"She's a ten!"

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Khemehekis
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"She's a ten!"

Post by Khemehekis »

Recently I've been translating my rock musical The Bittersweet Generation. While getting through Act I, Scene 1, I encountered this bit of dialogue:
MEGHAN
Look at all those hot boys, Lindsay.

LINDSAY
Like Paul?

MEGHAN
Paul is not hot.

LINDSAY
Well, I could always go for a guy with a goatee.

MEGHAN
Paul, he’s got the skater boy thing going on. I like Alan better. A rock star!

LINDSAY
Yeah, Alan would be really hot. If Paul’s an 8, Alan is, like, a 10.
At first, I was puzzled at first as to how to translate the numbers 8 and 10 here. Then, I did a bit of conculturing and came up with an equivalent to the one-to-ten system:
The 3471 Saif Thallium Ana movie "Red and Blue" featured two girls, the heterosexual Soyi Francium Keta and the bisexual Aghlu Rhodium Serena, who rate the attractiveness of people they see while boy-watching or girl-watching on a red-to-blue scale. "Red" symbolizes "hot", while "blue" symbolizes "cold". This led to the creation of a Kankonian equivalent of rating people from 1 to 10. Gudum (red) is the equivalent of calling someone "a ten", while rahat (orange) is like an eight, hilis (yellow) is equivalent to six or five, kran (green) is equivalent to three, and wowum (blue) is equivalent to one. Rahatgudum (orange-red) may be used for "nine", hilisrahat (yellow-orange) for "seven", hiliskran (yellow-green) for "four", and kwatkwon (turquoise) for "two". Sometimes rahat-hilis (orange-yellow) is used for "six" and kranhilis (green-yellow) for "five" when communicating with people in whose languages a ten-point scale is used.
How, if at all, do your concultures measure physical attractiveness in a scalar way?
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elemtilas
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by elemtilas »

Khemehekis wrote: 28 Jan 2018 02:44 The 3471 Saif Thallium Ana movie "Red and Blue" featured two girls, the heterosexual Soyi Francium Keta and the bisexual Aghlu Rhodium Serena, who rate the attractiveness of people they see while boy-watching or girl-watching on a red-to-blue scale. "Red" symbolizes "hot", while "blue" symbolizes "cold". This led to the creation of a Kankonian equivalent of rating people from 1 to 10. Gudum (red) is the equivalent of calling someone "a ten", while rahat (orange) is like an eight, hilis (yellow) is equivalent to six or five, kran (green) is equivalent to three, and wowum (blue) is equivalent to one. Rahatgudum (orange-red) may be used for "nine", hilisrahat (yellow-orange) for "seven", hiliskran (yellow-green) for "four", and kwatkwon (turquoise) for "two". Sometimes rahat-hilis (orange-yellow) is used for "six" and kranhilis (green-yellow) for "five" when communicating with people in whose languages a ten-point scale is used.

How, if at all, do your concultures measure physical attractiveness in a scalar way?
Oo, now that's really nifty what you've done there! It's something I haven't thought about at all!

I wonder where the numeric scale (not just re sexual hottitude) originated. I know there are a lot of ((pseudo)psych) quizzes and so forth that seek visual-numeric answers; also a lot of corporate feedback tools use the same technique. Might there be a relationship (one derived from the other directly or indirectly)?

Off the top of my head, I can say that Daine don't think that way, and would not use a simple 1-10 numeric scale. There are not enough deictic axes to really express anything useful. Now, I think they really would appreciate the colour-scheme method. (Well, girls would, because, that's how girls are. All colour oriented.) I could see girls using something like a layered and equidistant colour palate scheme to talk about boys' various attributes. I'd have to think about this and consider what the actual nature of the scheme would be.

Boys, I'm very certain, measure and speak of physical (and other kinds) of attractiveness more in terms of turns of phrase: comparative metaphor, analogy, comparison with known cultural standards (such as well known female heroes or the like); comparison with phenomena in the world around them.
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gestaltist
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by gestaltist »

I love this idea, Khemehekis.

