alt.fan.tolkien Google Group

Re: The Forger Tolkien Library

2009-11-27T20:20:06Z

Julian - you're up for the 20 questions.
-W

Re: The Forger Tolkien Library

2009-11-27T20:01:17Z

[ big snip ]
The OED has only managed to trace "parenthesis" (meaning an inserted
remark) back to 1547 in English. The meaning of "()" is traced back to
1582 - so they're pretty much contemporaneous.
Going back to 1905 in the OED.
Unicode uses "parenthesis" (or rather "PARENTHESIS").
(And since when did Unicode give names to glyphs?)

Re: Middle-earth is Not the Muppet Show!

2009-11-27T19:54:09Z

On 25 Nov, 15:43, "Pseudonymus al-Faqha'ter III"
[snip]
I agree that there are similarities between Gwaihir and Jay Leno. I
also think Glenn Beck is a very wicked caricature of Lobelia Sackville-
Baggins.
Öjevind

Re: The Forger Tolkien Library

2009-11-27T19:48:36Z

Doesn't look like it:
[link]
[link]
And for what it's worth, I was taught in school that these:
() are called "parentheses", these: [] "brackets", and these:
{} "braces". That would have been in the early 1970s and in

Re: The Forger Tolkien Library

2009-11-27T17:46:25Z

On Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:22:10 -0400, Derek Broughton
Well, yes, but that doesn't mean it's definition doesn't show that
"parentheses" can refer to the brackets themselves. (The "respectable
languages" referred to are, of course, all programming languages.)
It also, IIRC, defines a closed file as "safe", which is certainly

Re: How long are hobits?

2009-11-27T11:34:02Z

[Prai Jei]
but they still can't tell us the precise length of a piece of string.

Re: Middle-earth is Not the Muppet Show!

2009-11-26T21:00:36Z

On Nov 26, 3:38 am, "Noel Q. von Schneiffel"
Yes. The name "Baggins" referred originally to "getting them in the
bag."
In related news, the High Hay was originally meant to be rolled in.

Re: The Forger Tolkien Library

2009-11-26T18:22:10Z

...
...
You _were_ quoting from a satirical work.
I actually understood Steve's point. A parenthesis, or as I was taught, a
"parenthetical expression", is grammatically what's inside round brackets
(or commas, etcetera). It doesn't mean that usage isn't different, but a
grammarian will often come at odds with usage...

Re: 20 Questions (Clams I)

2009-11-26T17:51:42Z

[snip]
I think the problem is: Most of those here have an almost encyclopedic
knowledge of at least the Hobbit and LotR. The fear I had when posing a
question was that it would be answered in under 15 (too easy) or over 25
(too hard). I would not have used the low place in the hedge had it not
been called to my attention a 2nd time by the author when Frodo and co left

Re: 20 Questions (Clams I)

2009-11-26T17:10:01Z

[snip]
I think it was, in common with several of the other questions asked
here, but that's just my personal opinion.
Öjevind

Re: Middle-earth is Not the Muppet Show!

2009-11-26T17:09:13Z

On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:08:25 -0400, Derek Broughton
An article in the current /Science News/ (on invisibility cloaks, of
all things) not only appears to confuse Harry Potter with Science
Fiction (although, since magic is taught, has laws, and can be
researched in the reality of Harry Potter I suppose an argument could

Re: The Forger Tolkien Library

2009-11-26T17:03:46Z

On Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:39:28 +0200, Steve Hayes
While that may be so in some dialects, "parenthesis" also refers to
")" or "(" in English.
Actually, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that "paren" was used by
printers (who need, or needed, a name for every thing, however
obscure, that they might need to use) and then adopted by programmers.

Re: 20 Questions (Clams I)

2009-11-26T14:56:56Z

Agreed. Especially since Nautilus missed entirely.
I was at first concerned that Nautilus' hedge could be the same hedge. But
I can now say (without hedging) that Julian has it hands down.
Congratz to Julian.
-W
( PS Was my hedge too obscure??)

Re: Middle-earth is Not the Muppet Show!

2009-11-26T08:38:58Z

No, the correct Westron spelling, used in the Red Book, is
"Baggershot". However, in Bilbo's time, it was pronounced "Bagshot", a
mere contraction caused by slurry speech. Professor Tolkien used this
spelling in the translation to emphasize the rustic nature of the
hobbits.
The name, of course, originates from "Baggins' Hot", as this was the

An Evil Minion of Satan "There’s no need to discuss evidence of innocence or guilt." - ENEMY Soldiers Permit Massacre of Thousands of Innocent Humans Being - Who Cares?

2009-11-26T07:43:48Z

Godless Demon Nazi Evil Israeli admit, ADMIT to breaking
the truce on November 4th to indiscriminately murder
innocent People as targeted for more stolen gains.
An Evil Minion of Satan
/ / According to Ynet, “Dershowitz demanded that Judge Goldstone
provide explanations of the sources that led him to his final