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

~jwf~, Sir,

"Hmmm... well upon reflection, 'unequivocally detestable' does seems a bit much, a tad heavy handed in the criticism department.

But the critical intent is clear enough and so I accept plagueville's comment in the spirit it was intended."

I'm not entirely sure that you have correctly interpreted my intention. There was no admonition implied, merely a suggestion that (y)our offerings are instantly available to all and remain for reference without any Chinese whispers to apply any spin or polish as (I fancy) often happened with the utterances of the famed wits of yester-year. What is hateful, or at least unfair, is self critical analysis set against what is probably not an unvarnished representation of the actual words uttered decades ago, and recorded by people who had an axe to grind. "D'you know, I was there when Oscar said ... "

Sorry for any offence.

*enjoying reading but nothing to conbtribute at present*

Googling around for information on the origins of the phrase, I happened upon an explanation that 'nibs' (along with 'nabs') was a 19th century variant of 'nob/knob', which was 18th century slang for 'head', which was used both for an actual head and a person in power.

I'm pretty sure that at least the latter part of that explanation came up while answering a question on this thread ages ago.
Has the 'his nibs' question been asked before?

Potholer, "I'm pretty sure that at least the latter part of that explanation came up while answering a question on this thread ages ago. Has the 'his nibs' question been asked before?" If you care to check out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F19585?thread=100569&post=907245#p907245 posts 659 to 662 you will find something relevant, also also something from a geezer called Potholer.

From that previous discussion noted by Potholer, Mustapha wrote:

>> The word 'nib' itself derives from 'neb' for a bird's beak or bill. Perhaps there's a connection there? Always has his beak/bill/neb in the air? <<

That "nose in the air" quality (also mentioned in the link I provided earlier: http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-nib1.htm ) is the classic representation of the snob. But we can't put cart before horse. The word snob came before the current meaning even if the current meaning grows from misconceptions about the origins of the word.

's.nob.' is the official designation printed after the name of an untitled and undistinguished commoner 'seen' associating with nobility. Like many print abbreviations it was probably 'vocalised' in jest at first, but subsequently became the much misunderstood, and now all too common word, applied unfairly and incorrectly to anyone displaying the least bit of taste or discretion in the company they choose to keep.

The society-page guest-lists always followed protocol, starting with the regal titles of kings, queens, princes and princesses who were designated as HRMs or HRHs. Then came the Lords and Ladies, Dukes and Earls, Viscounts, Marquises, Baronets, Knights and Squires. Below them came the distinguished Doctors, of Divinty, Laws, Medicine (and after 1871 in the UK) the 'other' Sciences. Finally the moneyed 'Gentlemen' and those without title or nobility, the 's.nobs.'

I am beginning to suspect that 'his nibs' is a mocking combination of the royal 'His' (as in HRH) and a play on 'nob' (neb) in an unkind reference to the beaklike nasal shapes of the Kings George and their descendants. The current notion of 'nose in the air' would come later thru misunderstanding of the 'beak' reference and a growing ignorance of Victorian Society page formatting.


~jwf~

>> [After Onan, son of Judah (Genesis 38:9)] <<

Also the brand name of a very good quality portable generator as found in higher priced motorhomes and quality yachts as well as most industrial-strength remote-location applications such as alpine base-camps and Arctic/Antarctic explorations.

I suppose the 'independence' afforded by such a source of power in isolated locations was somehow reminiscent of Judah's boy.


~jwf~

>> Sorry for any offence. <<

Well of course you are.

Or would be if any had been taken. Instead, I thank you for sending me on a mission to find the roots of 'odious'.

We now know it is a particularly strong word meaning 'unequivocably detestable' and not just a bad smell. Though I confess in my initial confusion I even considered it might have something to do with:

odeon

\O*de"on\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ?: cf.F. od['e]on. See Ode.] A kind of theater in ancient Greece, smaller than the dramatic theater and roofed over, in which poets and musicians submitted their works to the approval of the public, and contended for prizes; -- hence, in modern usage, the name of a hall for musical or dramatic performances.


~jwf~

Especially adopted by Oscar Deutsch for his chain of cinemas, who presumably also approved the suggestion that it was an acronym for Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation.

'\O*de"on\'

What sort of phonetic notation is that? One of those silly, dime-a-dozen English-based schemes?

>> What sort of phonetic notation is that? <<

It's what happened to text I cut from dicdotcom and pasted to h2g2. The codes are a bit different here. There used to be a real problem with commas and quotation marks pasted from any 'Word' program.

>> adopted by Oscar Deutsch <<

And was Oscar's name subsequently adopted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their annual awards?


~jwf~

http://www.mfiles.co.uk/film-oscars.htm

The Academy Awards idea originated in 1927-28 as a method for the film industry to recognise individual achievements within its ranks and at the same time do some self-promotion, the "Academy" being the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or AMPAS which originated the idea. ....
and the members of the Academy then vote to select a winner who receives a statuette known as an "Oscar" though the origin of the nickname is now uncertain.

Deutsch, Oscar (1893-1941)
It seems he was only a pedlar not a producer.

is a new word to me.

And (thanks to joel of n2g2) so is this:

http://www.crazydogaudiotheatre.com/news.php?item=16

Anybody seen it publicised round these parts?

So what does quadrenary mean? - (Haven't gone to link yet)

I assume it means "every four years".....?

As for odious :

Sorry I'm late with this, (no time on line recently) but I was reminded of the odd word "noisome" which actually does mean smelly, if I remember rightly. Probably to confuse the same people who thought "odious" meant smelly.

It was apparently being used to mean 'the successor to tertiary', effectively the same meaning as the geologist's long-used 'quaternary'.

The link is actually about BBC plans to produce new radio series based on the Hitch Hiker's last three books!

It uses the word quadrenary thusly:

"As the original two series were dubbed the PRIMARY and SECONDARY phases by Douglas Adams, these new series form the TERTIARY, QUADRENARY and QUINTESSENTIAL phases, and will at last finish the ‘trilogy in five parts’."

http://www.crazydogaudiotheatre.com/news.php?item=16

Great news.

~jwf~

~jwf~
Thankyou.
I had missed the pun in "Quintessential".

How about "having two pairs of kidneys"?

I was speaking with a Chinese lady (from actual China) today. Her English was very good. She had a new baby with her. I asked whether it was her first child. She replied "Yes, and it is my next kid."
I looked at her as I tried to work out how my question had misled her or what devious Chinese ancestral mystery I had encountered.
Sensing my obvious bemusement, she smiled with pleasure and explained:
"She is wearing some clothes from 'NEXT' (a clothes shop) so she is my NEXT kid."
Oh, how we laughed.
I didn't think to ask whether she was one of 's successes.

Oooh! I'm nbearly on topic! Wooo!

Just seen, on the Channel 4 site (UK Broadcaster), a reference to the 'Alien Quadrilogy'.

Quadrilogy? That's a new one on me. I was thinking Quadrology. But that don;t exist either. I seem to remember discussing this somewhat earlier, so, on a general concensus, what should be the correct term for something made up of 4 parts? (knowing modern marketing speak it should probably be a Trilogy+ )

How about Trilogy XP?

I'll get me coat.