Book:The Wee Free Men/Annotations - Revision history

Ajay: /* Discussing the reference:- */

2023-06-19T12:16:43Z

Discussing the reference:-

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:16, 19 June 2023
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	In the first book of short stories, ''The General Danced At Dawn'', it may interest students of Feegledom to note that a 128-some reel was actually danced, (in Libya in 1946), at the end of an otherwise disastrous General's inspection. This 'record' stood until 24th April 1988, when inspired by Fraser's story and according to the 1989 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, "The most complex Scottish country dance ever held was a 256-some reel, choreographed by Ian Price, which took place ... in Vancouver, Canada." As far as is known, this remains the most intricate single-set Scottish reel danced anywhere by anybody, although larger groups have since taken the field (no 'floor' being big enough) in Toronto (512) and Aberdeenshire (1254) as aggregations of smaller sets.		In the first book of short stories, ''The General Danced At Dawn'', it may interest students of Feegledom to note that a 128-some reel was actually danced, (in Libya in 1946), at the end of an otherwise disastrous General's inspection. This 'record' stood until 24th April 1988, when inspired by Fraser's story and according to the 1989 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, "The most complex Scottish country dance ever held was a 256-some reel, choreographed by Ian Price, which took place ... in Vancouver, Canada." As far as is known, this remains the most intricate single-set Scottish reel danced anywhere by anybody, although larger groups have since taken the field (no 'floor' being big enough) in Toronto (512) and Aberdeenshire (1254) as aggregations of smaller sets.

	The Scottish general gets progressively drunker over dinner, and prevails on the wee pipe-sergeant (the Regiment's principal piper and to all intents and purposes, its Gonnagal and guardian of its tradition) to expand the dancing. From the conventional foursome and eightsome reels, to the rarely danced ~~and far longer~~ sixteensome.		The Scottish general gets progressively drunker over dinner, and prevails on the wee pipe-sergeant (the Regiment's principal piper and to all intents and purposes, its Gonnagal and guardian of its tradition) to expand the dancing. From the conventional foursome and eightsome reels, to the rarely danced sixteensome.

	~~To correct~~ Breebaart and Kew ~~who~~ say: ''512 is eight cubed, so presumably it's more complicated, but basically the same''.		Breebaart and Kew say: ''512 is eight cubed, so presumably it's more complicated, but basically the same''. This is correct.

	~~Not quite~~, ~~gentlemen:~~ the ~~thing about Scottish dancing is that~~ the ~~length~~ of the ~~dance increases almost exponentially as you proceed upwards through powers of two~~. ~~A twosome is simple;~~ a ~~foursome takes~~ longer as each ~~dancer has~~ to ~~interact~~ with ~~three others before it can end. In an eightsome~~, each ~~dancer has to physically dance a measure~~ with ~~each of ''seven'' other dancers~~. In a ~~sixteensome~~, ~~that's fifteen other people~~, and it ~~takes proportionately~~ longer~~. Now imagine...~~.		Possibly for comic purposes, each dance in "The General Danced at Dawn" is described as taking much longer than the previous one. This isn't actually the case with real-world dances. In an eightsome reel each lady dances in turn with the four men in her set (a group of four couples) and then each man dances in turn with the four ladies. You might think that a sixteensome would be much longer, because there are twice as many ladies, and twice as many men for each one to dance with - but in a sixteensome the ladies dance two at a time, and each lady only dances with half the men. In a thirtytwosome they dance four at a time, and so on. So, in fact, while a thirtytwosome takes up a lot more space, and is unquestionably more complicated, than an eightsome, it shouldn't take any longer to complete.

	The General then calls for a thirty-twosome reel. Then he gets delusions of grandeur and calls for a sixty-foursome: one of the ~~longest and~~ most complex Scottish reels ever performed anywhere.		In reality, you'd need a fair amount of time to explain what was going on first, even with experienced dancers...

			The General then calls for a thirty-twosome reel. Then he gets delusions of grandeur and calls for a sixty-foursome: one of the most complex Scottish reels ever performed anywhere.

