Questions tagged [language-explanation]
A tag for questions asking "what did the author mean by this word/sentence"?
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In 1984, is the political ideology Death Worship (Obliteration of Self) related to eastern religions/philosophies?
At some point In 1984 by George Orwell, O'Brien gives a copy of Emmanuel Goldstein's book to the protagonist Winston. In the book the official political ideology of the Eastasian Government is called ...
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1
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What does "Tas" mean?
Page 20 of A Deepness in the Sky:
"Tas been done often enough afore, dontcha know? Get ‘em when they
don’t know technology—or haven’t yet rebuilt it,” said Brughel.
What does "Tas" ...
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1
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Are the English subtitles for The Thing (2011) wrong?
I understand both Norwegian and Danish. The English subtitles for many of the the Norwegian and Danish lines in this movie seem quite off.
For example, "Sitt stille" is subtitled as "Turn on the ...
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What is a "plank" in Snow Crash?
In Snow Crash, there is a line:
First MetaCop leans her plank against the wall, ...
What is a plank?
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Why is R2-D2 considered a droid?
Oxford dictionaries defines "android" as:
a robot with a human appearance.
I assume droid is a shortened version of android. This makes sense for C-3PO, who is obviously humanoid in appearance, ...
user57282
2
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2
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Can someone explain this phrase about gambling stones?
All the same, he’d have gambled twelve Sorcerer’s Stones that
Snape had just left the room, and from what Harry had just heard,
Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step — Quirrell
...
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3
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What is this Norwegian shouting?
In this clip from the film The Thing (2011), Sander Halvorsen's speech is interrupted by a bearded guy (Lars?) who stands up and shouts something in Norwegian. I gather he says something to the effect ...
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What does Dax's idiom about feet mean?
In the Deep Space Nine episode Dramatis Personae there is a scene with Kira and Dax where the follow exchange takes place:
KIRA: How are you, Lieutenant?
DAX: You know what they say, put the ...
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5
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2
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What did Darren Cross mean with "Word travels fast"
In the recent Ant-man movie,
How did Darren know this and were the viewers supposed to "get it"? Is there a leak?
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4
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What did the probe and the whales say to each other?
In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the survival of Earth depends on a mysterious probe having a conversation with humpback whales.
McCOY: Well, dammit? You think this is its way of saying 'Hi there' ...
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Did Louis Tully's speech mean anything?
In the first Ghostbusters movie, after Louis Tully is possessed by Vinz Clortho (the dog-creature), arrested, and handed over to the Ghostbusters, he says:
"Gozer the Traveller, he will come in one ...
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Do Terminators feel pain?
In Terminator 2: Judgement Day, the following exchange takes place:
John Connor: Does it hurt when you get shot?
T-800: I sense injuries. The data could be called "pain."
This isn't much ...
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3
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Why would Shelob own Sauron?
In Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, in the chapter Shelob’s Lair, there is a rather lengthy description of Shelob, the last remaining child of Ungoliant in Middle-Earth. In this, there is also a ...
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What does Galadriel mean by "All shall love me and despair"?
In Fellowship of the Ring, when Frodo offers Galadriel the Ring, she loses control of herself and exclaims:
And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you ...
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2
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The "imperialism of consciousness" in God Emperor of Dune
In the SciFi book The God Emperor of Dune, near the end of the book Leto tells Moneo he knows what he fears.
“Lord, if I lie … then I do not know it.”
“That has the ring of truth. But I know ...
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