Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2008 September 18

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September 18

What are the origins of these visual shorthands?

Look at the bottom panel of [1]. Several pieces of visual shorthand are used - for example, the bubbles represent that the character is poisoned, while the crossed eyes show that the various guards are dead. But these certainly do not look like obvious symbols to use.

What is the origin of these agreed on representations? How universal are they? How come everyone knows them?--Fangz (talk) 00:04, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Clicking that link gives me a 403 Forbidden. Algebraist 00:08, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

This link works for me. Algebraist 00:10, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Ah, gotta love Order of the Stick. The crossed eyes I have no idea about but believe they probably originated in old cartoons or comics. As for the bubbles, they've been seen in RPGs for a few years now and are pretty much a staple, along with green glowing. Avnas Ishtaroth _{drop me a line} 01:11, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

The article on The Lexicon of Comicana might be interesting. As to the origins of the symbols, I think it's pretty clear that in each case some cartoonist invented the thing and others decided it was a good idea and copied it. --Anonymous, 03:50 UTC, September 18, 2008.

When I see bubbles, I think of them being drunk, not poisoned. --70.167.58.6 (talk) 21:57, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Well, y'know, alcohol is a poison. To me the bubbles mean she's woozy, whether from poison, concussion or some other cause. —Tamfang (talk) 07:20, 21 September 2008 (UTC)

(Soccer?) football quote

I remember a football quote from somewhere, something like "Good strikeforces win games, but good defences win titles". Anyone know the exact quote and who said it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.186.13.1 (talk) 07:27, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

I've added a section title. Since you used the spelling "defences" and the term "striker" is used in soccer, I'm guessing that by "football" you meant soccer rather than American football. See football (word). --Anonymous, 09:12 UTC, September 12, 2008.

I'll note that football also has "offenses win games, defenses win championships", so it's likely a shared sentiment. — Lomn 15:43, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

comparing quotes

At the beginning of The Fog, Mr. Machen is telling a ghost story to some children, including Andy Wayne. Towards the end of the film, Stevie Wayne is describing the horrific night. In The Fog (2005 film), does Mr. Machen tell a different story? And how does Stevie Wayne describe the horrific night before? Are the quotes different? Can they be compared?72.229.139.13 (talk) 08:14, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Song in a bunch of commercials

There is a song that is used in a bunch of commercials lately, which has no lyrics, just music. In Canada, at least, it was used in advertisements for the Sarah Silverman Show, and lately it is also being used in the Nestea commercial where the guy is walking around and water shoots up everywhere he steps. I have also heard it in some other American commercial but I can't remember which one at the moment. I want to say it sounds like "Jewish music", whatever that might mean (possibly because I am associating it with Sarah Silverman?). Is that enough to work with? Does anyone know what that song is? Adam Bishop (talk) 13:05, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

I don't know the ads in question, but you might want to check adtunes.com or whatsthatcalled.com --LarryMac | Talk 13:12, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

I checked those already. Adam Bishop (talk) 13:19, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

This is a very much random guess but Sigur Ros and Hoppipola was - for a period - used in a million and one adverts/tv trailers/documentary trailers in the Uk. It's not (as an actual song) entirely instrumental but the instrumental part was used in the adverts. I guess it could sound jewish-esque, though they're Icelandic if I remember correctly. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:59, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it would be them...I'm not great at identifying instruments but it sounds like there is a clarinet playing the melody, and a tuba in the background, if that helps. Adam Bishop (talk) 01:09, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

If this is the Nestea ad you mean, I don't know what the song is, but maybe it will help someone else identify it. (Youtube link to Nestea: Fountain ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylNb-oUVvlQ) Crypticfirefly (talk) 01:58, 20 September 2008 (UTC)

cars used in "the saint" films

Hi, Could any one please help me. I'm trying to find out what make and model of car George Sanders drove in the Saint films he starred in. All I can find listed is from the Volvo P1800 that Roger Moore used and onwards from there. Many Thanks Popebenny (talk) 14:08, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

It should be one of these: [2] Fribbler (talk) 14:22, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Flying boat movie

Can anybody please remind me of the name of a black & white film in which there is a flying boat which contains a corridor and several side cabins - as in an old railway carriage. It might have had two decks and I think it had a common area like a drawing room. It might also have had an exterior walkway. Kittybrewster ☎ 14:33, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Such flying boats did exist: in fact were quite common at one time (though I don't think there was an exterior walk way in any real ones - the air is pretty cold at high altitude). See flying boat and Short Empire as an example. There might well have been many movies featuring them. DJ Clayworth (talk) 16:01, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

One is reminded of W. C. Fields's Never Give a Sucker an Even Break, in which the plane has sleeping berths like a train and an open-air observation deck, from which Fields's bottle of hooch falls. No exterior walkway, though. Deor (talk) 20:56, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

One of the IMDb comments for Non-Stop New York (1937) mentions a "double-decker airplane with an outside deck(!)". Another states that it is a flying boat. Clarityfiend (talk) 02:35, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

That is the one. Many thanks. Kittybrewster ☎ 14:59, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

Kidds TV Show

As a kid I used to watch a show, the basic premis was that a few people floated around in a hot air baloon type contraption. they often used the suffix -undo as in, is the sky blue? Corectomundo. they were not people but rather michelin tyre guy looking pink things. it was a cartoon, animated, but had a continuous storyline. any quesses?

Thn there was one more, about a boy in maybe Holland that travelled around with a St. Bernard dog that he had rescued from animal cruelty, the dog pulled a wagon of sorts. At one point the boy was mute, but it turned out that this was phsycosymatic, and he subsequintly regained his speach. He was blond. I watched both of these around the same time in South Africa. I think this one was dubbed from its native language into either english or Afrikaans. Any ideas? Thanks People. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 15:53, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

This calls for a link to dog cart and its featured image. I've always associated those with Belgium though. See also A Dog of Flanders story. Rmhermen (talk) 23:54, 18 September 2008 (UTC)