The 1-10 scale of attractiveness feels like a very English thing to me. In Polish, I think people would be very confused if you tried rating people in that way without explaining yourself first. As a scalar way of attractiveness is not something my natlang does, I don't feel the need to recreate it for my conlangs. Especially that they are usually spoken in low-tech societies.
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Reyzadren
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by Reyzadren »

If Paul is 8 points, then Alan is like 10 points.

^That would also be usable/acceptable/understood in griuskant conculture, though most of the time, regular comparatives are just fine.
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Khemehekis
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by Khemehekis »

Oo, now that's really nifty what you've done there! It's something I haven't thought about at all!
Thanks. I thought it was an elegant solution that offered an equivalent without simply relexing English.
I wonder where the numeric scale (not just re sexual hottitude) originated. I know there are a lot of ((pseudo)psych) quizzes and so forth that seek visual-numeric answers; also a lot of corporate feedback tools use the same technique. Might there be a relationship (one derived from the other directly or indirectly)?
I always thought the "On a scale of one to ten, how would you quantify your depression?" came first, and then the sexual "hottitude" scale derived from it.
Off the top of my head, I can say that Daine don't think that way, and would not use a simple 1-10 numeric scale. There are not enough deictic axes to really express anything useful. Now, I think they really would appreciate the colour-scheme method. (Well, girls would, because, that's how girls are. All colour oriented.) I could see girls using something like a layered and equidistant colour palate scheme to talk about boys' various attributes.
Oh, yes, those Daine girls are tetrochromats and can see very well in color. I learned about it at The Multiverse Inn.
Boys, I'm very certain, measure and speak of physical (and other kinds) of attractiveness more in terms of turns of phrase: comparative metaphor, analogy, comparison with known cultural standards (such as well known female heroes or the like); comparison with phenomena in the world around them.
"She's like a thunderstorm!" "She's like Aphrodite!"
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Squirrels chase koi . . . chase squirrels

My Kankonian-English dictionary: 86,336 words and counting

31,416: The number of the conlanging beast!
Khemehekis
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by Khemehekis »

gestaltist wrote: 28 Jan 2018 10:12 I love this idea, Khemehekis.
Glad the other people like it! Same comment as I said to Elemtilas.
The 1-10 scale of attractiveness feels like a very English thing to me. In Polish, I think people would be very confused if you tried rating people in that way without explaining yourself first. As a scalar way of attractiveness is not something my natlang does, I don't feel the need to recreate it for my conlangs. Especially that they are usually spoken in low-tech societies.
I imagine it wasn't until the twentieth century when (misogynistic) people started saying, "Look at her, she's a two. What an ugly dog!" So you're right that ancient and medieval peoples probably wouldn't have such a system.
Last edited by Khemehekis on 03 Feb 2018 07:06, edited 1 time in total.
♂♥♂♀

Squirrels chase koi . . . chase squirrels

My Kankonian-English dictionary: 86,336 words and counting

31,416: The number of the conlanging beast!
Khemehekis
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by Khemehekis »

Reyzadren wrote: 28 Jan 2018 10:43 If Paul is 8 points, then Alan is like 10 points.

^That would also be usable/acceptable/understood in griuskant conculture, though most of the time, regular comparatives are just fine.
Comparatives? Like "Paul is less hot than Alan but hotter than Blehm"?
♂♥♂♀

Squirrels chase koi . . . chase squirrels

My Kankonian-English dictionary: 86,336 words and counting

31,416: The number of the conlanging beast!
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elemtilas
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by elemtilas »

Khemehekis wrote: 03 Feb 2018 01:06
Off the top of my head, I can say that Daine don't think that way, and would not use a simple 1-10 numeric scale. There are not enough deictic axes to really express anything useful. Now, I think they really would appreciate the colour-scheme method. (Well, girls would, because, that's how girls are. All colour oriented.) I could see girls using something like a layered and equidistant colour palate scheme to talk about boys' various attributes.
Oh, yes, those Daine girls are tetrochromats and can see very well in color. I learned about it at The Multiverse Inn.
Exactly so! Do you mind if I borrow the concept?
Boys, I'm very certain, measure and speak of physical (and other kinds) of attractiveness more in terms of turns of phrase: comparative metaphor, analogy, comparison with known cultural standards (such as well known female heroes or the like); comparison with phenomena in the world around them.
"She's like a thunderstorm!" "She's like Aphrodite!"
Right.

