I don't know if Corpse Witch knows that.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 22 Nov 2016, 23:31

May is accepting payment in $2 bills? How did she ever manage to embezzle in the first place with that level of naivete about things?

I'm wondering if we're about to see Corpse Witch realising that there is money in being nice, if you know the right way to do it. Either that or she's going to blow her top and rather stupidly throw out Bubbles and Faye just minutes before the police raid for which a 'charity repair shop' could have been an ideal countermeasure.

Quote from: cesium133 on 22 Nov 2016, 21:05

New comic. And the question is, who will run out of money first, Marten or Pintsize?

Given that Pintsize has just basically confessed to not having money (although May clearly is too ignorant to know this), I'm wondering if this is a Nefarious Plan. Could it be that Pintsize plans for Marten to entirely fund May's upgrade simply by pushing the bidding up to $80 and then walking away? Knowing Marten, if May explains exactly what's happening, he'd end up helping her anyway.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 22 Nov 2016, 23:41

What's naive about any particular denomination?

She may have trouble spending it around idiots, and it would be dangerous to her to have idiots calling the police because they think it's not a real denomination(*), but she could always deposit it in the bank.

(*) This has happened, but not as often as I thought.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Akima on 23 Nov 2016, 00:24

Quote from: BenRG on 22 Nov 2016, 23:31

May is accepting payment in $2 bills? How did she ever manage to embezzle in the first place with that level of naivete about things?

We have $2 coins, and apparently there is a US $2 bill/note (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_two-dollar_bill), so why not?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: hedgie on 23 Nov 2016, 00:59

Quote from: Akima on 23 Nov 2016, 00:24

Quote from: BenRG on 22 Nov 2016, 23:31

May is accepting payment in $2 bills? How did she ever manage to embezzle in the first place with that level of naivete about things?

We have $2 coins, and apparently there is a US $2 bill/note (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_two-dollar_bill), so why not?

Not only that, but if you feel like wasting money, you can buy uncut sheets of $2 banknotes from the treasury.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 23 Nov 2016, 01:12

Quote from: hedgie on 23 Nov 2016, 00:59

Not only that, but if you feel like wasting money, you can buy uncut sheets of $2 banknotes from the treasury.

If it weren't for the impossibility of a federal agency having a sense of humour, I'd suspect the Treasury Department of playing an elaborate practical joke on the entire planet.

... Then again, that could be said about almost everything the Treasury and the Federal Reserve does these days.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Gyrre on 23 Nov 2016, 01:24

Somehow, that post-comic text wouldn't surprise me at all.

I wonder how he manifests in our own universe?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: brasca on 23 Nov 2016, 04:20

Quote from: BenRG on 22 Nov 2016, 23:31

May is accepting payment in $2 bills? How did she ever manage to embezzle in the first place with that level of naivete about things?

Do keep in mind she was busted so her expertise in embezzling to buy a drone chassis may be quite amateurish. 

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 23 Nov 2016, 07:10

I have two $2 bills in my wallet. No particular reason. I could spend them if I wanted to.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: cesium133 on 23 Nov 2016, 07:12

I don't have any $2 bills, but whenever I visit another country, I keep some of the money in my wallet when I come back. I've currently got 25 Brazilian reais (worth about US$10) and 25 Canadian dollars (worth about US$25) in my wallet.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Case on 23 Nov 2016, 07:26

Quote from: cesium133 on 23 Nov 2016, 07:12

I don't have any $2 bills, but whenever I visit another country, I keep some of the money in my wallet when I come back. I've currently got 25 Brazilian reais (worth about US$10) and 25 Canadian dollars (worth about US$25) in my wallet.

So the poor foreign denominations also get 'whiff of freedom', right?  :mrgreen:

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Jakk Frost on 23 Nov 2016, 08:08

I never did understand why some Americans say "That's phony as a two dollar bill" when I know for a fact American $2 bills exist and are legal tender.

On today's comic, I love how Pintsize uses his own perverted methods to actually try and assist someone without giving away that that's what he's really doing.  (As has been evidenced before.)

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: cesium133 on 23 Nov 2016, 08:15

The phrase I've heard is "phony as a three-dollar bill."

Quote from: Case on 23 Nov 2016, 07:26

Quote from: cesium133 on 23 Nov 2016, 07:12

I don't have any $2 bills, but whenever I visit another country, I keep some of the money in my wallet when I come back. I've currently got 25 Brazilian reais (worth about US$10) and 25 Canadian dollars (worth about US$25) in my wallet.

So the poor foreign denominations also get 'whiff of freedom', right?  :mrgreen:

I keep my wallet in my front pocket, not my back pocket, so no. :-P

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Charlotte Zane on 23 Nov 2016, 08:17

Quote from: oddtail on 21 Nov 2016, 07:43

Quote from: Method of Madness on 21 Nov 2016, 07:33

How does pissed meaning drunk inherently make any more sense than pissed meaning angry?

