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Lateral: The naughty word

 
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 6:29 pm    Post subject: 1 Reply with quote

A woman walks into a darkened room to find a derogatory name for a woman in large letters on the wall, which upset her. Why did it bother her so?

I can answer "yes", "no", or if I'm worried that it will throw you completely off track, "irrelevant".
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JDTAY
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 6:35 pm    Post subject: 2 Reply with quote

Was this derogatory name "Sarah Palin"?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 6:40 pm    Post subject: 3 Reply with quote

JDTAY wrote:
Was this derogatory name "Sarah Palin"?


No.

I guess I should say that if people can figure out the situation first, as well as why the word upset her, then that will make a lot of the "Is the word ____" guessing unnecessary. Of course, people are welcome to do the latter, but I don't want this *thread* to turn into something that upsets people, haha.
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dethwing
DeTheeThaw



PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 7:06 pm    Post subject: 4 Reply with quote

Was it a real name? [Like Mary, or Sue or something]

Would it be considered profanity? [i.e, be edited on the radio say]

Would you accept a line of questions like : Is the first letter A? B? etc?
I could get the word easily that way, but I don't know if you would accept it.

Can she see anything else in he darkened room? Is there anything else in the room we need to know about?

Are the letters highlighted in some way?

The woman---Do we need to know: Age? Occuptation? Name?
Setting--- Do we need to know: Year? Month? Location on the earth? Type of room?
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Quailman
His Postmajesty



PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 7:07 pm    Post subject: 5 Reply with quote

Is the room in her own home?
Is the room a restroom?
Is it a men's room?
What's for lunch?
Is the writing graffiti (vs. professionally painted)?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 8:38 pm    Post subject: 6 Reply with quote

Was it a real name? [Like Mary, or Sue or something]

No

Would it be considered profanity? [i.e, be edited on the radio say]

It would probably not be bleeped

Would you accept a line of questions like : Is the first letter A? B? etc?
I could get the word easily that way, but I don't know if you would accept it.

No

Can she see anything else in he darkened room? Is there anything else in the room we need to know about?

Yes and yes

Are the letters highlighted in some way?

No

The woman---Do we need to know: Age? Occuptation? Name?

No, no, and no.

Setting--- Do we need to know: Year? Month? Location on the earth? Type of room?

Year? No. Month? No. Where on Earth? Not necessarily. Type of room? Yes.
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 8:40 pm    Post subject: 7 Reply with quote

Is the room in her own home?

No.
Is the room a restroom?

No.
Is it a men's room?

No.

What's for lunch?

N-hey, wait a minute.

Is the writing graffiti (vs. professionally painted)?

No
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JDTAY
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 9:00 pm    Post subject: 8 Reply with quote

Does the derogatory name involve animals?
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LordKinbote
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 9:05 pm    Post subject: 9 Reply with quote

JDTAY wrote:
Does the derogatory name involve animals?


Nope.
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Quailman
His Postmajesty



PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:59 pm    Post subject: 10 Reply with quote

Is it a conference room?

Is it an office?

Is it in a public building?

What are you wearing?

Is there anyone else in the room?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 11:28 pm    Post subject: 11 Reply with quote

Is it a conference room?

No

Is it an office?

No

Is it in a public building?

Yes

What are you wearing?

Find me on Chatroulette! winkitty wink

Is there anyone else in the room?

Yes
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot



PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 11:29 pm    Post subject: 12 Reply with quote

The other thing she can see in the room: it is one or more living things? Is it a depiction of one or more living things (i.e. statue, painting, photos, etc.)?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:43 am    Post subject: 13 Reply with quote

Zag wrote:
The other thing she can see in the room: it is one or more living things? Is it a depiction of one or more living things (i.e. statue, painting, photos, etc.)?


Yes, she can see one or more living things. No, she does not see a depiction of one or more living things.
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ChickenMarengo
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:46 am    Post subject: 14 Reply with quote

LordKinbote wrote:
Can she see anything else in he darkened room? Is there anything else in the room we need to know about?

Yes and yes


Do we need to know about something else in the room she can see?

Do we need to know about something else in the room she can't see?

Would she have been as offended if the room was well-lit?

Is the room in a library?

Does the word have a meaning other than a derogatory name for a woman?

Is the reason it's on the wall related to such another meaning?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:04 am    Post subject: 15 Reply with quote

Do we need to know about something else in the room she can see?

It would help

Do we need to know about something else in the room she can't see?

This one is hard to answer.

Would she have been as offended if the room was well-lit?

Actually, the way you worded this question makes it hard to answer without misleading you, but I'll say yes.

Is the room in a library?

No

Does the word have a meaning other than a derogatory name for a woman?

Yes

Is the reason it's on the wall related to such another meaning?

Yes
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JDTAY
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 2:24 am    Post subject: 16 Reply with quote

Is the woman nekkid?
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LordKinbote
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 2:40 am    Post subject: 17 Reply with quote

JDTAY wrote:
Is the woman nekkid?


I'll answer a question with a question. Don't you have something better to do with your time? The first question wasn't all that funny, the second wasn't either, and neither was the third. Play along or move along..
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JDTAY
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 3:01 am    Post subject: 18 Reply with quote

Hey, c'mon, one time I blew a lateral wide open when I asked if the chick was nekkid.
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 3:05 am    Post subject: 19 Reply with quote

JDTAY wrote:
Hey, c'mon, one time I blew a lateral wide open when I asked if the chick was nekkid.


Fine.

No.
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JDTAY
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 3:16 am    Post subject: 20 Reply with quote

Damnit, I can't find the puzzle on Google. I swear it's real though. The chick happened to be in the shower, and when I found that out, the thing pretty much solved itself.
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Endymion
A bridge too far...



