Comments for Turtle Reader » The War of the Worlds http://www.turtlereader.com Slow and steady, page by page... Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:48:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 83 of 84 by ScottS-M http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-83-of-88/#comment-242 ScottS-M Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:46:58 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-83-of-88/#comment-242 <blockquote>Spectrum analysis of the black powder points unmistakably to the presence of an unknown element with a brilliant group of three lines in the green</blockquote> I wonder why this changed from what he wrote <a href="http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-42-of-88/" rel="nofollow">previously</a>: <blockquote>Save that an unknown element giving a group of four lines in the blue of the spectrum is concerned, we are still entirely ignorant of the nature of this substance.</blockquote>

Spectrum analysis of the black powder points unmistakably to the presence of an unknown element with a brilliant group of three lines in the green

I wonder why this changed from what he wrote previously:

Save that an unknown element giving a group of four lines in the blue of the spectrum is concerned, we are still entirely ignorant of the nature of this substance.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 80 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-80-of-88/#comment-241 TurtleReader Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:13:48 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-80-of-88/#comment-241 <blockquote>destruction of Sennacherib</blockquote> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Destruction_of_Sennacherib" rel="nofollow">Sennacherib</a> was a king in the bible who tried to conquer Jerusalem and had his army killed by the angel of death.

destruction of Sennacherib

Sennacherib was a king in the bible who tried to conquer Jerusalem and had his army killed by the angel of death.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 75 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-75-of-88/#comment-240 TurtleReader Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:00:05 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-75-of-88/#comment-240 <blockquote>a tin of mock-turtle soup</blockquote> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mock_turtle_soup" rel="nofollow">Mock turtle soup</a> is <q>is an English soup that was created in the mid-18th century as a cheaper imitation of green turtle soup. It often uses brains and organ meats to duplicate the texture and flavor of the original's turtle meat</q>. I wonder where they were getting all the green sea turtle meat before they started making mock turtle soup. Maybe any type of turtle was ok.

a tin of mock-turtle soup

Mock turtle soup is is an English soup that was created in the mid-18th century as a cheaper imitation of green turtle soup. It often uses brains and organ meats to duplicate the texture and flavor of the original’s turtle meat. I wonder where they were getting all the green sea turtle meat before they started making mock turtle soup. Maybe any type of turtle was ok.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 73 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-73-of-88/#comment-239 TurtleReader Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:39:58 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-73-of-88/#comment-239 <blockquote>eating peas with a knife or dropping aitches</blockquote> I can see how eating pees with a knife might be uncultured but I wasn't sure what 'dropping aitches' would be. It turns out this is <a href="http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/2006/06/herbs-and-haitches.html" rel="nofollow">dropping the leading 'h'</a> from words. Hence the aitches rather h's. Apparently this is a sign of lower social class in England. Funny since I had always thought that saying 'herb' was uneducated and 'erb' was classy (although for some reason I do tend to say 'herb').

eating peas with a knife or dropping aitches

I can see how eating pees with a knife might be uncultured but I wasn’t sure what ‘dropping aitches’ would be. It turns out this is dropping the leading ‘h’ from words. Hence the aitches rather h’s. Apparently this is a sign of lower social class in England. Funny since I had always thought that saying ‘herb’ was uneducated and ‘erb’ was classy (although for some reason I do tend to say ‘herb’).

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 69 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-69-of-88/#comment-238 TurtleReader Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:10:20 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-69-of-88/#comment-238 <dl><dt><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/navvies" rel="nofollow">navvies</></dt><dd>A laborer, especially one employed in construction or excavation projects (Chiefly British)</dd></dl>
navvies
A laborer, especially one employed in construction or excavation projects (Chiefly British)
]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 63 of 84 by ScottS-M http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-63-of-88/#comment-237 ScottS-M Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:51:14 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-63-of-88/#comment-237 <blockquote>He was as lacking in restraint as a silly woman.</blockquote> Women's lib apparently still had a ways to go in 1898.

He was as lacking in restraint as a silly woman.

Women’s lib apparently still had a ways to go in 1898.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 62 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-62-of-88/#comment-236 TurtleReader Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:47:26 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-62-of-88/#comment-236 <blockquote>our Lilienthal soaring-machines</blockquote> This refers to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Lilienthal" rel="nofollow">Otto Lilienthal</a>, <q>the first person to make repeated successful gliding flights</q> and later inspiration for the Wright brothers.

our Lilienthal soaring-machines

This refers to Otto Lilienthal, the first person to make repeated successful gliding flights and later inspiration for the Wright brothers.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 45 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-45-of-88/#comment-234 TurtleReader Fri, 06 Jul 2007 18:41:37 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-45-of-88/#comment-234 <dl><dt><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/stile" rel="nofollow">stile</a></dt><dd>A set or series of steps for crossing a fence or wall.</dd></dl>
stile
A set or series of steps for crossing a fence or wall.
]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 44 of 84 by ScottS-M http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-44-of-88/#comment-233 ScottS-M Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:46:14 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-44-of-88/#comment-233 <blockquote>By ten o’clock the police organisation, and by midday even the railway organisations, were losing coherency, losing shape and efficiency, guttering, softening, running at last in that swift liquefaction of the social body.</blockquote> I thought that was a really well written metaphor.

By ten o’clock the police organisation, and by midday even the railway organisations, were losing coherency, losing shape and efficiency, guttering, softening, running at last in that swift liquefaction of the social body.

I thought that was a really well written metaphor.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 42 of 84 by ScottS-M http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-42-of-88/#comment-296 ScottS-M Tue, 03 Jul 2007 21:59:52 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-42-of-88/#comment-296 <blockquote>Save that an unknown element giving a group of four lines in the blue of the spectrum is concerned</blockquote> I guess science fiction writes can't fall back on the new element justification now days but in the 1890's they were still <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_the_chemical_elements" rel="nofollow">finding new elements</a> with interesting properties pretty rapidly.

Save that an unknown element giving a group of four lines in the blue of the spectrum is concerned

I guess science fiction writes can’t fall back on the new element justification now days but in the 1890’s they were still finding new elements with interesting properties pretty rapidly.

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