All Questions
Tagged with discworld terry-pratchett
40
questions
3
votes
1
answer
181
views
Quote in which Rincewind talks about exams
In one of the Discworld books, there is a conversation in which Rincewind tries to justify his qualification as a wizard. He starts to say something like "I've passed dozens of exams" but ...
- 10.9k
15
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Quote from Discworld about Ankh-Morpork tolerance and greed
In one of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, he writes something along these lines:
The residents of Ankh-Morpork are willing to welcome everyone. No matter what sex, what species, and what race: ...
- 3,189
18
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Faith cannot move mountains but can create someone who can (Discworld)
In one of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett he wrote something along the lines of:
Faith cannot move mountains but can create someone who can
I think it is from "Reaper Man" but I ...
- 3,189
50
votes
1
answer
7k
views
What does Pratchett's "poets notwithstanding" joke mean?
In Terry Pratchett's Equal Rites, he writes the following passage:
Esk, in fact, moved through the fair more like an arsonist moves through a hayfield or a neutron bounces through a reactor, poets ...
- 949
12
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Terry Pratchett book with a lawyer dragon and sheep
I was talking to someone today who mentioned starting a Terry Pratchett book a few years before.
They said that it was about a dragon who was a lawyer and involved sheep. They think that it is ...
- 11.4k
11
votes
2
answers
802
views
What was the inspiration for the 'draco vulgaris'?
Is the draco vulgaris (first described in Guards! Guards! (1989) inspired by the pseudodragons found in Dungeons and Dragons?
I recently learned about them and find many similarities:
small winged ...
- 223
35
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What does this quote in Small Gods refer to?
In Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett, the following quote appears:
It was something he shared with tortoises. Watch any tortoise walking,
and periodically it will stop while it files away the ...
- 353
12
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Why doesn't anyone remember the Eight Great Spells?
In Interesting Times, Arch-Chancellor Ridcully says that Rincewind is not technically a wizard because he failed at the University and has never performed any "great services to magic". Rincewind ...
- 6,112
63
votes
4
answers
14k
views
What's the pyramid joke?
In The Light Fantastic, after talking about the dimensions of the Pyramid of Tsort, it says
All in all, it was a lot of effort to go through just to sharpen a razor.
What's the joke here?
- 6,112
22
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Why does Moist von Lipwig pull this trick against Reacher Gilt?
At the end of Going Postal, Moist von Lipwig makes a bet that his post office can deliver a message to a town thousands of miles away before the Grand Trunk company can. Immediately before the race ...
- 394
9
votes
1
answer
859
views
Why did this happen to Maurice from Pratchett's novel?
In the Pratchett's book The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, there is a moment when
the intelligent cat Maurice
After that, Maurice wakes up and
How is that possible? I think it is not ...
- 4,836
18
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Why did Pratchett name Maurice Maurice?
In the Czech translation of Pratchett's book The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (which I read) the name of the cat is Mauric.
Also, there is a word from the translator at the beginning of ...
- 4,836
9
votes
1
answer
654
views
Is Vorbis a God?
This question relates to Vorbis in the 13th Discworld novel, Small Gods. Reading beyond this point will spoil the ending.
- 771
11
votes
1
answer
844
views
What laws are Unseen University Wizards bound by?
In Ankh-Morpork, the Wizards' guild claims to operate outside the mundane laws of man, but how true is this?
For example, in Reaper Man, we learn that while the university doesn't pay taxes, they do ...
- 1,477
54
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Pratchett Quote about Research and Development
I'm looking for a quote by Terry Pratchett. I'm pretty sure that the patrician was speaking about Leonard of Quirm and giving funds to Research and Development.
It was something along the lines of:
...
- 817