I'm not saying it does. But "pissed off" is a phrase that is understandable anyway, means the same as the American meaning of "pissed", and "pissed" by itself is confusing vis a vis the British meaning of "drunk". Plus, as I said, the American usage is inconsistent, because to my knowledge, nobody really says "this really pisses me", but rather "this really pisses me off", even in the US.

But, since a few people have commented on this, I was only half-serious in my original post. Apparently it didn't come across very clearly in text.

Okay, there's a painfully simple misunderstanding here that would give me an aneurysm if I didn't make an account to quickly clarify.

"Pissed" is an entirely separate word from "pisses", and only the former is used in American English to denote a state of anger. To denote someone's anger, they can be "pissed", but it cannot "piss" them. You can be pissed off, and it can piss you off, but you can only be pissed, as it cannot simply "piss" you. "Pissed" is the only form of the word that functions as a status, but it is also generally only used without appending "off" when it is performing double-duty by also serving as a past tense. So "I am pissed off", but "I was pissed". That said, it also works that way with future sometimes, as one often "will get pissed" moreso than "will get pissed off".

A good parallel is "stresses/stressed". You can be stressed, and something can stress you out, but you can only "be stressed"-- something cannot "stresses you" or "stress you", as that is taken to mean that it "emphasizes" you. One simply does not say "that stresses me", they say "that stresses me out", to clarify their context a bit more.

It's acceptable because of this nuance-- and having no way to know that context is hopefully what frustrated you so. Excuse if my explanation is lacking, in any case; I'm far better at spotting miscommunication than actually solving it, unfortunately.

Still, the sheer glut of miscommunication that surrounded your question, though, had me really pissed. I mean, it always pisses me off when the nature of someone's question is misunderstood (as everyone just ends up in some pissed off debate). But really, it does suck when everyone is getting pissed about how pissed off everyone else is rather than trying to find where communication first broke down.

...Anywhos, just had to get that off my chest. Not trying to dredge up old topics, but that was distracting me from what was going to just be laughing at Pintsize paying in $2 bills-- which I've not seen someone able to spend here in, like, a decade or so. Unless it makes some crazy resurgence in QC's timeline!?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Rincewind on 23 Nov 2016, 09:54

Quote from: Gyrre on 23 Nov 2016, 01:24

Somehow, that post-comic text wouldn't surprise me at all.

I wonder how he manifests in our own universe?

As Anthony Wiener, obviously!   :evil:
 

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 23 Nov 2016, 10:12

Quote from: Jakk Frost on 23 Nov 2016, 08:08

I never did understand why some Americans say "That's phony as a two dollar bill" when I know for a fact American $2 bills exist and are legal tender.

Probably because the expression refers to a three dollar bill, at least as I've heard it.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Jakk Frost on 23 Nov 2016, 11:35

Quote from: Method of Madness on 23 Nov 2016, 10:12

Quote from: Jakk Frost on 23 Nov 2016, 08:08

I never did understand why some Americans say "That's phony as a two dollar bill" when I know for a fact American $2 bills exist and are legal tender.

Probably because the expression refers to a three dollar bill, at least as I've heard it.

Oh I've heard that one too.  I've heard both.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Skewbrow on 23 Nov 2016, 11:38

Morris & Goscinny  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Luke) ran with that joke. The oldest of the Dalton brothers (the gang Lucky Luke was battling), not the sharpest knife, served time for an unsuccessful counterfeit attempt. You guessed it, he printed 3 dollar bills.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Case on 23 Nov 2016, 11:42

Quote from: Charlotte Zane on 23 Nov 2016, 08:17

Okay, there's a painfully simple misunderstanding here that would give me an aneurysm if I didn't make an account to quickly clarify.

"Pissed" is an entirely separate word from "pisses", and only the former is used in American English to denote a state of anger. To denote someone's anger, they can be "pissed", but it cannot "piss" them. You can be pissed off, and it can piss you off, but you can only be pissed, as it cannot simply "piss" you.

(http://i.imgur.com/vLSJbiO.jpg?1)

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Gyrre on 23 Nov 2016, 11:54

Quote from: Jakk Frost on 23 Nov 2016, 08:08

I never did understand why some Americans say "That's phony as a two dollar bill" when I know for a fact American $2 bills exist and are legal tender.

On today's comic, I love how Pintsize uses his own perverted methods to actually try and assist someone without giving away that that's what he's really doing.  (As has been evidenced before.)

We only started making them in the 2000s.

The phrases has been updated to "As phony as a three dollar bill".

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Stoutfellow on 23 Nov 2016, 11:57

Then there's the story of the city slicker who decided to exploit the hayseeds. He made some counterfeit eighteen-dollar bills, then drove out to the country. He asked the first farmer he met if he could make change; the farmer looked at the bill and said, "Sure! You want two nines, or three sixes?"