	By now, it's one in the morning, the Military Police are out, curious Arabs are wondering what the noise is (it's a full Highland pipe band), the English regiment who share the barracks are awake, and German prisoners of war housed nearby are considering a protest under the Geneva Convention. (In fact, in a Vimes/Night Watch sort of way, the Military Police are unsure as to whether or not they have the authority to arrest a General, even a Scottish one, for drunken disorderly behaviour and related offences...)		By now, it's one in the morning, the Military Police are out, curious Arabs are wondering what the noise is (it's a full Highland pipe band), the English regiment who share the barracks are awake, and German prisoners of war housed nearby are considering a protest under the Geneva Convention. (In fact, in a Vimes/Night Watch sort of way, the Military Police are unsure as to whether or not they have the authority to arrest a General, even a Scottish one, for drunken disorderly behaviour and related offences...)
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	"I say, pipey, is there any reason why we couldn't..."		"I say, pipey, is there any reason why we couldn't..."

	And a one hundred and twenty-eightsome happens, ~~which takes one hour and twenty eight minutes to dance to a conclusion~~... by Highlanders, whooping Arabs, Northumberland Fusiliers, and German prisoners of war roped in to make up the numbers.		And a one hundred and twenty-eightsome happens, or possibly happens, the narrator is by this point unclear... danced by Highlanders, whooping Arabs, Northumberland Fusiliers, and German prisoners of war roped in to make up the numbers.

	The 512-some reel is the next logical step up, ~~would take between six and seven hours to dance to a finish,~~ and only Feegles would be daft enough to dance it.		The 512-some reel is the next logical step up, and only Feegles would be daft enough to dance it - being very small would also help finding a space big enough to fit a circle of 512 dancers, but you'd still be sprinting two hundred yards to meet your partner.

	It could also be noted that the most Feegle-like of the Highlanders, the habitually filthy, illiterate, shambling wreck who is Private McAuslan, (nicknamed "Private Piltdown" by the defending officer at his court-martial) is reduced to an embarrassed red-faced mumbling Rob Anybody (in the presence of Tiffany) by a beautiful girl with whom he disastrously falls in love... this is MacAuslan, a man who, when short of money, raided the platoon armoury, and then was caught by the Military Police trying to sell the Arabs a three-inch mortar and shells.		It could also be noted that the most Feegle-like of the Highlanders, the habitually filthy, illiterate, shambling wreck who is Private McAuslan, (nicknamed "Private Piltdown" by the defending officer at his court-martial) is reduced to an embarrassed red-faced mumbling Rob Anybody (in the presence of Tiffany) by a beautiful girl with whom he disastrously falls in love... this is MacAuslan, a man who, when short of money, raided the platoon armoury, and then was caught by the Military Police trying to sell the Arabs a three-inch mortar and shells.

Superluser: Render distance

2023-04-24T00:31:41Z

Render distance

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:31, 24 April 2023
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	;HarperCollins, Paperback. Page 66:"...believe that shoe size is a good way of choosing a wife." This "Cinderella" critique gels with the commentary in {{WA}} and other Pratchett works.		;HarperCollins, Paperback. Page 66:"...believe that shoe size is a good way of choosing a wife." This "Cinderella" critique gels with the commentary in {{WA}} and other Pratchett works.

			;HarperCollins, Paperback. Page 210: "The trees here, though, were different. She had a strong feeling that they ''were'' blobs..." The description of the scenery filling in when you get close enough to see it is very reminiscent of the "cheats" some games make to limit processor usage, particularly Playstation games a few years prior to this book's publication.

	[[Category:Annotations\|Wee Free Men,The]]		[[Category:Annotations\|Wee Free Men,The]]

Guybrush: Shortened Cinderalla annotation; will come back for a cleanup later

2023-04-11T01:58:41Z

Shortened Cinderalla annotation; will come back for a cleanup later

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:58, 11 April 2023
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	''I know no more than this<BR>''		''I know no more than this<BR>''

	~~'''~~HarperCollins, Paperback. Page 66~~'''~~		;HarperCollins, Paperback. Page 66:"...believe that shoe size is a good way of choosing a wife." This "Cinderella" critique gels with the commentary in {{WA}} and other Pratchett works.

	"...believe that shoe size is a good way of choosing a wife."

	~~An obvious reference to~~ Cinderella~~, where the prince seeks out his mysterious dancing partner by~~ the ~~shoe she accidentally left behind~~. ~~Fairly obvious but that's what annotations are for~~

	[[Category:Annotations\|Wee Free Men,The]]		[[Category:Annotations\|Wee Free Men,The]]

Superluser: Cinderella reference

2023-04-09T20:12:47Z

Cinderella reference

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:12, 9 April 2023
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	''I know no more than this<BR>''		''I know no more than this<BR>''

			'''HarperCollins, Paperback. Page 66'''

			"...believe that shoe size is a good way of choosing a wife."

