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Cultural Idioms and Darmok

From:Gary Shannon <fiziwig@...>
Date:Thursday, February 5, 2004, 21:23
The discussion of idioms caused me to wonder again
about the Star Trek language Darmok.
http://www.chaparraltree.com/sflang/darmok.shtml

What would a human equivalent look like?  For example,
"Archimides in his bathtub" to indicate that someone
has realized something, or "Paul on the road to
Damascus" for religious conversion.

The meanings should be clear for these:

Willy Loman, his pockets empty.
Lincoln, getting ready for the play.
Gollum, his precious lost.
Winona, in Saks Fifth Avenue.
Buddha, sitting under the tree.
Saddam, sitting in his spider hole.
Anne Frank, hiding in the attic.
Napolean at Waterloo. (Custer at Little Bighorn.)
Luke and Obi Wan at Mos Isley.
Lee Harvey Oswald, his hands full, climbing to the
fifth floor.

Each could be used to describe an emotional state, a
state of affairs, or to imply that some event was
about to happen, or that some outcome was expected or
predicted, or to relate some plan or motive for a
course of action.

John: What should we do now?
Fred: (shrugs) Butch and Sundance in Bolivia.
John: (shakes his head) Butch and Sundance in
Australia!
Eddie: (Hopefully) Wyatt Earp at the OK coral?
Fred: (sadly) Lincoln, getting ready for the play.

--gary

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Adam Walker <carrajena@...>