Wikipedia:Reference desk/Humanities#One of my favorite goals

It is astonishingly hard to research: The Brits used the Matilda II in the Battles for France and Africa. The Australians used it much longer and pretty successfully in the Pacific theater. But did also the British use it at any time in the Pacific theater? --KnightMove (talk) 07:36, 8 April 2025 (UTC)

:The Matilda II entered service in 1939, and it’s hard to believe it didn’t see action in the Pacific War.  In the book "Tanks: An Illustrated History of Their Impact", although the authors mentioned both Matilda II and the Pacific War, they did not mention that any Matilda II was used in the Pacific War. Stanleykswong (talk) 17:32, 8 April 2025 (UTC)

: While over 400 Matilda IIs were successfully deployed with Australian forces in the Pacific Theater (commonly modified for jungle use), the British Army ceased frontline use of the Matilda II by mid-1942 after it became obsolete in Europe and North Africa. Although the tank served with British units in other theaters (e.g., North Africa, Soviet Union), no records indicate British Matilda units were deployed to the Pacific.^{[https://tankmuseum.org/tank-nuts/tank-collection/matilda-ii] [https://www.tankarchives.ca/2018/05/short-term-queen-of-desert.html]} --136.56.165.118 (talk) 00:23, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

:: To this day, the Matilda II is very useful in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts --136.56.165.118 (talk) 01:58, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

::Well, the Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia started in December 1941, and Singapore fell on 15 February 1942. Didn't the British troops there have any Matildas, and if not... why not? --KnightMove (talk) 09:38, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

:::See Fall of Singapore for some of the explanation, which shows that no tanks were recorded as captured. The British did not expect an attack overland along the Malay peninsula as they judged the jungle to be impassable. Mikenorton (talk) 19:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

::::The problem was that Malaya was a long way down the list of British priorities in 1941, the North African campaign and keeping the USSR in the war came first:

::::{{xt|The Japanese invaded with over 200 tanks, the British Army in Malaya did not have a single one. Indeed, Churchill himself had diverted 350 older model tanks from Malaya to the Soviet Union following the German invasion in June 1941.}} [https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=a2d1b3f2df31e648&rlz=1C1OKWM_enGB928GB928 Diamond, Jon (2015) The Fall of Malaya and Singapore]. Alansplodge (talk) 21:56, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::The 7th Armoured Brigade ("The Desert Rats") were actually en route to Singapore when it fell, but they were equipped with M3 Stuart light tanks. They were diverted to Rangoon and arrived in February 1942. [http://www.desertrats.org.uk/bde/7thAB1942.htm The 7th Armoured Brigade - Engagements - 1942] Alansplodge (talk) 22:10, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

At the beginning of 1942 a detachment of the 3rd The King's Own Hussars was despatched with Mk VI light tanks to the Netherlands East Indies and participated in the Battle of Leuwiliang (which I recently stumbled across by chance and noticed that the type of tank wasn't mentioned). According to the Mk VI article it also saw service in Malaya. This is an interesting account of the 3rd Hussars' Indonesian activities: https://www.qrhmuseum.com/arrival-in-java-an-account-of-b-squadron-3rd-hussars. —Simon Harley (Talk). 20:24, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

:The mention in our article to the Mark VI tank in Malaya is referenced to an account of the King's Own Hussars, who didn't leave Egypt until January 1942. All accounts I can see say that there were no British tanks in Malaya, so I have removed the mention of Malaya. Alansplodge (talk) 22:15, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

::So the evidence rounds up that no Matildas were used by the British in the Pacific? --KnightMove (talk) 20:15, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

:::Correct. Alansplodge (talk) 22:09, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 9 =

Strictly speaking, is "the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus" referred to in the Constitution a privilege appertaining to the prisoner filing the petition, or to the court issuing the writ? 71.126.56.141 (talk) 12:21, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

:The "privilege" is a "right" for those being detained. It is a privilege/right of the person being detained. It is a responsibility of the courts (and entire legal system) to preserve that privilege/right. 12.116.29.106 (talk) 13:40, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

:: There are important distinctions between a privilege and a right. Legal doctrine treats privileges as revocable, conditional, or context-specific; whereas, rights are "inalienable". --136.56.165.118 (talk) 22:01, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

:::The question is whose privilege it is, the petiitioner's or the court's? (Also, a privilege that cannot be suspended is tantamount to a right. Rights can be forfeited.)  ​‑‑Lambiam 22:24, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

::::The Suspension Clause in Article I, Section 9, Clause 2: The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.^{[https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C2-1/ALDE_00001087/]} While the Constitution affirms the right of individuals to challenge the legality of their detention, it does not explicitly affirm a general right to habeas corpus but instead limits Congress's ability to suspend this privilege except under extraordinary circumstances like rebellion or invasion.^{[https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763] [https://www.law.virginia.edu/scholarship/publication/john-c-harrison/1325211]} Note that Congress, under President Lincoln's direction, couldn't suspend this during the Civil War if it were a "right". --136.56.165.118 (talk) 01:04, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::: Edit: However, case law, such as Boumediene v. Bush (2008), has interpreted the clause as affirmatively guaranteeing prisoners some forum to challenge their detention when the privilege has not been suspended.[https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/habeas_corpus] (01:35, 13 April 2025 (UTC))

:::: Since that is clear as mud, here is an edit revised for accuracy, clarity and brevity (citations above apply).

:::: {{tq2|The Suspension Clause (Article I, Section 9, Clause 2) states: "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it." This clause does not explicitly grant a general right to habeas corpus but restricts Congress's power to suspend this privilege, allowing suspension only during rebellion or invasion when public safety demands it. Notably, Congress, under President Lincoln's direction, did suspend habeas corpus during the Civil War (1863). However, Supreme Court precedent, notably Boumediene v. Bush (2008), has interpreted the clause as implicitly guaranteeing detainees some means to challenge their detention when the writ has not been formally suspended.}} --136.56.165.118 (talk) 02:09, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 10 =

What is the term in social contract theory that there must exist some habitable land that isn't under any social contract at all, so that people who reject the social contract of every country in the world can be (at least in theory) free to vote with their feet against all of them, in order for them to truly be voluntary? NeonMerlin 05:44, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

:I am not aware of any adherents of social contract theory who advocate the creation of an anarchic area, so AFAIK there is no term for this position. To accommodate everyone who rejects this theory, the area should be considerable. Most anarchists will support the thesis that all inhabited land should be freed of this one-sided "contract" imposed by the violence of the State. Freetown Christiania may serve as an example, but I'd say it is merely tolerated, and its existence is definitely precarious.^{[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/09/gang-violence-could-end-open-cannabis-trade-in-anarchist-commune-christiania]} See also Zone to Defend.  ​‑‑Lambiam 12:39, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