			An obvious reference to Cinderella, where the prince seeks out his mysterious dancing partner by the shoe she accidentally left behind. Fairly obvious but that's what annotations are for

	[[Category:Annotations\|Wee Free Men,The]]		[[Category:Annotations\|Wee Free Men,The]]

Old Dickens: link

2020-08-26T04:12:55Z

link

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:12, 26 August 2020
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	This is reminiscent of the scene in Michael Moorcock's ''Corum'' cycle, where Corum and the Companion to Heroes are trapped inside a stone circle in the snowy frozen waste by the fell hounds of the FhoiMhoir. The psychotic Gaynor, Prince of the Damned, leaves them there to starve or be torn to pieces if they try to escape. (Yes, I'd be psychotic too if my parents had called their son Gaynor). They are rescued by the wizard Calatin, who uses a horn to subdue the dogs - one blast causes them to mill in confusion, a second is fiercely painful, the third kills.		This is reminiscent of the scene in Michael Moorcock's ''Corum'' cycle, where Corum and the Companion to Heroes are trapped inside a stone circle in the snowy frozen waste by the fell hounds of the FhoiMhoir. The psychotic Gaynor, Prince of the Damned, leaves them there to starve or be torn to pieces if they try to escape. (Yes, I'd be psychotic too if my parents had called their son Gaynor). They are rescued by the wizard Calatin, who uses a horn to subdue the dogs - one blast causes them to mill in confusion, a second is fiercely painful, the third kills.

	As Moorcock was drawing extensively from Irish mythology, this could be another case of "fishing in the same stream".		As Moorcock was drawing extensively from Irish mythology, this could be another case of "[[Fishing from the same stream\|fishing in the same stream]]".

	'''HarperCollins, Paperback. Page 11'''<BR>		'''HarperCollins, Paperback. Page 11'''<BR>

Prime.mover at 21:52, 9 June 2018

2018-06-09T21:52:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:52, 9 June 2018
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	This is reminiscent of the scene in Michael Moorcock's ''Corum'' cycle, where Corum and the Companion to Heroes are trapped inside a stone circle in the snowy frozen waste by the fell hounds of the FhoiMhoir. The psychotic Gaynor, Prince of the Damned, leaves them there to starve or be torn to pieces if they try to escape. (Yes, I'd be psychotic too if my parents had called their son Gaynor). They are rescued by the wizard Calatin, who uses a horn to subdue the dogs - one blast causes them to mill in confusion, a second is fiercely painful, the third kills.		This is reminiscent of the scene in Michael Moorcock's ''Corum'' cycle, where Corum and the Companion to Heroes are trapped inside a stone circle in the snowy frozen waste by the fell hounds of the FhoiMhoir. The psychotic Gaynor, Prince of the Damned, leaves them there to starve or be torn to pieces if they try to escape. (Yes, I'd be psychotic too if my parents had called their son Gaynor). They are rescued by the wizard Calatin, who uses a horn to subdue the dogs - one blast causes them to mill in confusion, a second is fiercely painful, the third kills.

	As Moorcock was drawing extensively from Irish mythology, this could be another case of W"fishing in the same stream".		As Moorcock was drawing extensively from Irish mythology, this could be another case of "fishing in the same stream".

	'''HarperCollins, Paperback. Page 11'''<BR>		'''HarperCollins, Paperback. Page 11'''<BR>

Prime.mover at 10:45, 9 June 2018

2018-06-09T10:45:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:45, 9 June 2018
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	Discovering TP is a GMcD-F fan kind of seals the Feegles-Gordon Highlanders asociation, methinks?		Discovering TP is a GMcD-F fan kind of seals the Feegles-Gordon Highlanders asociation, methinks?

	Incidentally, any reader of the Flashman books will notice immediately that McDonald Fraser, like TP, is also a great exponent of explanatory footnotes (although these are grouped in a ~~seperate~~ section at the end - more "endnotes", really)		Incidentally, any reader of the Flashman books will notice immediately that McDonald Fraser, like TP, is also a great exponent of explanatory footnotes (although these are grouped in a separate section at the end - more "endnotes", really)

	--[[User:AgProv\|AgProv]] 13:17, 21 May 2008 (UTC)		--[[User:AgProv\|AgProv]] 13:17, 21 May 2008 (UTC)

