Today I learned ...

[lsd]

hey, I've known games of both and I've never been able to tell the difference...


Steve Jackson UK

Spoiler:

Books
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (1982) with Ian Livingstone, Puffin Books
Sorcery! 1–4 (1983–85), Puffin Books
The Citadel of Chaos (1983), Puffin Books
Starship Traveller (1984), Puffin Books
House of Hell (1984), Puffin Books
Fighting Fantasy: The Introductory Role-playing Game (1984), Puffin Books
Appointment with F.E.A.R. (1985), Puffin Books
The Tasks of Tantalon (1985), Oxford University Press
Creature of Havoc (1986), Puffin Books
The Trolltooth Wars (1989), Puffin Books
Secrets of Salamonis (2022), Scholastic
Video games
Lost Eden (1995), Virgin Interactive
Close Combat: Invasion – Normandy (2000), Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (2001), Laughing Jackal
The Movies (Premiere Edition) (2005), Activision
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (2009), Big Blue Bubble
Sorcery! 1 – The Shamutanti Hills (2013), Inkle
Sorcery! 2 – Kharé – Cityport of Traps (2013), Inkle
Sorcery! 3 – The Seven Serpents (2015), Inkle
Sorcery! 4 – The Crown Of Kings (2016), Inkle
Other
BattleCards – a card game first published in 1993
Fantasy Interactive Scenarios by Telephone (F.I.S.T.)

Steve Jackson USA

Spoiler:

game
Car Wars, 1982, Steve Jackson Games
Illuminati, 1995, Steve Jackson Games
Munchkin, 2001-2004, Steve Jackson Games / Ubik
Undead (1981)
Killer: The Game of Assassination Steve Jackson Games 1981
RPG:
The Fantasy Trip (en), 1978, Metagames
GURPS, 1986, Steve Jackson Games
books
Scorpion Swamp (1984) ;
Demons of the Deep (1986) ;
Robot Commando (1986).

[Khemehekis]

TIL that the vice-president under Herbert Hoover, Charles Curtis, was of Kaw descent!


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Curtis

[Man in Space]

TIL that the phrase "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" is actually only the first part of a quote by Oscar Wilde: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness."

For what it's worth, I actually disagree with that second part. Everyone imitates. It doesn't make you mediocre. Just look at Shakespeare.

Truncated phrases like this are the bane of my existence. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear." is another one I learned recently.

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." The full version has almost the opposite of the shorter, which seems to often be the case.

The full version is not the original saying, oddly enough—it really is a modern invention.

[HolyHandGrenade!]

Today I went to the Wikipedia page for Navajo grammar and learned that the legends were true.

[Arayaz]

Today I went to the Wikipedia page for Navajo grammar and learned that the legends were true.

Of which legends do you speak?

[HolyHandGrenade!]

Of which legends do you speak?

I heard a lot on the Conlangery podcast about how complex and weird Navajo grammar is and specifically aspect.

[Visions1]

Are other Apachean langs just as bad?

[Visions1]

I've been listening to a lot of Arabic recordings the past while. I've discovered that /θ/ can morph into /ɬ/, particularly before nasals.
So, the word "female" - /ʔunθā/ - might be realized as [ʔunɬā].

[HolyHandGrenade!]

Are other Apachean langs just as bad?

Yeah, they all have like a billion aspect stems, over 30 object classifying stems, and verbs that take the role of adjectives.

Example from Wikipedia:
di’nisbąąs 'I'm in the act of driving some vehicle (into something) & getting stuck'

[KaiTheHomoSapien]

Today I learned that “Matamoros”, a Spanish surname and namesake of a Mexican border city, means “moor killer”. A morbid name and it fascinates me that a root referring to killing is part of a surname. I wonder if there are parallels in other languages.

[Khemehekis]

Today I learned that “Matamoros”, a Spanish surname and namesake of a Mexican border city, means “moor killer”. A morbid name and it fascinates me that a root referring to killing is part of a surname. I wonder if there are parallels in other languages.

How about American Indian surnames like Fourkiller, Fivekiller, Sixkiller, and Sevenkiller?

[KaiTheHomoSapien]

Today I learned that “Matamoros”, a Spanish surname and namesake of a Mexican border city, means “moor killer”. A morbid name and it fascinates me that a root referring to killing is part of a surname. I wonder if there are parallels in other languages.

How about American Indian surnames like Fourkiller, Fivekiller, Sixkiller, and Sevenkiller?

Interesting! I'd never heard those names before, but yes, that sounds exactly like the kind of parallel I was thinking of.