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

Hi Tavaron,

hope you're well and not too overworked.

I've finished subbing the Serviette Entry A87756321 - If you could just check you're happy with it?

One tiny query, you briefly mention using paper tissues, do you mean things like Kleenex, or actual tissue paper?

Also, if you did have time to take another photo for the opening paragraph, that would be cool, as I'd like to see this Approved!

ps Pastey has confirmed that the image uploader is still not working, so we have to ask him to manually add any images for the time being.

Hi Lanza

I'm ok, just busy at work again.

What I meant there was something like Kleenex.

I'll take the photo today because finally the sun is out again and there should be enough light. I also think I now know which background to use.

Oh dear, I thought he had managed to fix it. Thanks for telling me.

Cheers! no problem. I hope the sun keeps shining!

I thought you meant the kleenex type, I was just double checking

I'm also starting to write a new Entry.

Excellent I have two or three in the early stages, I must find some time to get them finished.

I have quite a lot in early stages but they need more work and real thought so I started another easy one.

Hi Tav

"How to Speak Gamer" is ready to be returned to the editors, if you want to give it a double-check for me please? A87756330

1st paragraph there is a doble from:
'...without drawing too many resources from away from playing towards typing.'

in the 1337spk part 2nd paragraph:
'...which shows that letters too are also often used to represent their 'sound'...'
isn't having 'too' in additio to 'also' too much? Maybe I'm wrong.

the 'Types of games' section:
'There are many varieties of online and offline game, and they may all have specific terms which are used for that game. '

This is unfortunately absolutely not what I wanted to say. What I wanted to say is that every type of game has it's own name, the games as such, not things within the game.


I'll go on with this after my lunchbreak

Describing game mechanics, 1st paragraph:
'Although every game tries to simulate either reality or at least a more or less familiar fantasy world, these terms do this by means of simplifying things. All the things that explain to a player what is going on around them have special names. '

This is not what I wanted to say. Not the terms simplify anything but the game is a simplfied version of reality or a fantasy world if you look at its mechanics.

and here's the one I mentioned earlier in 'Describing yourself and others':
'gamemaster (GM): an employer of the company which provides the game, who helps players with solving problems'
it should be 'employee' of course

same section:
'main (character): the 'main' character of a player usually has the highest level (preferably the maximum level of a game), the best equipment and is the most skilled in playing '
my original sentence was:
'...and the palyer is most skilled in playing it'
because the character is played by the player, the character itself can't play, it's a puppet; the player has to be skilled at playing the character

in the 'in a conversation' part there is a < BR/ > missing:
Player1: healer was pretty bad too, reached the end but then the boss spawned some adds.. Player1: ganking some noobs now

same section:
'...people got then attacked and probably lost lives'
I know why you didn't like my original 'died' but 'lost lives' sounds like Super Mario or something where one character has several lives before the game is over, if a character in an MMO looses all health and 'dies' this rather means they are resurrected in some probably quite distant place and have a long journey back to where their friends are, nobody looses one of several lives, it just sounds wrong


That's all, thanks

Hi Tav

It took me a while to find a bit of peace and quiet to come back to finish this.

Thanks for such a careful read through, that was really helpful. It's hard to spot the errors that crept in. Thanks also for clarifying what you meant, as you know I am not familiar with any type of game at all.


I hope I have fixed things to your approval.


I am still not sure about this sentence though, so I put your original back in:

[Games that are played online - or offline - come in different varieties which all have their own names of course.]

Sorry if I am confused here, do you simply mean:

[There are a lot of different makes of games available, both online and offline varieties.]

In English a 'make of' means a branded name eg a 'make of television' or a 'make of coffee'. So you'd say a 'make of game' too, but I am not certain that is what you are meaning here.

Reading that section again, I am wondering whether the terms in that section are used to describe particular types of games?

So, the introduction to the list might be written like this?

[The following terms describe particular types of games.]

Yes, different game types is what I mean.

Thanks Tav

I'm returning it now, if you spot anything else, just give me a shout and I'll amend it for you.

Sorry, but this is still wrong:

'main (character): the 'main' character of a player usually has the highest level (preferably the maximum level of a game), the best equipment and is the most skilled in playing it'

it still sounds like the character is playing itself

make it: 'and the player is most skilled in playing this charakter'

will do!

hello my dear

First, let me say how much I have enjoyed subbing this Entry, and also just how much I have learned about your lovely country. Rosie is always telling me what a pleasant place it is. Your entry really makes this very clear.


I hope you find the odd bits and pieces of tidying up a few sentences to your satisfaction.

The only two things I need your help with ( the rest of the Entry was very clear to understand) are the following:

>>>This may be just a small snack such as bread with ham and cheese or [lard]footnote?

In the UK 'lard' is white and tasteless and only used for cooking pastry, but we do have something called 'dripping', which is traditionally spread on bread. It is the nice fat that comes from a large piece of roasted meat. I say 'nice' because it has some flavour from the meat, but it is probably a little bit bad for your health. If you give me the Austrian word for your type of lard, I can use it and add an explanation/translation.


>>>[You give the tip to the waiter immediately when paying your bill. When the waiter tells you the amount of money you are supposed to pay name them a higher sum that includes the tip if you don't have the exact sum you want to pay in your purse.]<<<

Do you mean, tell the waiter to take a tip out of your cash payment, the amount of which you specify, and to bring back any remaining change?

I see that this differs from other countries, where the waiter brings back your change, and you then leave a tip behind on the table.


Apart from these two sentences, and anything else you may spot, the Entry is ready to be returned.

I shall look forward to the whole of this series, it is in the true spirit of the Guide to write about actual places. Brilliant!

Ooops - I knew there was something else important! The actual link to the subbed version. A87793915

hi Lanza, thanks a lot for subbing.

The lard/dripping question already came up in the PR thread. You can get both here, lard and dripping and they are both two different things. the 'lard' we have here is called Schmalz. It is made by putting pork with lots of fat into a pot and boiling it until all that is left is Schmalz and Grammeln. Grammeln are the crumbly bits that are left from the little meat that is on the fat. Both Schmalz and Grammeln are eaten on bread, sometimes together, sometimes not. The Schmalz is usually salted and you can also eat it with slices of raw onions.


The thing with the waiter...

You are in a restaurant and done with eating and tell the waiter you want the bill. The waiter leaves for a few minutes and comes back with the bill and a large purse. The waiter names you the sum of what you have to pay, for instance 13.70 Euros. You pick the next sum that makes sense and answer his number by saying '15' and hand him a 20 Euro note. The waiter takes it, thanks you and gives a fiver back to you.

Does that make sense?

a few comments on your subbing:

1) 'About half of Austria is covered in forests which are getting bigger every year because more new trees are grown each year than are cut down or die naturally.'
To me 'are grown' makes it sound like the forests are intended to get bigger. That's not exactly true I think. It just happens because the wood is not used and nobody minds, people find forests getting bigger is a good thing. It is also true that new trees are planeted where old ones are chopped down. But I don't think they grow bigger intentionally.

2) 'During WWII Austria became part of Germany.'
That's not quite true. Austria already was part of Germany before the war.

3)'You can buy the Vignette for at places such as gas stations, roadhouses or tobacconists. '
I think the 'for' should be deleted?

4) 'Oher shops open later and often close at 6 pm.'
Typo.

Thanks

I'll sort this out when I get back from the chemists.