Ian Price at 15:15, 11 April 2018

2018-04-11T15:15:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:15, 11 April 2018
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	* McDonald Fraser describes his Gordon Highlanders similarly, as being 80% drawn from Glasgow (ie, Rab C. Nesbitts and Billy Connollys) but with the remaining 20% drawn from the real Scottish Highlands and Islands. (apart from a draft from the Liverpool Scottish with thick Scouse accents and names like McDonald, McLeod, et c)		* McDonald Fraser describes his Gordon Highlanders similarly, as being 80% drawn from Glasgow (ie, Rab C. Nesbitts and Billy Connollys) but with the remaining 20% drawn from the real Scottish Highlands and Islands. (apart from a draft from the Liverpool Scottish with thick Scouse accents and names like McDonald, McLeod, et c)

	In the first book of short stories, ''The General Danced At Dawn'', it may interest students of Feegledom to note that a 128-some reel was actually danced, (in Libya in 1946), at the end of an otherwise disastrous General's inspection. This 'record' stood until 24th April 1988, when inspired by Fraser's story and according to the 1989 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, "The most complex Scottish country dance ever held was a 256-some reel, choreographed by Ian Price, which took place ... in Vancouver, Canada." As far as is known, this remains the most intricate single-set Scottish reel danced anywhere by anybody, although larger groups have since taken the field (no 'floor' being big enough) in Toronto and ~~Aberdeen~~ as aggregations of smaller sets.		In the first book of short stories, ''The General Danced At Dawn'', it may interest students of Feegledom to note that a 128-some reel was actually danced, (in Libya in 1946), at the end of an otherwise disastrous General's inspection. This 'record' stood until 24th April 1988, when inspired by Fraser's story and according to the 1989 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, "The most complex Scottish country dance ever held was a 256-some reel, choreographed by Ian Price, which took place ... in Vancouver, Canada." As far as is known, this remains the most intricate single-set Scottish reel danced anywhere by anybody, although larger groups have since taken the field (no 'floor' being big enough) in Toronto (512) and Aberdeenshire (1254) as aggregations of smaller sets.

	The Scottish general gets progressively drunker over dinner, and prevails on the wee pipe-sergeant (the Regiment's principal piper and to all intents and purposes, its Gonnagal and guardian of its tradition) to expand the dancing. From the conventional foursome and eightsome reels, to the rarely danced and far longer sixteensome.		The Scottish general gets progressively drunker over dinner, and prevails on the wee pipe-sergeant (the Regiment's principal piper and to all intents and purposes, its Gonnagal and guardian of its tradition) to expand the dancing. From the conventional foursome and eightsome reels, to the rarely danced and far longer sixteensome.

Ian Price at 15:12, 11 April 2018

2018-04-11T15:12:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:12, 11 April 2018
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	* McDonald Fraser describes his Gordon Highlanders similarly, as being 80% drawn from Glasgow (ie, Rab C. Nesbitts and Billy Connollys) but with the remaining 20% drawn from the real Scottish Highlands and Islands. (apart from a draft from the Liverpool Scottish with thick Scouse accents and names like McDonald, McLeod, et c)		* McDonald Fraser describes his Gordon Highlanders similarly, as being 80% drawn from Glasgow (ie, Rab C. Nesbitts and Billy Connollys) but with the remaining 20% drawn from the real Scottish Highlands and Islands. (apart from a draft from the Liverpool Scottish with thick Scouse accents and names like McDonald, McLeod, et c)

	In the first book of short stories, ''The General Danced At Dawn'', it may interest students of Feegledom to note that a 128-some reel was actually danced, (in Libya in 1946), at the end of an otherwise disastrous General's inspection. This 'record' stood until 24th April 1988, when according to the 1989 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, "The most complex Scottish country dance ever held was a 256-some reel, choreographed by Ian Price, which took place ... in Vancouver, Canada." As far as is known, this remains the ~~longest and~~ most intricate Scottish reel danced anywhere by anybody.		In the first book of short stories, ''The General Danced At Dawn'', it may interest students of Feegledom to note that a 128-some reel was actually danced, (in Libya in 1946), at the end of an otherwise disastrous General's inspection. This 'record' stood until 24th April 1988, when inspired by Fraser's story and according to the 1989 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, "The most complex Scottish country dance ever held was a 256-some reel, choreographed by Ian Price, which took place ... in Vancouver, Canada." As far as is known, this remains the most intricate single-set Scottish reel danced anywhere by anybody, although larger groups have since taken the field (no 'floor' being big enough) in Toronto and Aberdeen as aggregations of smaller sets.