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Storel on 23 Nov 2016, 12:04

Quote from: Gyrre on 23 Nov 2016, 11:54

Quote from: Jakk Frost on 23 Nov 2016, 08:08

I never did understand why some Americans say "That's phony as a two dollar bill" when I know for a fact American $2 bills exist and are legal tender.

On today's comic, I love how Pintsize uses his own perverted methods to actually try and assist someone without giving away that that's what he's really doing.  (As has been evidenced before.)

We only started making them in the 2000s.

The phrases has been updated to "As phony as a three dollar bill".

Actually, we started making the current design in 1976 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_two-dollar_bill). My father started collecting them then.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 23 Nov 2016, 12:09

Quote from: Charlotte Zane on 23 Nov 2016, 08:17

...Anywhos, ...

...

On second thought, never mind.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 23 Nov 2016, 13:36

So May's butt is still khaki? How did her face get bleached? Was it the Noodle Incident (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoodleIncident)?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: oddtail on 23 Nov 2016, 14:08

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 23 Nov 2016, 13:36

So May's butt is still khaki? How did her face get bleached? Was it the Noodle Incident (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoodleIncident)?

I get the distinct feeling I'm missing some subtext or reference in what you are saying (which would be appropriate enough, given that you link to the Noodle Incident page). But in case this is a straight question and not a joke that goes way over my head:

I think she's referring to her face being the ONLY part of her skin that is still khaki. The butt would presumably be blue right now.

And her face didn't get bleached, when it was repaired, only this particular skin tone was available. I assume she wants her face to be blue again to match her body's general skin tone (can't blame her, I still get Uncanny Valley-ish vibes from the way she looks...).

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Gyrre on 23 Nov 2016, 14:31

Quote from: Storel on 23 Nov 2016, 12:04

Quote from: Gyrre on 23 Nov 2016, 11:54

Quote from: Jakk Frost on 23 Nov 2016, 08:08

I never did understand why some Americans say "That's phony as a two dollar bill" when I know for a fact American $2 bills exist and are legal tender.

On today's comic, I love how Pintsize uses his own perverted methods to actually try and assist someone without giving away that that's what he's really doing.  (As has been evidenced before.)

We only started making them in the 2000s.

The phrases has been updated to "As phony as a three dollar bill".

Actually, we started making the current design in 1976 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_two-dollar_bill). My father started collecting them then.

Oh.

I guess I hadn't heard of them until the early 2000s (when I was in high school). I hadn't encountered any until 2012.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Gyrre on 23 Nov 2016, 14:34

Quote from: oddtail on 23 Nov 2016, 14:08

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 23 Nov 2016, 13:36

So May's butt is still khaki? How did her face get bleached? Was it the Noodle Incident (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoodleIncident)?

I get the distinct feeling I'm missing some subtext or reference in what you are saying (which would be appropriate enough, given that you link to the Noodle Incident page). But in case this is a straight question and not a joke that goes way over my head:

I think she's referring to her face being the ONLY part of her skin that is still khaki. The butt would presumably be blue right now.

And her face didn't get bleached, when it was repaired, only this particular skin tone was available. I assume she wants her face to be blue again to match her body's general skin tone (can't blame her, I still get Uncanny Valley-ish vibes from the way she looks...).

There's this weird American Easternism where they refer to someone's ass/arse as "face" in order to be poite.
When Dick Chenney shot that guy "in the face" while hunting, he had actually shot the congressman in the buttocks.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Kugai on 23 Nov 2016, 14:41

And nobody has asked the really relevant question




How the HELL does Pintsize know what type of Currency International Arms Dealers prefer to use!!!

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 23 Nov 2016, 14:54

Shhhhh.

You know what happened to Calliope when they asked that question a day ago.

... Or maybe you don't remember.

Forget I said anything.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Truec on 23 Nov 2016, 17:35

"Anatomical correctness"? So what, she's going to pay Faye to build genitalia for her?

Although I suppose Faye does already have experience.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: WareWolf on 23 Nov 2016, 19:35

Quote from: Storel on 23 Nov 2016, 12:04

Quote from: Gyrre on 23 Nov 2016, 11:54

Quote from: Jakk Frost on 23 Nov 2016, 08:08

I never did understand why some Americans say "That's phony as a two dollar bill" when I know for a fact American $2 bills exist and are legal tender.

On today's comic, I love how Pintsize uses his own perverted methods to actually try and assist someone without giving away that that's what he's really doing.  (As has been evidenced before.)

We only started making them in the 2000s.

The phrases has been updated to "As phony as a three dollar bill".

Actually, we started making the current design in 1976 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_two-dollar_bill). My father started collecting them then.

Yeah, my Dad had a bunch of them in his "collection" when he passed. He was convinced they'd be valuable collector's items some day.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 23 Nov 2016, 20:24

Quote from: Kugai on 23 Nov 2016, 14:41

And nobody has asked the really relevant question




How the HELL does Pintsize know what type of Currency International Arms Dealers prefer to use!!!

Obviously Pintsize has been doing some shady things as of late.