Beautiful & terrible!, she and the raging gale!
.....bolts from under high, sable clouds flash her eyes;
.....rushing storms of wind & thunder on her wings;
.....Sun blazing from behind deep mists glows her aura!
Awed me stares helplessly at their majestic loveliness,
.....and yet I must even yield before her dynamic power
.....lest she dash me aside
.....a windstrewn leaf under the high Sun
.....of the Storm's passing!
Khemehekis
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by Khemehekis »

elemtilas wrote: 03 Feb 2018 04:38
Khemehekis wrote: 03 Feb 2018 01:06
Off the top of my head, I can say that Daine don't think that way, and would not use a simple 1-10 numeric scale. There are not enough deictic axes to really express anything useful. Now, I think they really would appreciate the colour-scheme method. (Well, girls would, because, that's how girls are. All colour oriented.) I could see girls using something like a layered and equidistant colour palate scheme to talk about boys' various attributes.
Oh, yes, those Daine girls are tetrochromats and can see very well in color. I learned about it at The Multiverse Inn.
Exactly so! Do you mind if I borrow the concept?
I don't mind!
Right.

Beautiful & terrible!, she and the raging gale!
.....bolts from under high, sable clouds flash her eyes;
.....rushing storms of wind & thunder on her wings;
.....Sun blazing from behind deep mists glows her aura!
Awed me stares helplessly at their majestic loveliness,
.....and yet I must even yield before her dynamic power
.....lest she dash me aside
.....a windstrewn leaf under the high Sun
.....of the Storm's passing!
You write that yourself? For a gender that has trouble seeing many colors, Daine boys sure have a poetic way with words.
♂♥♂♀

Squirrels chase koi . . . chase squirrels

My Kankonian-English dictionary: 86,336 words and counting

31,416: The number of the conlanging beast!
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elemtilas
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by elemtilas »

Khemehekis wrote: 03 Feb 2018 04:58
elemtilas wrote: 03 Feb 2018 04:38 Do you mind if I borrow the concept?
I don't mind!
Thanks!
Beautiful & terrible!, she and the raging gale!
.....bolts from under high, sable clouds flash her eyes;
.....rushing storms of wind & thunder on her wings;
.....Sun blazing from behind deep mists glows her aura!
Awed me stares helplessly at their majestic loveliness,
.....and yet I must even yield before her dynamic power
.....lest she dash me aside
.....a windstrewn leaf under the high Sun
.....of the Storm's passing!
You write that yourself? For a gender that has trouble seeing many colors, Daine boys sure have a poetic way with words.
Yep! Just now as a matter of fact. Sometimes a mood carries me that way. And ya, I'd say most boys have such a way with words.
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Reyzadren
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by Reyzadren »

Khemehekis wrote: 03 Feb 2018 01:12
Reyzadren wrote: 28 Jan 2018 10:43 If Paul is 8 points, then Alan is like 10 points.

^That would also be usable/acceptable/understood in griuskant conculture, though most of the time, regular comparatives are just fine.
Comparatives? Like "Paul is less hot than Alan but hotter than Blehm"?
Yes, or other sentences like that. Easy.
Image conlang summary | Image griushkoent thread
Khemehekis
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by Khemehekis »

elemtilas wrote: 03 Feb 2018 05:55 Thanks!
You're welcome!
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Squirrels chase koi . . . chase squirrels

My Kankonian-English dictionary: 86,336 words and counting

31,416: The number of the conlanging beast!
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Foolster41
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Re: "She's a ten!"

Post by Foolster41 »

Salthans would measure in a scale from 1-25, with 25 being "perfect". so I guess around 12-13 would be "average".

Though maybe calling someone a 25 might be considered sacraligious to some, though it'd maybe be taken as simple exaggeration. (Though then again, as someone pointed out, since my world is medivil it's not likely they would rate people this way).

they might instead of numbers, describe based on attributes of the divines. "Hearty like Kakela, strong arms like Rela, slim and athletic like Lyekei, well endowed hips like Gikar" etc.
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