	The Scottish general gets progressively drunker over dinner, and prevails on the wee pipe-sergeant (the Regiment's principal piper and to all intents and purposes, its Gonnagal and guardian of its tradition) to expand the dancing. From the conventional foursome and eightsome reels, to the rarely danced and far longer sixteensome.		The Scottish general gets progressively drunker over dinner, and prevails on the wee pipe-sergeant (the Regiment's principal piper and to all intents and purposes, its Gonnagal and guardian of its tradition) to expand the dancing. From the conventional foursome and eightsome reels, to the rarely danced and far longer sixteensome.

Ian Price: /* Discussing the reference:- */

2018-04-11T14:40:21Z

Discussing the reference:-

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:40, 11 April 2018
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	While the other Nac Mac Feegle sound like people doing Rab C Nesbitt impressions (Nesbitt is a well-known Scots character (of the dirty, foul-mouthed, sexist drunkard kind) from a BBC comedy series), William has the sort of exaggerated Ayrshire burr you might hear folk put on when reciting Robert Burns (the famous Scots poet, who wrote 'Auld Lang Syne').		While the other Nac Mac Feegle sound like people doing Rab C Nesbitt impressions (Nesbitt is a well-known Scots character (of the dirty, foul-mouthed, sexist drunkard kind) from a BBC comedy series), William has the sort of exaggerated Ayrshire burr you might hear folk put on when reciting Robert Burns (the famous Scots poet, who wrote 'Auld Lang Syne').

	* McDonald Fraser describes his Gordon Highlanders similarly, as being 80% drawn from Glasgow (ie, ~~Rob~~ C. Nesbitts and Billy Connollys) but with the remaining 20% drawn from the real Scottish Highlands and Islands. (apart from a draft from the Liverpool Scottish with thick Scouse accents and names like McDonald, McLeod, et c)		* McDonald Fraser describes his Gordon Highlanders similarly, as being 80% drawn from Glasgow (ie, Rab C. Nesbitts and Billy Connollys) but with the remaining 20% drawn from the real Scottish Highlands and Islands. (apart from a draft from the Liverpool Scottish with thick Scouse accents and names like McDonald, McLeod, et c)

	In the first book of short stories, ''The General Danced At Dawn'', it may interest students of Feegledom to note that a ~~256~~-some reel was actually danced, (in Libya in 1946), at the end of an otherwise disastrous General's inspection. As far as is known, this remains the longest and most intricate Scottish reel danced anywhere by anybody.		In the first book of short stories, ''The General Danced At Dawn'', it may interest students of Feegledom to note that a 128-some reel was actually danced, (in Libya in 1946), at the end of an otherwise disastrous General's inspection. This 'record' stood until 24th April 1988, when according to the 1989 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, "The most complex Scottish country dance ever held was a 256-some reel, choreographed by Ian Price, which took place ... in Vancouver, Canada." As far as is known, this remains the longest and most intricate Scottish reel danced anywhere by anybody.

	The Scottish general gets progressively drunker over dinner, and prevails on the wee pipe-sergeant (the Regiment's principal piper and to all intents and purposes, its Gonnagal and guardian of its tradition) to expand the dancing. From the conventional foursome and eightsome reels, to the rarely danced and far longer sixteensome.		The Scottish general gets progressively drunker over dinner, and prevails on the wee pipe-sergeant (the Regiment's principal piper and to all intents and purposes, its Gonnagal and guardian of its tradition) to expand the dancing. From the conventional foursome and eightsome reels, to the rarely danced and far longer sixteensome.
Line 38:		Line 38:
	"I say, pipey, is there any reason why we couldn't..."		"I say, pipey, is there any reason why we couldn't..."

	And a one hundred and twenty-eightsome happens, which takes one hour and twenty eight minutes to dance to a conclusion...		And a one hundred and twenty-eightsome happens, which takes one hour and twenty eight minutes to dance to a conclusion... by Highlanders, whooping Arabs, Northumberland Fusiliers, and German prisoners of war roped in to make up the numbers.


	The General even tops this: McDonald Fraser notes, drily, that for the first and only time, a two hundred and fifty-six-some reel was danced, by Highlanders, whooping Arabs, Northumberland Fusiliers, and German prisoners of war roped in to make up the numbers. On the basis of the 128, we might be talking about three and a half hours' solid dancing here.

	The 512-some reel is the next logical step up, would take between six and seven hours to dance to a finish, and only Feegles would be daft enough to dance it.		The 512-some reel is the next logical step up, would take between six and seven hours to dance to a finish, and only Feegles would be daft enough to dance it.