"I can taste key lime pie."

[Tokiko Mima]

Ok, it's driving me nuts. What is this in reference to?

"I can taste key lime pie."

Lord Manpower the Temporary says this as his last words after he's arrowed through the head and dies. When next we see him, he's a non-speaking green zombie with an eye-patch. I even went through all the AZM comics I could find and a bunch of PClips and failed to find another pie, arrow, or last words reference that might explain this.

It is just supposed to be funny as a random thing to say when one knows one is about to die? I thought it might refer to his uncroaking turning him green, and key lime pie being green, but actual "official" key lime pie is supposed to be yellow so that's out.

Anyone else know something that I'm missing here?

[Catch]

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[arch]

There are cases of brain trauma where patients have reported phantom tastes and smells. An arrow through the head would probably qualify. ;-)

[Mauril Everleaf]

If you are needing a reference (which I don't think there really is one), watch old war movies. When the main character's friend dies he usually says something along the lines of "I smell fresh bread" or "I can taste my momma's apple pie" then they keel over. This was a humorous adaptation of that phenomenon (which actually occurs in many dying people).

[SteveMB]

I think it's just supposed to be a random thing popping out of his brain as the lights turn off.

[TinSoldier]

If you've ever seen anything regarding brain surgery, you know that poking at or stimulating various areas of the brain can cause sensory perceptions, such as sights, sounds, tastes, or smells. The arrow went through Manpower's brain stimulating the neurons and causing him to taste key lime pie. Right before he croaked.

[Erk]

Yes, actually, the first legitimate map of the human brain was made based on a stroke victim who smelled burning toast right as the stroke set on.

[Wallyz]

I think it's just supposed to be a random thing popping out of his brain as the lights turn off.

Along with the not so random crossbow bolt that just "popped" into his head.

[Cobra_Ikari]

For some reason, this topic now has me wondering if uncroaked Manpower is constantly tasting pie. Or if that eyepatch has a match on the back of his head for the exit wound.

[Vargtass]

I seem to remember that someone stated at the time thar there was an elaborate reference to some sort of computer game...

... though I do agree on the above explanations to. Perhaps the Puns explained thread has the answer?

Yes, I found it in one of Cuchulainshound's posts on the second page of Pun translations

But the most obvious is in the series name itself, "Gobwin Knob". With the "cutesie" baby language going on (dwagons, spidews, erfworld*), that's Goblin's Knob, which is the smallest of the small challenges in one of the greatest timewasters on the internet, The Kingdom of Loathing. (In which "key lime pie" also plays a very, very small part.) (And we won't go into what a Knob Goblin is, ahem.)

(* erfworld = earthworld (and/or possibly "elfworld"), btw, in case anyone is still working at the "dwagons = dragons" level. Right, then.)

For a more accurate explanation, Cuchulainshound will have to elaborate...

[Glome]

I seem to remember that someone stated at the time thar there was an elaborate reference to some sort of computer game...

... though I do agree on the above explanations to. Perhaps the Puns explained thread has the answer?

Yes, I found it in one of Cuchulainshound's posts on the second page of Pun translations



For a more accurate explanation, Cuchulainshound will have to elaborate...

I've played that game a little bit. It's basically a satirical rpg game where you and the monsters you fight are represented by badly drawn stick figures. One of your your big opponents as mentioned are knob goblins. A big part of the game is making different items, one of which is key lime pie, which is made literally from a key and a lime added to some crust. I don't think there is anymore significance then that and what was mentioned earlier about people tasting things when they die.

[Tokiko Mima]

I've played that game a little bit. It's basically a satirical rpg game where you and the monsters you fight are represented by badly drawn stick figures. One of your your big opponents as mentioned are knob goblins. A big part of the game is making different items, one of which is key lime pie, which is made literally from a key and a lime added to some crust. I don't think there is anymore significance then that and what was mentioned earlier about people tasting things when they die.

Awesome! Well, that explains it. I knew it wasn't just a random choice of pie or something abitrary to say.

Now I guess the only mystery left is how Manpower was killed with an arrow, when he was ambushed by crossbowmen.

[Erk]

Marbit crossbows shoot arrows

[Furin_Mirado]

Wait a minute, have we actually seen Manpower as a zombie? Which comic is he in?

[Calamity]

Yes, Page 3, second panel, behind Wanda

[Ave]

Heh, key lime pie is an existing stuff, not just a random brain surgery thing. As in RL existing.

http://images.google.com/images?svnu...22&btnG=Search

[Atlas]

I thought the "key lime pie" was some sort of reference to Natural Born Killers. But it's been a long time since I saw that, and I didn't enjoy it much, so I may not be remembering correctly. But I thought there was some sort of similar reference there.

[ChimericPhase]

Heh, key lime pie is an existing stuff, not just a random brain surgery thing. As in RL existing.

http://images.google.com/images?svnu...22&btnG=Search

I don't think anyone is making the claim that key lime pie doesn't actually exist. I see them in the grocery freezer section often enough to reaffirm my faith in pie without question.


