h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Did you know that Andrew Carnegie had a dinosaur named after him? Diplodocus carnegiei is one of the longest dinosaurs known from a complete skeleton (24 m). Others may have been longer, but we don't have complete skeletons of them to be sure.

See the first picture on this entry? A87860866

That is Carnegie's dinosaur. His name is Dippy. He frequently sports scarves, particularly when the local universities have big games. He even has his own feed on Twitter. Dippy is a major icon in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, just across from the Cathedral of Learning.

http://twitter.com/hopifer/status/1187477869607477250

I did know that – the Natural History Museum in London had the first copy of Dippy and it is going on a nationwide tour: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/dippy-on-tour.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwo9rtBRAdEiwA_WXcFnIuDzqSFIx0rA93iPEDXI2Dbk50ZS6RdcdzCF3eClrxI5ztaI0rDhoC7b0QAvD_BwE.
I also know that the first Apatosaurus skull was discovered at what is now the Dinosaur National Monument in the Carnegie Quarry in 1909 and was named Apatosaurus louisae after Louise Carnegie, Andrew's wife. I even know where they went on honeymoon – the Isle of Wight

<BB<

I knew that, too.

Also, Dippy on Tour has a Twitter account you can follow. It's in Cardiff right now.

https://twitter.com/NHM_London/status/1188018620019941376

What I didn't know until yesterday was how to pronounce Diplodocus. I've been pronouncing it wrong all these years.

Aahh I can't tell you folks anything! You're really up on your Diplodoci!

Dmitri, I think there isn't a specific right way to pronounce Diplodocus! I've always pronounced it 'dip-loo-doh-cus'.

Well, Dippy the Dinosaur says it's 'Dip-LOD-o-cus'. I'd been saying, 'dip-lo-DOC-us'.

I pronounced it the way you used to, Dmitri.

Two very minor quibbles:
1. If America didn't exist during dinosaur times, how could there have been American dinosaurs?
2. If the Neovenator is carnivorous, should the lady in the library allow him (or her) to grab that perambulator?

Okay, done kibbitzing.

Isn't a Kibbutz a communal collective in Israel? I'm not sure that the library is large enough to qualify, but if it was one, I'm sure it would be devoid of carnivorist prejudice.

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I remember a sign I saw once:

"Babies: the other white meat."

kib·itz
/&#712;kibits/
Learn to pronounce
verb INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
look on and offer unwelcome advice, especially at a card game.

It's from Yiddish and German. Fun fact: in German, a 'Kiebitz' is a bird (the northern lapwing).

I don't know what Robert Burns would have done with 'Thou green-crested kibitz, thy screaming forbear...'

My family members were notorious kibitzers at card games.

I think it's in our DNA.

Good to learn more about Diplodocus and Dippy and I'm glad to know I pronounce Diplodocus as Dippy says it

I found the Natural History Museum Dinosaur Quiz via the Twitter link - it is funny! http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-dinosaur-are-you.html I got Allosaurus as the carnivore, and Lesothosaurus as the herbivore.

Coincidentally, I found another Dinosaur Quiz a few days ago http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/quizzes/w...-you?collection=personality-quizzes I got Gigantoraptor in that

Love it! I turned out to be an Argentinosaurus. Which I had never heard of.

How did you get them to let you in, Dmitri? I got a screen that said no one outside the UK can access the site.

Hm. Was it the first link? I copied that one and pasted it into an incognito window. Try that.

Thanks for hleping, Dmitri. It *was* the first link.

I'm an Allosaurus, or I would be one if they weren't extinct. So I will compromise and be an Allornothingsaurus.