And really that's the kind of question that gets people disappeared, usually by international arms dealers.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 23 Nov 2016, 20:56

Quote from: oddtail on 23 Nov 2016, 14:08

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 23 Nov 2016, 13:36

So May's butt is still khaki? How did her face get bleached? Was it the Noodle Incident (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoodleIncident)?

I get the distinct feeling I'm missing some subtext or reference in what you are saying (which would be appropriate enough, given that you link to the Noodle Incident page). But in case this is a straight question and not a joke that goes way over my head:

I think she's referring to her face being the ONLY part of her skin that is still khaki. The butt would presumably be blue right now.

And her face didn't get bleached, when it was repaired, only this particular skin tone was available. I assume she wants her face to be blue again to match her body's general skin tone (can't blame her, I still get Uncanny Valley-ish vibes from the way she looks...).

Sorry to mislead. Only her face needed repair, so her butt is presumably still blue. Her face was khaki tan for a couple of strips. Then when she next appeared, it had changed to dead white, no explanation given. Which is why I made the Noodle Incident reference. Maybe Jeph felt she didn't look Uncanny Valley enough.

edits:
May has the khaki face in 3174 and 3 following strips. (The only other choice was orange) When she reappears in 3299, her face is the present white.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: neurocase on 23 Nov 2016, 21:55

I know it's something of an ambiguous term (and that I'm, in part, analyzing the yearly turkey comic) but the turkey's use of the phrase "evolving relationship" in reference to Bubbles and Faye intrigues me somewhat.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 23 Nov 2016, 22:04

I can see that the commentary on today's comic will put a damper on our relationship.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: cesium133 on 23 Nov 2016, 22:11

Quote from: cucumber error on 23 Nov 2016, 21:07

Quote from: Storel on 23 Nov 2016, 12:04

Quote from: Gyrre on 23 Nov 2016, 11:54

Quote from: Jakk Frost on 23 Nov 2016, 08:08

I never did understand why some Americans say "That's phony as a two dollar bill" when I know for a fact American $2 bills exist and are legal tender.

On today's comic, I love how Pintsize uses his own perverted methods to actually try and assist someone without giving away that that's what he's really doing.  (As has been evidenced before.)

We only started making them in the 2000s.

The phrases has been updated to "As phony as a three dollar bill".

Actually, we started making the current design in 1976 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_two-dollar_bill). My father started collecting them then.

And other designs were made from 1862-1966 (according to that Wikipedia page), so, nothing new about the $2 bill. They *are* pretty uncommon, though. Using attention-grabbing currency seems like an odd choice for criminals, not to mention it would take a giant, inefficient bundle of them to pay for an arms shipment.

I...assume. Definitely don't know from personal experience or anything  :roll:

Me, I pay for my international arms shipments with $1 coins.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 23 Nov 2016, 22:37

You all realise that the arms dealers Pintsize is referring to there are dealers in robot parts, right? Right?  :clairedoge:

He's been acting as the middleman for robot friends wanting elbows for a long time now.

They collected a stash of $2 bills when they were first issued and have been trading them among themselves ever since. That's why they're so rare, you see.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: thedevilissix on 23 Nov 2016, 23:18

Ah, new day, new Thanksgiving comic.
I'm pleased to witness in the bottom panel plenty of fanservice :clairedoge:

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 23 Nov 2016, 23:57

I have a nervous sense that Jeph is mocking us in this strip. Indeed, the whole feel of it is... odd. It almost seems like an 'author's notes' right up until the last two panels when he suddenly remembered that this was meant to be a Silly.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 24 Nov 2016, 00:52

I vaguely remember that pattern in other turkey strips.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 24 Nov 2016, 01:05

Quote from: BenRG on 23 Nov 2016, 23:57

I have a nervous sense that Jeph is mocking us in this strip.

In the spirit of one of the topics that has dominated this week's discussion, I would like to mention that we here in Straya prefer the expression taking the piss.

Yes, I do believe that Jeph is taking the piss*.  :clairedoge:

* For clarity, this does not mean that he has been drinking, nor does it mean he is angry.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 24 Nov 2016, 02:43

Will Intelligent Robots Write the Next Great Novel? (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3946006/Will-intelligent-ROBOTS-produce-great-novel-Expert-builds-AI-learns-imitate-human-writing.html)

Jeph so needs to run with this idea. Maybe Pintsize will try to jump from consumer to producer (with May on a pay-per-play contract)? Or maybe Bubbles will reveal her AI equivalent of Heart of Darkness to Faye and her human friend will seek ways to have the literature community take the offering of an AI more seriously?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Kugai on 24 Nov 2016, 11:21

Not if they hear from the infinite number of Monkeys Lawyer

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 24 Nov 2016, 19:18

Comic's up.

