OOTS #1161 - The Discussion Thread

[Ruck]

How dare you make me remember high school chemistry. Moles my butt.

I think you could see a doctor for that.

[danielxcutter]

GW c

Damnit, I was thinking about that too.

[MartianInvader]

Perhaps you'd be interested in gambling with my mortgage-backed quatloo investment products? They're funded by forumites subscription fees, what could go wrong?

[The MunchKING]

Molecules, then?

buckets if the standard video-game units of water are the go to.

[Ruck]

Perhaps you'd be interested in gambling with my mortgage-backed quatloo investment products? They're funded by forumites subscription fees, what could go wrong?

I love our speculation-based economy!

[Peelee]

I love our speculation-based economy!

It's better than a skydiving-based economy!

[Sir_Galliant]

Can you bet amounts of gold using irrational numbers?

[Peelee]

Can you bet amounts of gold using irrational numbers?

Only if the bet is irrational.

[danielxcutter]

Only if the bet is irrational.

So... most of the bets here, then.

[Borris]

What about imaginary numbers?

[Aveline]

What about imaginary numbers?

Be careful not to wager the imaginary gold in an imaginary bet, or it'll negate your winnings from real bets.

[Jasdoif]

Be careful not to wager the imaginary gold in an imaginary bet, or it'll negate your winnings from real bets.

Nah, it just gets complex.

[Casimir-Ivanova]

Be careful not to wager the imaginary gold in an imaginary bet, or it'll negate your winnings from real bets.

That would require me to win a real bet to result in a disadvantage, and Hel would freeze over first. :P

[Sir_Galliant]

In that case, I bet (47π+12i) to the power of e molecules of water that Durkon lands the killing blow on the nightcrawler.

[Peelee]

molecules

Why you gotta be bringing units into it?

[Fyraltari]

Why you gotta be bringing units into it?

Let’s pretend he meant moles, these aren’t a real unit anyway.

[Peelee]

Let’s pretend he meant moles, these aren’t a real unit anyway.

Agreed. I bet Avocado never counted 602,300,000,000,000,000,000,000 of anything in his life.

[Fyraltari]

Define "count".

[Peelee]

Define "count".

[Fyraltari]

I knew something like this was coming.

Is there a difference between "count" and "earl" by the way? I have heard that English-speakers used the German based earl (from jarl) instead of the French based count (from comte) because count sounds like something else. Is that true, and why isn't it "earl Dracula", then?

[Peelee]

I knew something like this was coming.

Is there a difference between "count" and "earl" by the way? I have heard that English-speakers used the German based earl (from jarl) instead of the French based count (from comte) because count sounds like something else. Is that true, and why isn't it "earl Dracula", then?

I'm a Lord Baron of the Principality of Sealand! I made it up when I got both the Lord and Baron titles. I feel like I was granted the power to do so by my titles. All hail Prince Regent Michael!

In large part the difference between these titles is a variation in the scope of wealth, influence, family and range of authority. In the English peerage system the highest ranking of the titles is Duke followed by Marquess, Earl, Viscount, then Baron. The title Count is not used in the British peerage system the equivalent bring "Earl". Hence the wife of an earl is a countess. A Duke can be of Royal blood as in HRH the Duke of York, or HRH the Duke of Cambridge or not as in the Duke of Norfolk or The Duke of somerset. In history titles, along with territory to govern and profit from them were often given by the sovereign as rewards for service and loyalty and were passed down through the generations from father to son.
This ranking system also clearly defined the order of precedence at the royal court.

The title Lord or his lordship can refer to a holder of any of these titles and is often part of the style of address. E.g. His lordship the Earl of Huntingdon.

[zimmerwald1915]

Is there a difference between "count" and "earl" by the way?

Earl was an Anglo-Saxon title, Count a Norman one. In the modern UK and English peerages, an Earl and a Countess are of the same rank.

[Fyraltari]

Yeah I get this, but why isn't it Earl Dracula, then?

[Peelee]

Yeah I get this, but why isn't it Earl Dracula, then?

Because Dracula wasn't English.

[Cazero]

Let’s pretend he meant moles, these aren’t a real unit anyway.

Spoiler

Show

...You monster.

[Fyraltari]

Because Dracula wasn't English.

But the book is in English. I mean if it was Voivode Dracula, that would be one thing but it isn't.
Besides, the entire reason he summoned Harker was to know English so well he wouldn't make subtle but funny mistakes (and perfect his Received Pronunciation accent). Sounds like "We actually use the term Earl" would be relevant to that interest.

[zimmerwald1915]

But the book is in English. I mean if it was Voivode Dracula, that would be one thing but it isn't.

"Count" was probably used to indicate he was Continental - that is, not English, and foreign. Which was probably sufficient for the Edwardian reading public, insensitive as it was to the history of medieval eastern European realms.

[Peelee]

But the book is in English. I mean if it was Voivode Dracula, that would be one thing but it isn't.
Besides, the entire reason he summoned Harker was to know English so well he wouldn't make subtle but funny mistakes (and perfect his Received Pronunciation accent). Sounds like "We actually use the term Earl" would be relevant to that interest.

Yes, but the character wasn't. If Louis XVI came to America, we would address him as King Louis, even though we have no king, because he is a king where he's from. Dracula was a count where he was from, so even in England, he's Count Dracula.

[Fyraltari]

Yes, but the character wasn't. If Louis XVI came to America, we would address him as King Louis, even though we have no king, because he is a king where he's from. Dracula was a count where he was from, so even in England, he's Count Dracula.

But in England the word for that rank is Earl, not count. You wouldn't be calling Louis "Basileus Louis", would you?

EDIT:

"Count" was probably used to indicate he was Continental - that is, not English, and foreign. Which was probably sufficient for the Edwardian reading public, insensitive as it was to the history of medieval eastern European realms.

Oh. That makes sense. Thank you.

[jokem]

Can you bet amounts of gold using irrational numbers?

Even better using imaginary numbers! Wait, that's what we are doing!