:Unfortunately, land (on Earth) is a finite resource. Perhaps that benevolent philanthropist Elon Musk will make such 'free land' available when he succeeds in colonizing Mars. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 17:11, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

::I cannot tell if this is ironic or not so apologies if I have misread. Elon Musk is a man born priveleged to have a father who owned slaves in apartheid South Africa, https://web.archive.org/web/20141010001525/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/08/24/plugged-in who certainly had a good idea of what to buy, but who (on any topic a person is actually expert on can confirm) is almost totally incompetent intellectually. He is another variation of Trump, a good consumer, a terrible manager. https://www.abi.org/feed-item/examining-donald-trump%E2%80%99s-chapter-11-bankruptcieshttps://elonmusk.today/ Furthermore, the idea of a "free land" being created by capitalism is hilarious to me, personally. Perhaps if your definition of "freedom" is a variety of liberalism where people are all white https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/20/elon-musk-race-dei-doge/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/26/kill-the-boer-the-anti-apartheid-song-musk-ties-to-white-genocide, aren't free to express their sexuality or gender https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/03/elon-musk-rightwing-political-donations, but are "free" to starve under the free market that bourgeousie like himself profit from (6 showing Musk's profits from the election; versus 7 showing the reduction in household wealth and an increased unemployment rate). https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elon-musk-net-worth-trump-b2665395.htmlhttps://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/articles/us187408_econ-usef/figures/US187407_Figure-3.jpg The system isn't broken, it's working as intended. If the people who perpetuate it are promising you "freedom" then it's only the freedom that benefits them. There are certainly some benevolent rich people: George Soros, Jimmy Wales (if you can even count him as rich); but these are not people who perpetuate such ideas. In my opinion, the notion of going to Mars feels like a bad excuse to do nothing about climate change because there's a backup option if we do destroy Earth. Another opinion of mine, is that even if it were possible to go to Mars, you wouldn't be invited unless it were as cheap or even unpaid labour (given the Musk family's history of "unpaid labour"). GreatMageMai (talk) 16:17, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:{{small|The US is heading in that direction. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:33, 10 April 2025 (UTC)}}

::{{small|In which direction? Towards habitable land that isn't under any social contract at all?  ​‑‑Lambiam 06:21, 12 April 2025 (UTC)}}

{{talkref}}

When the Empire of Japan conquered the Commonwealth of the Philippines, did it remove all local judges from active service? Our article on Kabua Kabua of the Marshall Islands says that he was "probably the only person ever to serve as a judge under both the Japanese and U.S. judicial systems", and [https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-advertiser/167606766 its source] (from which this is an exact quote) makes this as a general statement; it doesn't say merely the only judge in the Marshall Islands to serve under both. Nyttend (talk) 23:09, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

:Almost certainly not Nyttend. [https://ir.ide.go.jp/record/33186/files/IAL000100_010.pdf This source] (download link) states that they didn't, although with no details. A bit of easy OR, the Japanese wanted to win over local administrators. Jose P. Laurel was actually picked from the Supreme court by the Japanese to lead the country. Further, there will have been a period, albeit short, post-Japanese occupation with likely further overlap. A bit of distinction from Kabua Kabua though, the Marshall islands was formally Japanese and then formally American, outside of wartime in both cases. That is probably the distinction being made. CMD (talk) 06:40, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 11 =

https://www.forumdaily.com

https://newyork.forumdaily.com/category/novosty/

https://www.forumdaily.com/en/contacts/

News service at 7308 18th Ave in Brooklyn, New York.

Seems to be ex-pats and native russian speakers, with poor english writing.

28 citations on en.wikipedia.org

Are they WP:RS ? Are they noteworthy?

69.181.17.113 (talk) 05:50, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

:This is a relatively small organization (seven employees, of which, it appears, six deal with content and one with IT, marketing and outreach^{[https://www.linkedin.com/company/forumdaily/people/]}). They are primarily a Russian-language site. The content is available in a large number of languages (English / Russian / Ukrainian / Armenian / Azerbaijani / Georgian / Kazakh / Kyrgyz / Tajik / Uzbek). IMO this is only sustainable if done by automated translation, which may explain the quality of the English texts.

:They have won two Ippies awards (given to the ethnic and community press by the Center for Community and Ethnic Media at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism), one for content and one for website design.^{[https://www.journalism.cuny.edu/2017/05/ccem-honors-members-community-ethnic-media-2017-ippies-awards/]}

:My impression is that (in spite of the name) this is not an Internet forum with self-published content, and also that they are not a shill for some huge donor, but whether they qualify as a reliable source is better asked at the Reliable sources/Noticeboard.  ​‑‑Lambiam 07:10, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 12 =

Before decimalisation, many British coins had names: penny, shilling, florin, half-crown, crown. But all the modern UK coinage is named simply after the amount it's worth. Why don't the coins have names?

Maybe it's too soon for the names to have developed? But it's been well over fifty years.

It can't be because decimal currency is inherently more complicated, since all the common US coins have names: penny, nickel, dime, quarter.

:We still have the penny in the UK. The rest are generally called 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, pound, and two pounds. --TrogWoolley (talk) 04:31, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

So, why? Marnanel (talk) 03:21, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

:Not just the UK: here in Australia the coins are called 2-dollar, 1-dollar, 50-cent, 20-cent, 10-cent, and 5-cent, and before they were removed from common circulation, I believe the smallest coins were called 2-cent and 1-cent. By the way, note that "dime" is a legal term with historic roots — the coin says "ONE DIME", a term first used (although with a different spelling) by the Coinage Act of 1792. Nyttend (talk) 03:45, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

:Penny, shilling, and florin were names associated with the amounts they were worth. The relevant coins were worth one penny, one shilling, and one florin, respectively (although florin was more of an experiment than the other two). Crown is perhaps the exception, originally created to be part of the European silver system and I presumed named because they initially had a crown on them. However, it became a word indicating the amount it's worth, hence, half-crown, worth half the crown. From these base coins of particular values, other coins were created to describe their relation to these values: half-penny, twopence, and others including the aforementioned half-crown. The current coins have names in the exact same way, there is the penny, and there is the pound. Other coins take their names by their relation to those two values. The difference between the older system and the current one is that the current decimal system has fewer base units of currency, ie. the decimal system is less complicated. (In East Africa, they retained the Shilling instead of the Pound as their primary unit of currency, so that name continues to also carry a meaning of the amount it's worth.) American coins are also mostly named after their values. A penny retains the original meaning of one penny, only the language has shifted to replace "penny" in other contexts with "cent". "Dime" as Nyttend mentions is also named due to its value, it comes from the Latin for "one-tenth". A quarter is, well, a quarter of a dollar; its meaning hasn't even been lost due to language change. "Nickel", like "crown", is the exception that was given a new name. CMD (talk) 04:33, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

