Kevin's Watch

Cambo wrote:Oh, I see. Well, what did they call it before they called it a

Spoiler

tsunami?

Spoiler

Tidal wave.

....Duh. Come on Cam.

Cambo wrote:....Duh. Come on Cam.

And I thought you were just playing with me.

TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote:

Cambo wrote:....Duh. Come on Cam.

And I thought you were just playing with me.

Bah, it's been known in English since at least the 1950's, though I admit it didn't come into "see it every day" usage until one killed a bunch of people, thereby attaining de rigueur status for every bubble-headed, hyper-exaggerated rhetorical mole-hill that arises.

TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote:

Cambo wrote:....Duh. Come on Cam.

And I thought you were just playing with me.

People are often shocked at just how stupid I am sometimes. There's a whole lot of jokes out there based on my life, but for some reason everyone thinks they're about blonde women.

Relayer wrote:On a related matter, why do they call the caesures "falls"? What do they know about them that they aren't saying?

Answering something four years late...

This *could* be an error on SRD's part with the Latin etymology of the word caesura (meaning a sudden break or cutting off, usually used in music to describe a sudden ending). The roots of this word (and of its anglicised equivalent "caesure" as used in the LCs) comes from the Latin verb caedo, caedere, cecidi, caesus (I cut - present tense, to cut - infinitive, I cut - past tense, cut - past participle)

The very similar verb "to fall" - cado, cadere, cecidi, casus (I fall, to fall, I fell, fallen) - may explain the reason why SRD chose for the Haruchai to call the caesures "falls".

Here endeth the lesson. (Either that, or far more likely he did it quite deliberately... with his eclectic and adept usage of language, I wouldn't bet the farm on pointing out apparent errors).

TheFallen wrote:

Relayer wrote:On a related matter, why do they call the caesures "falls"? What do they know about them that they aren't saying?

Answering something four years late...

This *could* be an error on SRD's part with the Latin etymology of the word caesura (meaning a sudden break or cutting off, usually used in music to describe a sudden ending). The roots of this word (and of its anglicised equivalent "caesure" as used in the LCs) comes from the Latin verb caedo, caedere, cecidi, caesus (I cut - present tense, to cut - infinitive, I cut - past tense, cut - past participle)

It could be. But, I've run across caesura more in poetry [though it means basically the same as the musical usage...a stop/break, technically in the middle of a foot, IIRC] A fall is a geological break, like where hard mountains meet softer earth/rock...which the Haruchai would obviously be familiar with. That connection makes sense to me, considering the sight of the Haruchai.

Vraith wrote:

TheFallen wrote:

Relayer wrote:On a related matter, why do they call the caesures "falls"? What do they know about them that they aren't saying?

Answering something four years late...

This *could* be an error on SRD's part with the Latin etymology of the word caesura (meaning a sudden break or cutting off, usually used in music to describe a sudden ending). The roots of this word (and of its anglicised equivalent "caesure" as used in the LCs) comes from the Latin verb caedo, caedere, cecidi, caesus (I cut - present tense, to cut - infinitive, I cut - past tense, cut - past participle)

It could be. But, I've run across caesura more in poetry [though it means basically the same as the musical usage...a stop/break, technically in the middle of a foot, IIRC] A fall is a geological break, like where hard mountains meet softer earth/rock...which the Haruchai would obviously be familiar with. That connection makes sense to me, considering the sight of the Haruchai.

"Sight of the Haruchai"? What is that a reference to?