I'm inclined to think it was a play on the random sensory perception at the moment death, with the atypical approach by choosing key lime instead of apple pie, or fresh baked bread.

But then, this is Erfworld, so it could be a refrence to an ambiguous third world country and chupacabras for all I know.

[Tokiko Mima]

Manpower the (Post-)Temporary did repeat the word "Pie" in this latest strip, so perhaps there's even more to come on this subject.

[chionophile]

This thread is really making me crave key lime pie. mmm, pie.

[Silverlocke980]

Agreed- the dying suffer several symptoms, such as tasting that which is not there.

So sad- but funny, too.

(As last words go, "I can taste key lime pie", isn't so bad!)

[Thanatos]

Manpower the (Post-)Temporary did repeat the word "Pie" in this latest strip, so perhaps there's even more to come on this subject.

Or maybe synthesia just continues into uncroakedness. "Pie" is practically a one-word internet meme in itself, so having him stuck on that thought makes for an easy geek reference.

Now... this is probably too much of a stretch to be an intentional reference, but it works nicely as an inadvertent one:

In Dead Like Me, "grim reapers" are just people that died and for some reason were chosen to collect the souls of others that are going to die, for a while before passing on to the afterlife themselves. Georgia (George) is an 18-year-old girl that dies in the pilot episode, and we follow her from the last day of her mortal life to her first assignment as a reaper. In between her living and unliving states, Georgia is still an invisible spirit, and her "mentor" Ruben (Rube) is going over the basics with her.

*******
GEORGE: How come they can see you but they can't see me?
RUBE: Well, peanut, you're dead.
GEORGE: So are you.
RUBE: Bite your tongue! I'll have you know I am un-dead.
GEORGE: What's the difference?
RUBE: As an undead person I have certain rights and priviledges; for instance, I have a physical body. I can enjoy this sweet deliciousness of this tasty key lime pie, and If I so chose I can even interact the the living.
*******

So... Manpower the Uncroaked is undead, and can still taste key lime pie too.

[Cobra_Ikari]

Or maybe synthesia just continues into uncroakedness. "Pie" is practically a one-word internet meme in itself, so having him stuck on that thought makes for an easy geek reference.

Now... this is probably too much of a stretch to be an intentional reference, but it works nicely as an inadvertent one:

In Dead Like Me, "grim reapers" are just people that died and for some reason were chosen to collect the souls of others that are going to die, for a while before passing on to the afterlife themselves. Georgia (George) is an 18-year-old girl that dies in the pilot episode, and we follow her from the last day of her mortal life to her first assignment as a reaper. In between her living and unliving states, Georgia is still an invisible spirit, and her "mentor" Ruben (Rube) is going over the basics with her.

*******
GEORGE: How come they can see you but they can't see me?
RUBE: Well, peanut, you're dead.
GEORGE: So are you.
RUBE: Bite your tongue! I'll have you know I am un-dead.
GEORGE: What's the difference?
RUBE: As an undead person I have certain rights and priviledges; for instance, I have a physical body. I can enjoy this sweet deliciousness of this tasty key lime pie, and If I so chose I can even interact the the living.
*******

So... Manpower the Uncroaked is undead, and can still taste key lime pie too.

The magic Wiki has revealed to me that pre-death, George worked for a Temporary as well.

[Scientivore]

So...George the Temporary couldn't taste key lime pie? but Manpower the Temporary can. Cute!

[Hart av Srednak]

Yes, Page 3, second panel, behind Wanda

Thanks for that. I totally missed that (or actually I thought him to be Dwagons driver... while Wanda was a passenger).

[Om]

Manpower the (Post-)Temporary did repeat the word "Pie" in this latest strip, so perhaps there's even more to come on this subject.

I suspect that this utterance of "Pie" was a dig at this, and similar, threads. Notice that at the time Stanley is mentioning how he can't be explaining every reference...

[Erk]

Thanatos: amusingly, Rube bragging about eating key lime pie was one of the things I thought of too. But that is what I think of most of the times people mention key lime pie in any way. I agree this is not likely a reference to it, that's just too damned obscure and there was no joke built around it.

[Cobra_Ikari]

So...George the Temporary couldn't taste key lime pie? but Manpower the Temporary can. Cute!

...now I really, really hope that this is intentional.

[Reptilius]

Maybe the pie thing in Erfworld is what brains are to zombies in in the "real" world.

Zombie:Brrrrrraaaainnnnns......
Erf-Zombie:Piiiiiiiieeeeee......

[Cobra_Ikari]

Maybe the pie thing in Erfworld is what brains are to zombies in in the "real" world.

Zombie:Brrrrrraaaainnnnns......
Erf-Zombie:Piiiiiiiieeeeee......

I was thinking that, too, except that it's a definite "Pie". So I think he's just...saying a random...Pie. I could be wrong, though...