And wow May, that's some jinxing you're doing to yourself right now.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 24 Nov 2016, 19:32

dun dun dunnnnnnnn

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: SomeCanadianWeirdo on 24 Nov 2016, 19:37

And next strip will prove Pintsize's comment that two dollar bills are the currency of the international arms trade.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Nycticoraci on 24 Nov 2016, 20:12

Quote from: SomeCanadianWeirdo on 24 Nov 2016, 19:37

And next strip will prove Pintsize's comment that two dollar bills are the currency of the international arms trade.

But what's the currency of the international legs trade?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 24 Nov 2016, 20:20

The new situation is that Detective Lilac can prove May is associating with known criminals and can send her back to Robot Jail in a heartbeat for parole violation.

The "Help me and I can help you" talk comes next.

May doesn't strike me as the sort to betray a friend deliberately or all at once. It would take a lot of street smarts, though, to resist the trap of "just one more little favor".

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 24 Nov 2016, 20:28

Quote from: Nycticoraci on 24 Nov 2016, 20:12

Quote from: SomeCanadianWeirdo on 24 Nov 2016, 19:37

And next strip will prove Pintsize's comment that two dollar bills are the currency of the international arms trade.

But what's the currency of the international legs trade?

Kneecaps.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 24 Nov 2016, 23:31

Oops! May's got herself in trouble! It could be back to jail for her!

Then again, what exactly has May done wrong except purchase goods and services that are not illegal in of themselves? Things could get... difficult if Lilac tries to put leverage on poor May, May digs in her heels and Lilac is in the position where she has to prove to her superiors that 'guerilla chassis mods' is somehow a crime that they should care about, let alone one that they can get the judge to stop laughing about long enough to sentence someone for it.

May is helped by the very clear fact that she has obviously no idea that she should be concerned at anyone being aware of what she's doing. Proving 'criminal intent' would be nearly impossible if the cop has to admit that they first realised someone's intentions when they heard them singing about it as they marched down the middle of the sidewalk.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 24 Nov 2016, 23:42

Irrelevant. A standard condition of probation is not to associate with known criminals. The fight club hasn't been run in yet because nobody really cares but they are known criminals. A probation officer can lock someone up for a single violation. "Criminal intent" doesn't come into it: a dirty urine test (OK, not a problem for May) or even a single missed meeting can do it.

May is vulnerable as hell.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Akima on 24 Nov 2016, 23:57

Can you be a "known criminal" if you've never been convicted of anything?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: BenRG on 25 Nov 2016, 00:05

I'm pretty sure that this is a feeder to an arc where Lilac tries to put pressure on May to act as her CI inside the Fight Club. May is fairly easy to intimidate; she hated Robot Jail and really doesn't have the emotional strength to stand up to the pressure. The problem is that May is such a fanbot that Llilac ends up with piles of day-to-day trivia about the fighters (whom May worships like the sporting gods they are) and nothing about any of the real illegal activity she's trying to uncover.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Storel on 25 Nov 2016, 01:24

Quote from: Akima on 24 Nov 2016, 23:57

Can you be a "known criminal" if you've never been convicted of anything?

Do we know that Corpse Witch has never been convicted of anything?

For that matter, do we know that Bubbles has never been convicted of anything?? She doesn't seem the type, I know, but a trumped-up conviction could help explain the shadow that seems to hang over her.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: brasca on 25 Nov 2016, 02:44

Given what happened with Corpse Witch the last time she repaired May and the current police scrutiny I'm surprised Faye let her enter. 

While May is vulnerable since she's on parole she'll be fine if she can keep her cool.  As far as the general public knows it's an indoor skate park so she can keep up the pretense and claim her friend that works there also repairs AI chassis on the side so she was just paying her a visit.  There's nothing illegal about that unless there is evidence of her participating in illegal robot fighting or gambling.

We may also be overestimating Detective Lilac's abilities.  Bubbles neutralized her by trapping her in a trash can and then a raccoon stole her badge.  I wouldn't be surprised if her peers call her Inspector Gadget.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TinPenguin on 25 Nov 2016, 03:17

Quote from: Storel on 25 Nov 2016, 01:24

Quote from: Akima on 24 Nov 2016, 23:57

Can you be a "known criminal" if you've never been convicted of anything?

Do we know that Corpse Witch has never been convicted of anything?

More to the point, does May know? There are a lot of convicted criminals in the world. Can the cops say "woah there, missy, we saw you go into that grocery store whose owner was once convicted for drunk driving, it's the slammer for you."

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: heyjames4 on 25 Nov 2016, 04:34

Oh no! May!

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Neko_Ali on 25 Nov 2016, 05:32

Quote from: TinPenguin on 25 Nov 2016, 03:17

Quote from: Storel on 25 Nov 2016, 01:24

Quote from: Akima on 24 Nov 2016, 23:57

Can you be a "known criminal" if you've never been convicted of anything?

Do we know that Corpse Witch has never been convicted of anything?

More to the point, does May know? There are a lot of convicted criminals in the world. Can the cops say "woah there, missy, we saw you go into that grocery store whose owner was once convicted for drunk driving, it's the slammer for you."