::: Not sure what you mean exactly about the American penny. The "official" name, as I understand it, is and has always been "cent". Colloquially it is called the penny, by analogy to the British coin. --Trovatore (talk) 20:54, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Aren't we discussing colloquial names? CMD (talk) 10:35, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

::::: I had trouble working out just what you meant by {{tq|American coins are also mostly named after their values. A penny retains the original meaning of one penny, only the language has shifted to replace "penny" in other contexts with "cent"}}. Feel free to explain if you like, or not; we've probably already taken up more space than justified. --Trovatore (talk) 21:39, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::Sorry if it was unclear. I meant that the colloquial name the coin retained (penny) once referred to an actual value, and was retained even when the value name was changed (as you note) to cent. It's a holdover of the older (colonial) context. CMD (talk) 11:13, 16 April 2025 (UTC)

::Dime comes more directly from French dîme (archaic disme), by the way. —Tamfang (talk) 04:55, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

:::More precisely, both English dime and modern French dîme come from Old French disme, from Latin decimus, "one tenth". In Anglo-Norman, the form was still disme.  ​‑‑Lambiam 06:17, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Could it be that the coins are worth so little it's not worth the effort? In Queen Victoria's day a four pence piece, a "groat" or "joey" was worth 2 pounds 17 pence in today's money. 2A01:4B00:B70B:B000:C941:3EA9:3C9D:B273 (talk) 14:20, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

::::: Not forgetting the farthing, worth a quarter of a penny, now equivalent to just over 13.5 pence. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 19:11, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::As in the penny-farthing... But also not forgetting half farthing, third farthing and quarter farthing! Bob Tanner 123 (talk) 19:55, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::: Wow, I never knew about those. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 23:37, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::::Farthings are another coin named after their value, being a fourth (fourthing) of a penny. A quarter farthing is some sort of etymological joke. CMD (talk) 02:00, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::::::Yeah, it should have been a demisemifarthing. --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆𝄐𝄇} 16:49, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::::::: Or a farfarthing. Reminds me of A Tale of Two Cities. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 20:14, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::::::: You owe me three farthings, say the bells of St Martins. Doesn't rhyme for me. Does it rhyme for anyone? I'm currently re-reading Nineteen Eighty-Four so it's in my head a little. I never really got why Orwell thought it was important to mention and am looking out to see if I can figure it out this time. --Trovatore (talk) 20:19, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::::::::A Cockney would probably drop the "g" in fathings, so farthins/Martins is a pretty close rhyme. I can't, nearly forty years after reading it for O-level, remember why Orwell uses Oranges and Lemons in 1984, I think it might be something to do with the proles retaining some pre-IngSoc culture, lost to those above them. DuncanHill (talk) 21:28, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::::::::::It would be closer to faavins/Maa'ins in Cockney. Non-rhotic, glottal stop etc. Definitely rhymes. AndyTheGrump (talk) 22:02, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:Not a direct answer as to the reason, but Coins of the pound sterling#Slang and everyday usage details the informal names of pre-decimalisation coins and the limited extent to which some have carried over to the decimal era. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 15:19, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

::Is it possible there just hasn't been enough time for informal names to develop? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:59, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

:::Someone could probably spin some OR about how the modern fiat currency system is fundamentally different from a metal-based system regarding the long term stability of individual coin values, and thus of their importance as individual units rather than as parts of a wider currency system. CMD (talk) 01:58, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

• I suspect the reason is that so few things on sale today cost under a pound. In the “old days” it was handy to have names for coins because lots of things cost “Ninepence” or “Three shillings tuppence” etc. Blueboar (talk) 16:58, 13 April 2025 (UTC)
• :The Good Old Days? I'll have two tickets for the one-and-nines, please! Martinevans123 (talk) 10:42, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

File:Mercedes-Benz 770 Pullman-Limousine of Showa Emperor front-right Mercedes-Benz Museum.jpg

[https://books.google.pl/books?id=LjHYjEZy9zMC&pg=PA157&dq=hirohito+gold+mercedes&hl=ru&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiEuvGc2NKMAxWFFBAIHRjXKmoQ6AF6BAgMEAM#v=onepage&q=hirohito%20gold%20mercedes&f=false Some] [http://www.phillymint.com/FMShopCartDisco/SD61M.htm sources] say that Hirohito's Mercedes-Benz 770 had a golden imperial seal in place of Mercedes' hood emblem, but the only such examples I found are collectible toy models as his surviving car displays Mercedes' hood logo - while also lacking blue sun visor of those toy models. What happened actually to the golden emblem? Brandmeister^talk 14:25, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

: I found [https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmb143.ru%2Fassets%2Fgalleries%2F1244%2Fminichamps-mercedes-770k-w07-emperor-hirohito-1935-3.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f76e21e66d3b47985ee36a4c10ef3187a032f4861ac91956ae9a8360baa229f6 this photo] which is a crop of a photo (watermarked "This image is copyrighted...") that suggests that it was taken in Japan at a site that looks as it were an Imperial Palace. [Edit: the photo was taken at Edo Castle's Yagura tower turret, which is part of the Imperial Palace complex -- as seen [https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fc8.alamy.com%2Fcomp%2FP7D9YR%2Ffujimi-yagura-mount-fuji-viewing-keep-part-of-the-former-edo-castle-now-within-imperial-palace-gardens-chiyoda-ward-tokyo-japan-P7D9YR.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1ca555da0c here]] There seems to be enough discrepencies to make me suspect that the museum example could be a fake replica. 136.56.165.118 (talk) 20:05, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

: A lengthy discussion with my friendly neighborhood AI chatbot, concluded: {{tq2|However, as you pointed out, certain elements of the original vehicle—namely the Imperial Seal of Japan on the radiator grille and hood ornament—appear to be absent or replaced in the museum exhibit. The missing badge and hood ornament may reflect deliberate modifications to align with contemporary sensitivities regarding the display of symbols tied to Imperial Japan's wartime era. Such adjustments could be intended to focus on the automobile's historical and engineering significance rather than its political symbolism.}}

: Make of it as you will. --136.56.165.118 (talk) 20:42, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