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:30 am    Post subject: 21 Reply with quote

Is she in a theatre?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 9:39 am    Post subject: 22 Reply with quote

Endymion wrote:
Is she in a theatre?


Yes
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ralphmerridew
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:25 pm    Post subject: 23 Reply with quote

Is she in a movie theatre? Stage theatre?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:06 pm    Post subject: 24 Reply with quote

Is she in a movie theatre?

Yes

Stage theatre?

No
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Quailman
His Postmajesty



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:54 pm    Post subject: 25 Reply with quote

Was it written on the wall? Projected on the wall?
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:59 pm    Post subject: 26 Reply with quote

I get the feeling that Endymion knows the answer. His (her?) question was a little too specific for a stab in the dark. But obviously, rm, Q, and I still don't get it.

This word that was written -- we've established that it has an offensive meaning and a non-offensive meaning -- are these two meanings in different languages? Is one of them slang only?

Was she offended because she interpreted it as the offensive meaning?
Was she offended because she didn't know the non-offensive meaning?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 9:40 pm    Post subject: 27 Reply with quote

Was it written on the wall?

No

Projected on the wall?

Yes
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 9:42 pm    Post subject: 28 Reply with quote

Zag wrote:
I get the feeling that Endymion knows the answer. His (her?) question was a little too specific for a stab in the dark. But obviously, rm, Q, and I still don't get it.


I don't think Endymion knows the answer. I think (s)he was hinted by the fact that it was a darkened room with something on the wall.

This word that was written -- we've established that it has an offensive meaning and a non-offensive meaning -- are these two meanings in different languages?

Yes!

Is one of them slang only?

No

Was she offended because she interpreted it as the offensive meaning?
Was she offended because she didn't know the non-offensive meaning?

Again, there's an incorrect assumption being made, but I'll answer no to both of these.
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:20 pm    Post subject: 29 Reply with quote

Is English one of the two languages involved?
Is it offensive in English?
Is the other language a European language?
Was it a subtitle (i.e. translation text) of the movie that she saw written?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:36 pm    Post subject: 30 Reply with quote

Is English one of the two languages involved?

Yes

Is it offensive in English?

Yes

Is the other language a European language?

Yes

Was it a subtitle (i.e. translation text) of the movie that she saw written?

You're very close, but I can't quite say yes to this.
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ralphmerridew
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 11:25 pm    Post subject: 31 Reply with quote

Did she realize the offensive meaning?
Did she realize the non-offensive meaning?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 12:21 am    Post subject: 32 Reply with quote

Did she realize the offensive meaning?

Probably, but irrelevant.

Did she realize the non-offensive meaning?

Yes
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ChickenMarengo
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 12:37 am    Post subject: 33 Reply with quote

Was it the title of the movie?
A term for "the end"?
Some other caption shown on the screen during the movie?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 12:53 am    Post subject: 34 Reply with quote

Was it the title of the movie?

No

A term for "the end"?

Yes!

Some other caption shown on the screen during the movie?

No
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot



PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:15 am    Post subject: 35 Reply with quote

Oh! Obviously it's конец. Enthusiastic Grin

(I've tried all the European languages Babel Fish will translate to, and none of them look offensive if the translation is re-interpreted as English. Very possibly, Babel Fish is choosing a different interpretation -- I believe that what would show at the end of a movie in French would be "la fin," but Babel Fish tells me "l'extrémité.")
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:33 am    Post subject: 36 Reply with quote

Zag wrote:
Oh! Obviously it's конец. Enthusiastic Grin

(I've tried all the European languages Babel Fish will translate to, and none of them look offensive if the translation is re-interpreted as English. Very possibly, Babel Fish is choosing a different interpretation -- I believe that what would show at the end of a movie in French would be "la fin," but Babel Fish tells me "l'extrémité.")


Heh, no. This lateral comes from my own personal experience, so I know it doesn't exist as a mere hypothetical situation. It's also hard to search for, since Language + Word in Google gives you, er, less than savory results. Revenge most foul!
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ralphmerridew
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:56 am    Post subject: 37 Reply with quote

There was a Nick Velvet story (The Theft of the Parrot's Feather) that involved a word which could refer to the end of a movie, or a derogatory term for a woman.

Is she upset because she missed the whole picture?
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member



PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:15 pm    Post subject: 38 Reply with quote

ralphmerridew wrote:
There was a Nick Velvet story (The Theft of the Parrot's Feather) that involved a word which could refer to the end of a movie, or a derogatory term for a woman.

Is she upset because she missed the whole picture?


That's what I was looking for. You got it (and sent me the word through PM to prove it).

The woman walks into a Swedish movie and sees the word "Slut" on the screen. She becomes upset, not because she found the word offensive, but because that means she's missed the entire movie, since "Slut" is the Swedish version of "The End" or "Fin".

The practice of ending movies with this word died out in the 1930s when Swedish directors quickly realized that the word had unfortunate connotations in English speaking countries. Imagine a final shot of Greta Garbo looking beautifully into the camera only to be followed by a quick cut to SLUT...Swedes were not big on the slow fade-out.

I first personally encountered this practice while watching a silent documentary called "Haxan: Witchcraft Throughout the Ages", which ends on a shot of innocent women being burned at the stake. First I was confused by "slut" because it appeared so abruptly, but when I realized what it meant, I laughed out loud.
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JDTAY
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:34 pm    Post subject: 39 Reply with quote

Oh man, I loves me some Nick Velvet. Like that one where he had to steal something from a room and wasn't told what, but when he got there it was empty, so at first he was gonna steal the paint off the walls and repaint it, but then he figured out that he was supposed to steal the tobacco dust off of the floor. Awesome.
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ralphmerridew
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:22 pm    Post subject: 40 Reply with quote

That's The Theft from the Empty Room. Also a favorite of mine.
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