May does know. She knows what goes on at the skate rink, and she knows she's not supposed to be there, or even really talk about it. Remember a while back when she was concerned just talking about the fighting arena because her chassis might be bugged? She's well aware that being there is a parole violation. Heck she's afraid just talking about it could get her in trouble. And remember that the reason she went to jail was 'poor impulse control', as she put it. If Lilac puts any kind of pressure on her she'll snap in seconds... probably leading to an avalanche of comedic Too Much Information.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: hedgie on 25 Nov 2016, 11:36

Maybe Faye and Bubbles were added to "NiceList.txt", and will be safe.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Kugai on 25 Nov 2016, 14:53

I'm now intrigued to see which way this story arc is going to run.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 25 Nov 2016, 15:00

Quote from: Akima on 24 Nov 2016, 23:57

Can you be a "known criminal" if you've never been convicted of anything?

If you are known be police to be involved in criminal activity, then yes, I believe so.

The media has to use the expression "colourful racing identity," though.

And yes, May can hardly plead ignorance. Well, she can try. I doubt it will wash, though.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: HiFranc on 25 Nov 2016, 15:09

Quote from: Storel on 25 Nov 2016, 01:24

[...]

For that matter, do we know that Bubbles has never been convicted of anything?? She doesn't seem the type, I know, but a trumped-up conviction could help explain the shadow that seems to hang over her.

Don't need something trumped up -- she's already guilty of two crimes.  2nd one being that she works at the fight club.  The first one being that she didn't hand in her chasis.  She has a military grade body and civilians are not allowed to use such equipment.  CW already has used that to pressure her.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: brasca on 25 Nov 2016, 16:08

Quote from: HiFranc on 25 Nov 2016, 15:09

Quote from: Storel on 25 Nov 2016, 01:24

[...]

For that matter, do we know that Bubbles has never been convicted of anything?? She doesn't seem the type, I know, but a trumped-up conviction could help explain the shadow that seems to hang over her.

Don't need something trumped up -- she's already guilty of two crimes.  2nd one being that she works at the fight club.  The first one being that she didn't hand in her chasis.  She has a military grade body and civilians are not allowed to use such equipment.  CW already has used that to pressure her.

CW's implied threat was that she'd lose her military chassis much like anyone else loses their property if it's impounded and auctioned off because it was used for criminal purposes.  Moreover, if possessing that chassis was an offense the federal government would be paying her a visit not a state police AI.  As for the first offense the inspector has to provide indisputable proof that an illegal fight club is being operated there.  If not a halfway decent defense attorney will get the case thrown out. 

And remember the billboard, Better Call HAL!

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 25 Nov 2016, 16:37

Quote from: Tova on 25 Nov 2016, 15:00

Quote from: Akima on 24 Nov 2016, 23:57

Can you be a "known criminal" if you've never been convicted of anything?

And yes, May can hardly plead ignorance. Well, she can try. I doubt it will wash, though.

Especially when its quite blatantly written across her face.

May can't prove she got the repairs done at a legitimate establishment and I think some of the industrial gear at the club requires certain licenses to own, so she can't claim a couple of friends helped her out for free.

May is stuck between a rock and a hard place and lets not forget that she is still technically a parolee.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 25 Nov 2016, 17:20

And changing her face from blue to khaki to white is suspicious, amirite?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: NyxDarkness on 25 Nov 2016, 17:34

With the possibility that CW and Bubbles may have criminal history, what about Faye, even. Knowing her history of having a temper, as well as being a recovering alcoholic, who can say that she doesn't have some old, long-forgotten assault charge? May was seen speaking with Faye by the agent herself.

Also, if THEY wanted that badly to take the shop down, it would only take a small reason to investigate and 'accidentally' stumble upon the fights.
This is strictly speculation, of course. We shall see where this goes from here. There's too much setup for Jeph not to follow through, I think.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 25 Nov 2016, 18:02

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 25 Nov 2016, 17:20

And changing her face from blue to khaki to white is suspicious, amirite?

Given the problem she had with the parole officer about the repair in the first place, the fact that she got a repair down at an unlicensed operation that is also host to a criminal venture, her face is literally evidence.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 25 Nov 2016, 18:11

Quote from: TinPenguin on 25 Nov 2016, 03:17

Quote from: Storel on 25 Nov 2016, 01:24

Quote from: Akima on 24 Nov 2016, 23:57

Can you be a "known criminal" if you've never been convicted of anything?

Do we know that Corpse Witch has never been convicted of anything?

More to the point, does May know? There are a lot of convicted criminals in the world. Can the cops say "woah there, missy, we saw you go into that grocery store whose owner was once convicted for drunk driving, it's the slammer for you."

Yes, if they want to.

One of the horror stories I read about was a guy on parole or probation who reasoned that if he went into a bar when it was otherwise empty, then he'd be safe since the bartender had to have a clean record to get a license.

The bartender had lied on the job application and did have a record. The customer went back to prison.