: There are some things I noticed on closer examination: The Imperial Chrysanthemum symbol on the front is affixed to the headlight bar rather than directly on the radiator grill. Also, the sun visor is visible in both photos; the camera angle and visor positioning makes it hard to discern. The mysterious bulb-shaped objects on the roof differ: in the contemporaneous photo, they are chromed, and in the museum photo they are black. What are they; they don't look like they could function as lights or signal indicators; but, could they be blackout lights? Mini sirens? --136.56.165.118 (talk) 22:13, 12 April 2025 (UTC) Edit: 04:16, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::According to [https://www.drom.ru/reviews/mercedes-benz/s-class/71205/51049/ this Russian source] I found, after WWII the car remained in the imperial garage, then in 1961, through the Mercedes-Benz agency in Japan, it was sent to Europe where it was renovated and in 1979 put on exhibition in the Mercedes museum. This implies it's the same car, but still one may wonder why they stripped the radiator grille imperial emblem while retaining it on the rear doors (and seemingly replaced those bulb-shaped roof objects). Brandmeister^talk 08:53, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::The roof objects are likely not replaced, but are simply not chrome-plated. Given enough time, silver and its alloys tarnish forming a black patina from oxidation. Modocc (talk) 10:35, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Maybe it was considered lèse-majesté in Japan (where the Emporer's status is carefully guarded) to keep such a symbol on the car when it is no longer owned or in use by the Emporer? -- Verbarson  ^talk_edits 12:38, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::Seems to me that Mercedes took it upon themselves to "restore" the car's hood with its marketing trinket. Had it simply been a status issue then I'd expect the removal of all the imperial emblems. I'm also wondering what's on the roof. They have star patterns. Maybe they are fancy night lights, spot lights and/or speakers. I haven't a clue. Modocc (talk) 13:31, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::: The Russian article has a [https://s.drom.ru/1/reviews/photos/mercedes-benz/s-class/big_71205_51049_add_7.jpeg close-up photo] of one mystery object. It could be a signal indicator light having frosted glass and dark tint. I could imagine it being designed to be unobtrusive under normal circumstances, and flashing red (or some other color) when needed. Google translation of the Russian article indicated no mention of them in the text. --136.56.165.118 (talk) 13:55, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::::Just a guess, but fancy lights would make it obvious to cheering crowds which car was the emperor's in a motorcade. Alansplodge (talk) 11:34, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

Not the most popular one (dollar Index even redirects there). Other indices have more currencies & weights that haven't been unchanged since March 1973. Why didn't they extend one of the later-invented ones to 1973 without rescaling to 100=1973 & switch to that? Investors are used to rescaling anyway: stock splits move y-axes. Are they still trading futures with these obsolete weights? 57.6% euro, 77.3% Europe. Why not add more currencies? Shouldn't they know how much USA imports+exports with everyone, all 200+ GDPs & have tech cheap enough to do every currency even though the graph wouldn't change much? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:27, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

:By what measure do you judge the goodness of a dollar index? In other words, what is your dollar index index?  ​‑‑Lambiam 07:32, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::How do I know I'm not an economist? Is the one that says it's best cause it weights by GDP the best? Sounds true but wouldn't that underweight some currencies like Canadian $+overweight others like isolationist USA-hating ones? Also which GDP nominal or PPP? I'm guessing nominal would be better for this? Is it the one that says weighting by amount of trade with US is the best cause it's the thing you want instead of a proxy like GDP? Sounds true but isn't trade only 1 important cause of currency exchange some people also exchange currency to buy US bonds, pay hotels etc? Also isn't oil bought in dollars by countries that don't use USD? And central banks+speculators sometimes trade currencies. Those would affect dollar+other currencies' supply & demand thus the exchange rate without any direct US trade occurring. Does transhipment count as trade? What if the box is only becoming a truck trailer in 1 currency zone but the goods will be sold+used in another? What if a leader wants an iPad but has to smuggle it from another country cause his is sanctioned which currency pair does that count as? Is geometric mean better than arithmetic? Presumably they all divide weights by the currency cost@base yr before using them so yen+bucks are both 100@index=100 not like 0.006+1? Also I don't understand all the math in the most complex one. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:28, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::The purpose of the U.S. dollar index is to provide a benchmark for comparing the value of the U.S. dollar with other major currencies, which in 1973 included the euro, yen, pound sterling, Canadian dollar, Swedish krona, and Swiss franc. Today, in addition to the US dollar, the major currency markets are still trading the euro, Japanese yen, British pound, Canadian dollar and Swiss franc.  Of course, you could argue why some of the Swedish krona couldn’t be replaced by the equally active Australian dollar in the market. However, as long as the market believes that the index still serves its original purpose, no one will be willing to change it. Stanleykswong (talk) 17:37, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::::I did wonder why there's no AUD. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 19:09, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::::{[re|Stanleykswong}} The Euro did not exist in 1973. DuncanHill (talk) 22:29, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::Yes, you are right. Euro replaced the German Mark, the French Franc and the Italian Lira in 1999. Stanleykswong (talk) 22:35, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:Once a widely used index is established, it can be difficult to modify, especially if the index is being used internationally. Stanleykswong (talk) 08:49, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:Even if it's a national index, such as the Consumer Price Index, they won't change unless the index is so far removed from reality that it becomes completely unusable. The Consumer Price Index was last revised in 1978 to reflect changes in spending patterns based on the Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted from 1972 to 1974. Stanleykswong (talk) 09:01, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::How the hell doesn't the CPI include smartphones? Does it overweight mechanical typewriters? How detailed is it? Does it include things most Americans don't buy like ostriches+subway fares? Is there a more accurate index that's less popular? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:34, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::I don't think it makes sense either, but that's the way the world works. Stanleykswong (talk) 17:07, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::::That may be how the US works, but not the world. The UK CPI "basket" of goods and services is [https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/ukconsumerpriceinflationbasketofgoodsandservices/2025 changed every year]. Chuntuk (talk) 09:26, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::Yes, you're right, VR headsets, yoga mats and pool sliders were added to UK ‘inflation basket’ in 2025.{{Cite news |last=Partington |first=Richard |last2=correspondent |first2=Richard Partington Economics |date=2025-03-18 |title=VR headsets, yoga mats and pool sliders added to UK ‘inflation basket’ |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/18/vr-headsets-uk-inflation-basket-ons |access-date=2025-04-14 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} Stanleykswong (talk) 09:37, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::Was anything removed? Is music broken down by ecosystem (Apple, Android, CD, 78rpm etc)+genre? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 12:59, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::::According to Guardian, local newspaper adverts and oven-ready gammon joints have been removed. Stanleykswong (talk) 18:38, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::::My observation is that people do change their purchasing behavior to buy pulled pork instead of oven-ready gammon joints.  I have no idea why oven-ready gammon joints were removed from the index and not replaced with pulled pork. Stanleykswong (talk) 18:40, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

::Is the net effect to overestimate US CPI cause technology's awesome+America lives further out than they used to (on average) or to underestimate cause America drives a lot more than they used to or something like that (on average) & many things outpaced inflation like silver, gasoline, Treasury bonds, stocks, ultraluxury goods (at some points in the 70s (80s too?) ppl were amazed when a high square foot ultraluxury Manhattan condo sold for $1,000,000 in 2019 one sold for almost quarter billion) & many entertainments like big 4 sports tickets+ppl use less of non-Veblen goods when they outpace inflation & do the wronginesses mostly cancel each other out? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 13:03, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

::Does US or UK CPI try to accurately weigh illegal sales@time of weights i.e. weed+prostitution or does it only have legal goods+services? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 13:24, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:::Illegal sales are never transparent and it is impossible to know their prices and transaction volumes. Stanleykswong (talk) 18:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

::If the latter how would a UK-style US CPI deal with things that are offered in big stores in some states illegal in others i.e. craps? Is the cost of gambling the cost of bets or the lesser sum the bets won? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 13:31, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:::Look for the answers to your Gish gallop of questions for yourself in the links from Consumer Price Index (United Kingdom) and United States Consumer Price Index. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 18:14, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

The best dollar index is the one that gives insight into that part of economics that matters to you, or to your question. Are you concerned with the dollar's value in international trade? Then, you'll want a trade-weighted index (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RTWEXEMEGS vs emerging economies, or https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RTWEXAFEGS against developed ones.) If your concern is the dollar as a store of value over time, then an inflation-linked version would be better. DOR (ex-HK) (talk) 17:57, 16 April 2025 (UTC)

{{talkref}}

= April 13 =

Can anyone identify this piano recording? Heh. https://soundcloud.com/scovillain-laboratories/recording_enhanced 24.136.10.82 (talk) 15:45, 13 April 2025 (UTC).

:[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyy9Ra9kE9Y Comfort and Joy (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)] Modocc (talk) 15:55, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen. Modocc (talk) 15:57, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::Peeve alert. Should be {{tq|God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen}}. "You" is the object of "rest" so it takes the objective case, whereas "ye" is subjective. --Trovatore (talk) 20:06, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::At least our article has it right. And I'm reminded of a Christmas episode in the original All Creatures Great and Small TV series, implishly titled "Merry Gentlemen", in which Siegfried lectured the others about the reason for the comma. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:39, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::The usage notes for ye on Wiktionary state: "Ye was originally used only for the nominative case (as the subject), and only for the second-person plural. Later, ye was used as a subject or an object, either singular or plural, which is the way that you is used today." It does not define when "later" was, but our article God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen gives lyrics with the first line "God rest ye, merry Gentlemen", said to be "dated c. 1760".  ​‑‑Lambiam 23:09, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

::::The article notes:

:::::Some variants give the pronoun in the first line as ye instead of you, in a pseudo-archaism.

::::The footnote has lots of hemming and hawing about various possible ways of viewing this.

::::All the scores on the page use "you". --Trovatore (talk) 23:52, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::A result of selection bias perhaps? The article was even titled with "you", but just a few months ago at the end of last year the title was moved to "ye" because of this Ngram plot [https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=God+rest+you+merry+gentlemen%2CGod+rest+ye+merry+gentlemen&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=0&case_insensitive=true] with support from editors on its talk page. Modocc (talk) 02:49, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::: Yeah, the Google results are convincing enough that "ye" is probably the name by which the song is most commonly known. But I would call it a common error. It doesn't make any sense to put "ye" there, particularly when the second line uses "you" in exactly the same grammatical role. --Trovatore (talk) 05:18, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::An 18th-century use of ye can hardly be a pseudo-archaism or even a genuine archaism.^{[https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=(ye+shall)/(you+shall)&year_start=1700&year_end=1800&corpus=en&smoothing=3&hl=en]}  ​‑‑Lambiam 07:00, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:According to the OED, a well-known dictionary in the English-speaking world. "II. As object. II.4. With singular or plural reference. II.4.a. c1405– Used instead of you as direct or indirect object, or as the object of a preposition." DuncanHill (talk) 15:54, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

Interesting, thanks guys. Something about it did sound more Christmasy than classical music. 24.136.10.82 (talk) 11:20, 14 April 2025 (UTC).

:The usual SATB four-part harmony for this was arranged by Sir John Stainer, which arguably puts into the classical canon. Alansplodge (talk) 11:30, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 14 =

Hello.

Is there an article on Wikipedia about the social and economic status of artists in your country? I'm looking for sourced, historical, and current information. Thank you in advance for your reply, and please excuse any language errors: I'm a French-speaking Belgian. Égoïté (talk) 17:23, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:This is a Global English-language encyclopaedia. Which "your country" are you enquiring about? {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 18:19, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

::USA and other countries with english language (like Great Britain and Australia for example) Égoïté (talk) 19:19, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:::I am reasonably sure there is no article on the social and economic status of artists in the Anglosphere, per se. I am not aware that this specific combination of concepts has been set apart and treated as a distinct object of study by enough reliable secondary sources to make it "notable", as the Wikipedia term of art has it, so any such article would need to be careful of running afoul of WP:SYNTH. --Trovatore (talk) 19:25, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Thank you. I don't plan to publish in English, but in French, and I'm a Wikipedian who's well-versed in the rules of the encyclopedia, with a few quality articles in French of my own. Don't worry ;) I am also interested in documents on the social and economic status of artists in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Égoïté (talk) 19:58, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::Well, I don't know the norms at fr.wiki, but I would be cautious about cobbling together an article from facts here and there, without evidence that someone studies that particular topic.