Another decided there was no way to check everyone he associated with for a criminal record so he'd simply never associate with anyone.

In the archives of Grits For Breakfast is a quote from a Texas probation administrator to the effect that if he ever has a choice between dealing with his own department or going behind bars and razor wire and eating expired food, he'll choose prison.

For certain there must be probation departments that strive for rehabilitation and re-entry.  Many are part of the prison-industrial complex though.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: WareWolf on 26 Nov 2016, 06:59

Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 25 Nov 2016, 18:11

Quote from: TinPenguin on 25 Nov 2016, 03:17

Quote from: Storel on 25 Nov 2016, 01:24

Quote from: Akima on 24 Nov 2016, 23:57

Can you be a "known criminal" if you've never been convicted of anything?

Do we know that Corpse Witch has never been convicted of anything?

More to the point, does May know? There are a lot of convicted criminals in the world. Can the cops say "woah there, missy, we saw you go into that grocery store whose owner was once convicted for drunk driving, it's the slammer for you."

Yes, if they want to.

One of the horror stories I read about was a guy on parole or probation who reasoned that if he went into a bar when it was otherwise empty, then he'd be safe since the bartender had to have a clean record to get a license.

The bartender had lied on the job application and did have a record. The customer went back to prison.

Another decided there was no way to check everyone he associated with for a criminal record so he'd simply never associate with anyone.

In the archives of Grits For Breakfast is a quote from a Texas probation administrator to the effect that if he ever has a choice between dealing with his own department or going behind bars and razor wire and eating expired food, he'll choose prison.

For certain there must be probation departments that strive for rehabilitation and re-entry.  Many are part of the prison-industrial complex though.

Sad but true. As someone on the defense side who regularly deals with alleged probation violations, I can also attest that a major factor for the PO is "if I get this lunk sent to prison, I can get them off my caseload." There are also judges that are  stewing over sentencing guidelines that require them to put certain offenders on probation. They cannot WAIT to see the people they wanted to send off in the first place come back before them. And as for "I didn't know" (aka "lack of intent"): cue judicial eye-rolling.

Cynical? Moi?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 26 Nov 2016, 07:52

Why would people like that become probation officers? Do they want to ruin lives?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Neko_Ali on 26 Nov 2016, 08:14

Like many things, there are a lot of reasons why people do what they do. Some of them yes, are just mean and nasty. Most of them are just trying to do their jobs though. And any job in the prison industry you are going to become jaded and cynical at. Consider the fact that a fair bit of the people they have to deal with are not the 'I did my time and learned my lesson. Now I want to live a good life.' A best their clients (is that right term here?) are just as jaded and cynical as they are, and they know the system is stacked against them. They resent that they have to keep reporting in, justify any and every action they take while hopefully trying to keep a job, if they can find one in the first place. Most people in the parole office and their clients look at each other as adversaries. That never makes for a good relationship. Especially when one side has the ability to strip away the other side's freedom with a phone call and a signature. And a lot of times it won't be questioned. And that's not counting the fact that the system is set up so basically, you can be sent back to prison at any time. It's almost impossible not to break parole in some way, even if you are trying very hard not to.

In the best cases, the parole officer knows their clients are lying to them repeatedly. It's up to them to figure out when and how they are lying, and if it's something worth sending them back to jail over. In the worst cases, the parole officer if a corrupt scumbag who enjoys feeling power over their client's lives, possibly even extorting them to do things or threaten to send them back to jail. Since most of the time a judge is going to believe someone involved in law enforcement over a criminal, it's hard to stop them. Just all part of why the prison system is horrible.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: jwhouk on 26 Nov 2016, 10:08

What you're seeing is the Catch-22 of being incarcerated. You work hard to get out of prison, but aren't handed any means of staying out of prison. May was given a crummy chassis, without any warranty that would allow her to get repairs. Because her ability to have a chassis would affect her ability to pay for repairs, she had to seek out less-than-legitimate means of getting her chassis repaired.

And that's when our AI Cop comes in...

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 26 Nov 2016, 11:14

Wouldn't her receipt from Robots and Things prove she got the materials legitimately?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 26 Nov 2016, 11:41

Materials is one thing, but she would still be going to an unlicensed location to get the services done. Not to mention that its a location where illegal AI fights take place.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 26 Nov 2016, 11:48

Technically she's in a friend's private apartment. The licensing may be an issue, though.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Neko_Ali on 26 Nov 2016, 11:55

She went to the fight arena, not Faye's apartment. It was an exterior door, and Officer Lilac was spying on it. You can't say it's Bubble's apartment, because officially speaking it is skate rink, not a residence. While robots may not need the same things humans do in terms of survival and comfort, it is still not a residence and any robots living there are technically squatting. Albeit with the presumption of the owners approval of it.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 26 Nov 2016, 12:45

I was thinking it was Bubbles's apartment. But fair point.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 26 Nov 2016, 13:02

Plus even if it were Bubbles' apartment why would Faye be opening the door?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 26 Nov 2016, 13:15

Because they were hanging out and Faye was closer to the door when she heard May loudly approaching.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 26 Nov 2016, 13:56

Quote from: Method of Madness on 26 Nov 2016, 11:14

Wouldn't her receipt from Robots and Things prove she got the materials legitimately?