:::::That said, at our artist article, there is something possibly relevant for you: In the US, fine artists have a median income of approximately US$50,000 per year, and craft artists have a median income of approximately US$33,000 per year. This compares to US$61,000 for all art-related fields, including related jobs such as graphic designers, multimedia artists, animators, and fashion designers. The reference is dated 2016–2017. The intervening years have been a period of relatively high inflation in the US, combined with a narrowing of the income gap between the two ends of the middle class, so I would imagine it's probably significantly higher by now. --Trovatore (talk) 20:38, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::Thank you. Was there a performing artists' union before 1936 and AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists)? If so, which one(s)? Does AGMA have one or more competitors in 2025? Égoïté (talk) 08:45, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::The rules of the French Wikipedia are basically the same as here: no original research (unpublished work); no synthesis of published results based on an original interpretation. A compilation of data from various reliable sources without a synthesizing interpretation is generally unproblematic; otherwise we could not have articles such as List of poets portraying sexual relations between women.  ​‑‑Lambiam 09:31, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::::Lists are a bit different; you can list things according to widely varying organizing criteria. It's more of a problem if you abstract out a concept and give it a name. --Trovatore (talk) 19:18, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::::We have articles on Adult lifetime cannabis use by country, Breakfast by country, Censorship by country, ..., so why no Socio-economic status of artists by country?  ​‑‑Lambiam 22:41, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::::::Thank you for your contributions, which seem very sensible to me, Lambiam.

:::::::::I'll ask the question again:

:::::::::Was there a performing artists' union before 1936 and AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists)? If so, which one(s)? Does AGMA have one or more competitors in 2025? Thank already for the answers. Égoïté (talk) 10:11, 16 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 16 =

How strong is the historical record for the list of rulers at Aliʻi nui of Hawaii? It is stronger than the record for something like Xia dynasty? 2601:644:8184:F2F0:E9D9:CDD6:EC5A:D91F (talk) 06:49, 16 April 2025 (UTC)

:Although that list article is itself unreferenced, the majority of its entries (23 of 27) are linked to articles about the individuals (and the others are redlinked indicating an article would be appropriate). To assess their historicity, check the references used by each separate article, and draw your own conclusions. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.2390.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 17:42, 16 April 2025 (UTC)

1. When the President makes an ordinary senior appointment, the Senate must concur with the appointment. How is this concurrence typically expressed? On one hand I can imagine it being done through an S.Res. action, since the Senate alone is involved in the process, and all other kinds of actions require House consent. However, normally Res. actions just express the opinion of the originating house, without any practical effect.
2. Imagine J.D. Vance dies, resigns, or is removed from office, and Trump appoints a new "Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress". How would the confirmation be expressed? Normal bills and J.Res. actions require presidential signatures, whilst Con.Res. actions normally just express the opinion of both houses, and S.Res. and H.Res. actions don't involve the other house. Would this be treated as a J.Res. and presented to the President, who obviously would sign it because he nominated the new vice president? Concurrent resolution mentions a few examples that aren't just opinion, but they're things like adjournments and joint committees that are strictly under the purview of Congress, plus a message to the President of "oops please don't sign or veto this bill; let us do something else with it first".

I suppose the latter question could be answered by examining how Congress handled Nixon's VP appointment of Ford, and Ford's VP appointment of Rockefeller. However, when I was working with this kind of thing routinely, I was spoiled by access to ProQuest Congressional; I lost access to it years ago and don't know what else would be a good way to research in this area. Nyttend (talk) 23:26, 16 April 2025 (UTC)

:I don't think any appointment confirmation is expressed through a resolution. Both should go just like normal confirmations: {{tq|The actual motion adopted by the Senate when exercising the power is "to advise and consent", which shows how initial advice on nominations and treaties is not a formal power exercised by the Senate.[8][9]}} —Appointments Clause#Advice and consent Aaron Liu (talk) 03:40, 19 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 17 =

{{resolved|Nothing more to say here.Viriditas (talk) 03:45, 21 April 2025 (UTC)}}

Drammen, Norway, suffered a large fire in July 1866, which is said to have destroyed the city. 14 years later, Hawaii sugar companies began advertising for workers, and 629 Norwegians from Drammen signed up as contract laborers and made the trip to Hawaii. My question is this: did the 1866 fire lead to poorer socio-economic conditions which precipitated out-migration in a general sense, or were these people already poor and in need of work before the fire? Asking, because the literature on this subject doesn't seem to mention the fire. Viriditas (talk) 00:54, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

:Note: I did find this: "In 1881 Norway was suffering from an industrial depression with high unemployment and much poverty. Thousands were leaving for other lands. This occurred at a time when there was actually a local demand for more farm laborers."[https://www.satrum.net/publications/documents/1881_Norwegians_in_Hawaii.pdf] Still nothing about the fire or its historical impact on the depression. Viriditas (talk) 01:43, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

::What I understand from our article and that on the Bokmål Wikipedia, the reconstruction of Bragernes was immediately tackled with vigour and must have been completed by 1880. Large-scale public works tend to stimulate the economy. The industrial depression was nationwide and must also have affected Drammen, even though its economic activity was mainly mercantile. I see no basis for connecting the 1866 disaster to the 1881 depression. Even if a proletarian was not poor one day in the late 19th-century Western world, being out of work would make them destitute in short time, so I think that the mere absence of job opportunities was, just by itself, a strong driver for migration. I don't know why the people from Drammen responded to a call for agricultural labour in Hawai'i while there was demand for farm labour at home. Perhaps the conditions were better, or they were adventurous lads, or both.  ​‑‑Lambiam 09:21, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

:::Yes, this seems to be the unanswered question. I have obtained some obscure, hard to find sources, so I will be exploring this over the next few weeks. Viriditas (talk) 10:37, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Update: It turns out most of them were not adventurous (this was reported by Ralph S. Kuykendall in 1967). It looks like they used the trip as a stepping stone to migrate to the mainland US, although this is purely conjecture at this point. The more interesting thing is the comparison between the Norwegian and German migrants, who had mostly completely different experiences upon arriving in Hawaii. The Germans created new, possibly insular communities, and seemed to thrive, even becoming upwardly mobile. Of the more than 600 Norwegians, almost all (except 50 or so) left Hawaii after a short time and made their way to California and elsewhere. (Pacific Northwest?) Viriditas (talk) 02:22, 18 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::Ok, I see now that the fire had nothing to do with it, as Norway was undergoing economic problems for most of the 19th century, leading to 800,000 people leaving the country (by 1925). Viriditas (talk) 03:44, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

Schengen Area states "the territories of four microstates – Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City – are de facto included in the Schengen Area due to their small size and difficulty of maintaining active border controls"

What was the situation in Andorra before the Schengen area was created? I assume it didn't have open borders with both France and Spain, as that would have created holes in those countries' borders. Rojomoke (talk) 13:51, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

:I found this passage in an issue of Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science and Arts of September 1906:

::{{tq|Andorra levies no Customs dues, she possesses neither gendarmes, frontier guards, nor douane of any sort, and all are free to enter as they please; though an exit, especially on the Spanish side, is less easily accomplished, since as a half-way house and storage for smugglers it is obvious that Andorra is admirably situated, and the neighbouring powers take their precautions accordingly against the abuse of a trade which is 'free' in every sense of the word.}}^{[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Chambers_s_Journal_of_Popular_Literature/v4YhAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22Andorra+levies+no+Customs+dues,+she+possesses+neither+gendarmes,+frontier+guards,+nor+douane+of+any+sort,+and+all+are+free+to+enter+as+they+please%3B+though+an+exit,+especially+on+the+Spanish+side,+is+less+easily+accomplished,+since+as+a+half-way+house+and+storage+for+smugglers+it+is+obvious+that+Andorra+is+admirably+situated,+and+the+neighbouring+powers+take+their+precautions+accordingly+against+the+abuse+of+a+trade+which+is+%27free%27+in+every+sense+of+the+word.%22]}

:At the time, passports were not required for crossing a border within Western Europe. After World War I, when they were required, I think they were just as required for entering Andorra as for France and Spain. In the peace time after WWII this became increasingly little more than a formality,. On the eve of the Schengen Agreement you'd probably just have been waved through.  ​‑‑Lambiam 15:42, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

::On the eve of the Schengen agreement, border controls in western Europe were indeed pretty lax. People were often just waved through or no police was present at all. It was like that on the Dutch–German and Dutch–Belgian border before 1992 and for the ferry Germany–Norway in 1995. On holiday in 2003, I crossed the Swiss border about a dozen times by train and my passport was checked just once, even less than the passport check rate on trains across the Dutch–German border after Schengen. The only borders were passport checks appeared systematic were the airports and the ferries and trains to the UK.

::However, I've read stories about people who visited Europe on a single-entry Schengen visa, went to Andorra (getting stamped out) and had great difficulty leaving Andorra again. The only way to leave Andorra without entering Schengen is by taking a direct helicopter flight to an international airport in France or Spain, then transfer to a flight outside Schengen. I think the rule is now that you're not allowed to enter Andorra if you don't have the documentation to return to Schengen later.

::Customs inspections on the Andorran border are still relevant, given the very low taxes in the microstate. PiusImpavidus (talk) 09:17, 18 April 2025 (UTC)

File:Portrait of conductor K.B. Schubert.jpg

File:2 tafel-1587-carl-schuberth-16341-2.jpg

Hello,

I'm faced with a critical issue : an uploader, identified as 'Arpieyn I, uploaded a drawing from Vasily Samoylov which he states is a portrait of the conductor K.B. Schubert(h). I compared this picture with a number of illustrations I have of the conductor K.B. Schubert(h) and none of these are comparable to the uploaded picture. I may send links to these true pictures if you would like. I think that the uploaded picture could be a self-portrait of the actor and artist Samoylov which he gave to K.B. Schuberth at the Alexandrinsky Theatre where both artists met. It looks like he added an autograph that is uncomplete on the picture. The source of the picture is mentioned as https://goskatalog.ru/portal/#/collections?id=40079763 but the access is denied ... The problem is that all Wikipedia's articles (and other) on K.B. Schubert(h) in many languages show the uploaded picture which in my opinion is not a picture of the conductor, unless the uploader can duly justify the source of this portrait.

Can you help me with this critical issue? Thanks for your valued help ! Music Mich 2A02:A03F:647E:7600:5559:E98D:52F2:DB5E (talk) 14:40, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

:Noting that there is a German WP article at [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Schuberth Karl Schuberth], and a different looking portrait at [https://sachsen.museum-digital.de/?t=people&id=114783]. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 15:05, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

:File:Samoilov V.jpgFor comparison, here is an image of Vasily Samoylov. . Not being familiar with Russian handwriting, I can't make out the final letters in {{serif|Шуберт**}}. Is it {{serif|Шубертах}}? That is a plural form, used after a preposition, for example {{serif|на Шубертах}}. Would Schuberth have written his autograph in Cyrillic and in Russian on something gifted to him? If this was given by Samoylov, rather than an autograph, I'd think the inscription would be a presentation description (partially hidden under the frame), something like, "In gratitude to the Schuberths" or whatever. The written text on the frame, below the drawing at the right side, inasmuch as I can make it out, does say something like "V. Samol...". Who can decipher the writing at the left side?  ​‑‑Lambiam 16:57, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

:: It's Шубертъ. In those days final т was always followed by a hard sign (ъ). That usage was purely an orthographic artefact, so the Bolshevik government decreed its abolition. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 19:41, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

:I've concluded that the picture from Dresden City Museum is more authoritative, so I uploaded that one on Commons, added it to Wikidata and changed German and Swedish WP. Anyone who think it's a good idea can change more WP:s, though perhaps some take after Wikidata automagically. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 17:57, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 20 =

When did the modern TV fashion begin for using pizzicato violins in the score to denote comedic / slightly naughty/ suggestive passages? I remember hearing it first in Desperate Housewives from 2004, but now it's everywhere. Perhaps it's always been a classical music meme? So maybe Mozart, etc? Thanks. 2A00:23C7:533:3C01:F06D:9688:FDCB:EA35 (talk) 20:37, 20 April 2025 (UTC)

: It's certainly been around for that purpose in animated cartoons such as Silly Symphonies, Looney Tunes, and Tom and Jerry, the first of which goes back almost a century. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 20:54, 20 April 2025 (UTC)

:Some of Leroy Anderson's pizzicato works were in popular usage at least as early as the 1950s. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:01, 20 April 2025 (UTC)

The article Kajaani Castle now contains a mentioned that Isak Rasmusson returned to Sweden. This is is a direct translation from the Swedish article :sv:Kajaneborg where it says "Rasmusson [...] reste tillbaka till Sverige".

Now the thing is, at the time the Kajaani Castle was in Sweden. At the time, the area of present-day Finland was an integral part of Sweden, not even an autonomous region. An administrative unit named "Finland" did not exist. "Finland" was only a cultural and linguistic area.

So is it OK to say "returned to Sweden" or should some kind of clarification be needed? JIP | Talk 20:59, 20 April 2025 (UTC)

:Do you know which specific city he returned to? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:57, 20 April 2025 (UTC)

::No, the Swedish article does not specify that. JIP | Talk 23:06, 20 April 2025 (UTC)

:I don't see that a problem exists. He returned to Sweden. There's no need to explain that it isn't part of Sweden now, any more than it's necessary to say that Christopher Columbus explored the coasts of various then non-existent Central and South American countries. Clarityfiend (talk) 10:23, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

::I think you've got it a bit backwards. What he returned to has always been Sweden. It's what he returned from was Sweden at the time but Finland now. JIP | Talk 11:29, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

:In the absence of information as to exactly which city, town, county, region, province or land he returned to, and since Finland was then the easternmost part of Sweden (called Österland), would it be appropriate to say "western Sweden"?