Well, yes, but so what?

You don't have to break the law to be transferred back from outdoor prison to indoor prison. "Outdoor prison" is a fair description. A probation officer can walk into your home at any time and search it as just like a prison guard can, for example. May might be breathing free air right now (don't take that literally) but she still has an inmate number and her sentence is not over.

What do you think the probation officer is going to do when he gets a call from another law enforcement officer saying May is mixed up with organized crime and asking him to apply pressure?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 26 Nov 2016, 14:20

I fucking hate how my country works sometimes.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: hedgie on 26 Nov 2016, 14:30

Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 26 Nov 2016, 13:56

May might be breathing free air right now (don't take that literally) but she still has an inmate number and her sentence is not over.

She'll still need air intake to deal with the cooling issues that she'll have.

Quote from: Method of Madness on 26 Nov 2016, 14:20

I fucking hate how my country works sometimes.

I doubt that May will end up back in gaol.  Even though their world has fuckedupnesss, it is a better world than our own.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Zebediah on 26 Nov 2016, 16:14

Look, all matters of realism aside, it boils down to one thing: does Jeph want to get rid of May as a character? All signs point to no. So the odds of her going back to prison are pretty much zero. Something else will happen. I don't know how yet, but this will work out with May, Faye and Bubbles all free and clear.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: HiFranc on 26 Nov 2016, 16:39

If it's anything like real life, it would be "become an informant or go to jail". I hope that it doesn't go as far as it often does in the US - where informants are given quotas to fill so they end up framing / using entrapment on people they know.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 26 Nov 2016, 18:02

That's where I see this going. Detective Lilac doesn't give a single kilobyte what happens to May but does care about finding leverage to turn people into informants. May is now an easier target than Faye.

Anyone who thinks "quotas" is an exaggeration, read this: http://copssaylegalize.blogspot.com/2015/12/press-release-60-minutes-reports-on-use.html

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Stoutfellow on 26 Nov 2016, 18:39

On a totally different topic: I keep trying to sing May's lines to the tune of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lookin' Out My Back Door". It works for the first couple of lines, but she goes back to "Doot doot doot" too soon.  :x

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Storel on 26 Nov 2016, 20:12

Quote from: Stoutfellow on 26 Nov 2016, 18:39

On a totally different topic: I keep trying to sing May's lines to the tune of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lookin' Out My Back Door". It works for the first couple of lines, but she goes back to "Doot doot doot" too soon.  :x

Maybe she's already at the end of the song, so she's repeating the last few lines over and over?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Tova on 26 Nov 2016, 20:57

Quote from: Stoutfellow on 26 Nov 2016, 18:39

On a totally different topic: I keep trying to sing May's lines to the tune of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lookin' Out My Back Door". It works for the first couple of lines, but she goes back to "Doot doot doot" too soon.  :x

From now on, every time I hear that song, the line, "Gonna get a new face," will float through my mind.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: WareWolf on 28 Nov 2016, 06:16

Quote from: Stoutfellow on 26 Nov 2016, 18:39

On a totally different topic: I keep trying to sing May's lines to the tune of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lookin' Out My Back Door". It works for the first couple of lines, but she goes back to "Doot doot doot" too soon.  :x

I was trying to get it to scan to Lou Reed's  "Walk on the Wild Side." She IS a colored girl, after all.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Stoutfellow on 28 Nov 2016, 17:46

Yes, I suppose she would prefer the blues....

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Morituri on 28 Nov 2016, 23:46

I was thinking of the Huey Lewis tune "I want a new drug." 

FWIW about US $2 bills.  Some mints print them and others don't.  Thus, in some areas of the country (where the actual cash money supply is provided by mint A) $2 bills will be common.   In other areas of the country, (where the actual cash money supply is provided by Mint B) $2 bills will be almost unknown, and only appear when somebody has brought them from some other part of the country in their wallet.  Usually in areas where they're rare, the banks get rid of them (exchange them when adjusting their cash stocks) immediately because keeping track of an extra denomination is a pain in the tush for no more of them than there actually are.  So if you deposit that $2 bill in your bank account in California, it will most likely be winging its way back to Illinois or wherever it came from by nightfall.

This leads to humorous situations like clerks, cashiers, and even cops who've never seen a real $2 bill in their life and assume it's some sort of fake.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 29 Nov 2016, 03:12

They're humorous if you're not the one who gets arrested.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3356-3360 (21st to 25th November 2016)
Post by: Method of Madness on 29 Nov 2016, 05:26

I remember reading an article a while back about how they printed a bunch of new ones because they wanted to get people to actually spend them...except nobody does.