:Alternatively, since Finland is not part of the Scandinavian peninsula, would "Scandinavian Sweden" be acceptable? {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 19:32, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 21 =

The stories in the plays by the Big 3: Aeschylus, Soohocles, and Euripides, about the killing of Clytemnestra by Orestes and Electra all leave something basic out, in my opinion. Clytemnestra and Agamemnon's daughter, and Orestes and Electra's sister, Iphigenia, was sacrificed by Agamemnon. Wouldn't a normal son or daughter have viewed that as a partial justification for Clytemnestras killing of Agamnemnon in a society without police? But I'm not asking this for your reaction to my opinion, I'm asking if any Classical Greek critics, Medieval critics, or recent critics have pointed to the obvious lack of motivation for revenge, given Agamemnon's perfidy. Also, Artemis pushed Agamemenon into the killing of Iphigenia(no excuse) and her twin brother Apollo pushes Orestes and Electra into revenge against Clytemnestra. Surely some critics have pointed out all the trouble those twin deities (demons?) have caused?Rich (talk) 03:19, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

The protagonist of Sredni Vashtar is named Conradin, presumably after the king. Why did Saki choose such an odd name? The real Conradin also died young, but that's scarcely unusual. Marnanel (talk) 08:42, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

:The presence in Saki's stories of characters called Clovis Sangrail, Theodoric Voler, and Egbert (surname never given, or failing that forgotten by me) suggests the Middle Ages had a strong appeal for him. --Antiquary (talk) 10:01, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

::Also, Conradin was the subject of other contemporary literary works, so Saki's readership would have been familiar with the name and its associations. See Conradin#In literature. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 19:43, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

Furter to a question on the Language RefDesk, our Portland disambiguation page lists a place called Portland, Somerset, which is linked to List of United Kingdom locations: Po-Poz. The location given there is 51° 7′ 12″ N, 2° 45′ 0″ W, which locates to the town of Street, Somerset. Is this some sort of coordinate error and is there really a place called Portland somewhere in the county of Somerset? Alansplodge (talk) 11:24, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

:Portland is the nickname of that area of Street (around Portland Road north of Stone Hill). I don't think it's an official suburb/area name. Nanonic (talk) 12:02, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

:(ec) The [https://explore.osmaps.com/pin?lat=51.129&lon=-2.75562&zoom=14.6742&style=Standard&type=2d OS map] labels a neighbourhood "Portland", where the other maps only have Portland Road. List of United Kingdom locations: Po-Poz was created back in 2007 by User:Pigsonthewing, with Portland present in the initial version. Maybe he could comment on what the source for that initial version was? --Wrongfilter (talk) 12:04, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

::Splitting a longer list article. I neither added nor removed individual locations. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 13:06, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

:::According to [http://www.townandvillageguide.com/Somerset/Portland.html] this is a small town on the south coast. You can view it on the Street map here: [http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?x=347500&y=136500] (no pun intended). 2A02:C7C:F2B9:CD00:FDD3:E92F:4E08:A68A (talk) 14:03, 21 April 2025 (UTC)LTA. Dekimasuよ! 14:27, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Portland Bill and Isle of Portland? That map is of Street, Somerset, which is not on the south coast. Martinevans123 (talk) 14:10, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

:https://streetmap.co.uk/map?x=347500&y=136500&z=0&sv=347500,136500&st=4&tl=Portland+in+Somerset&mapp=map&searchp=ids Stanleykswong (talk) 22:32, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

::The geolinks in List of United Kingdom locations: Po-Poz lead to a location on Google Maps some {{convert|500|metre|yard}} south-southwest of that indicated on explore.osmaps.com and streetmap.co.uk, across the A39 (Quarry Batch – Westway), in the middle of what looks like a green undeveloped field.  ​‑‑Lambiam 08:53, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

:::From the map it appears to be the cemeteries around Portland Road, Cemetery Lane, Woods Batch and the Westway (A39). Stanleykswong (talk) 13:27, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Thanks all. Since it appears to be non-notable (to say the least), I intend to remove it, unless anyone objects. Alansplodge (talk) 15:32, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 22 =

(a little related to

previous question

Knowing_the_Pope's_name )

By what method is the *Official* translation of a new Pope's regnal name made public?

For Franciscus, the jump to Francis (en)/Franscisco (es)/Francesco (it) ... was quite trivial due to it being a Saint's name, but were some future pope to choose an adjectival name:

Announcement:"...qui sibi nomen imposuit Humilis"

CNN: "Cardinal X named as Pope Humble"

BBC: "Cardinal Y becomes Pope Common"

AP: "Cardinal Z becomes Pope Lowly!"

thoughts..?

-Bogger (talk) 10:28, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

:I might have to eat my words in a few weeks, but I'd imagine that the probability is negligible of the new Pope choosing a name that is neither the name of a previous Pope nor the name of a well-known Saint, and in either case there will already be a standard version in each language. (By the way, there is a Saint Humilis; he appears to be known either by that name (including in English) or by a translated variant (e.g, Umile in Italian).) Proteus (Talk) 10:51, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

:The Holy See is/has a de facto government that has been a player in international politics for more than a thousand years. Pretty sure its diplomatic arm has this sort of thing routinely covered, and probably issues preferred translations amongst other details of the new incumbent in all relevant languages via its embassies to governments and news organisations, as well as disseminating them via its clerical heirarchy to its own adherents. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 10:56, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

::We probably won't get another Pope Joan (?) Martinevans123 (talk) 11:00, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

:::The vast majority of previously used names are extremely unlikely now, I suspect: I doubt we'll be celebrating the election of Pope Hyginus II or Pope Adeodatus III any time soon. Pope Peter II can also be ruled out due to tradition. Other than the novelty of Francis, you have to go back more than 100 years to find a Pope not called John, Paul, Benedict or Pius (or some combination of those, in the case of the two John Pauls). Proteus (Talk) 11:17, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

::::No George or Ringo then? DuncanHill (talk) 11:33, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::There was a Saint George, but no Saint Ringo. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 11:48, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::Maybe no Pope Richard, but plenty of Saint Richards! Martinevans123 (talk) 12:47, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::::Plenty of Pope Alexanders, though. Proteus (Talk) 14:00, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

= April 23 =