Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2018 January 7

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January 7

Push-back against the phone zombies

Are there organizations that push back against the phone zombie/phubbing/idiots-staring-into-phones-all-day thing happening to our world? Anna Frodesiak (talk) 04:26, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

If you're talking about Smartphone zombie, as I understand it some cities are installing curb-level traffic signals to help the distracted pedestrians realize they might be stepping into traffic. Not so sure that's "pushback" as much as "giving in". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:28, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

Sorry, I refactored there. Yes, more broadly, all these people on smart phones. Are there groups of non-zombies out there? Anna Frodesiak (talk) 04:31, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

Perhaps neo-Luddism would be of use. There's also a lot listed under See also: there. --bodnotbod (talk) 08:32, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

Thank you, bodnotbod. Actually, those see also items aren't really organizations, or not currently operating ones, anyway. I was hoping to find that groups of people are popping up around the world to get together and chat and play frisbee and, well, live life and such. You know, the things people did before smart phones came along. Like in zombie movies where the few remaining non-zombies group together. Anna Frodesiak (talk) 08:49, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

As I'm sure you must be aware, such groups already exist everywhere. --Viennese Waltz 09:59, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

Book shops, libraries. Certain schools. [1] [2] [3] [4]. A pub, restaurant, bar. (((The Quixotic Potato))) (talk) 09:25, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

Thanks, The Quixotic Potato and Viennese Waltz. Here in China, there is nothing but groups of people sitting in parks, groups in cafes, groups standing about, couples in restaurants, etc., and all or nearly all consist of most people with a phone in their stupid hand and head down staring at it. There may be a cafe somewhere that doesn't allow it, though. What I hope will happen is groups forming of people who reject this idiocy, or at least question it. Anna Frodesiak (talk) 01:29, 8 January 2018 (UTC)

Did you think about asking for this sort of information by walking up to actual people in the street? < / cheeky face > --bodnotbod (talk) 02:41, 8 January 2018 (UTC)

Ha ha ha. :) Anna Frodesiak (talk) 03:19, 8 January 2018 (UTC)

Anna Frodesiak - I object to you calling me an idiot. I frequently have to access my smartphone for work purposes when I am not at my desk.--WaltCip (talk) 16:52, 8 January 2018 (UTC)

Not every smartphone user is an idiot, although this guy could qualify. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:50, 8 January 2018 (UTC)

I wish I could watch that, Baseball Bugs, but not youtube where I am. :( Anna Frodesiak (talk) 20:12, 8 January 2018 (UTC)

Santa Claus gender

People:

In California the Spanish left their mark by naming towns, rivers, and cities after their Saints. Santa Barbara, Santa Monica and Santa Clara - were all FEMALE Saints where as the male Saints used San - San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego.

So why is Santa Claus not SAN Claus since HE is a man.

Please reply.

Thank you,

Rich Waters — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2602:306:35AD:C00:FD3A:6400:4E9C:188D (talk) 10:15, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

The name "Santa Claus" is believed to be derived from Sinterklaas. It's likely a phonetic corruption of the latter term, and spelled "Santa Claus" by analogy to familiar names like "Santa Maria", "Santa Barbara", "Santa Monica", etc. —/Mendaliv/^2¢/_Δ's/ 10:23, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

@Mendaliv: But, ehm, Sinterklaas is based on Saint Nicholas, right? (((The Quixotic Potato))) (talk) 10:28, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

Well, I took the question as suggesting that the phrase we use in English, "Santa Claus", is derived from Spanish like the list of California place names OP listed. My point is that the phrase "Santa Claus" is derived from a different language, so the analogy that was confusing OP didn't apply. —/Mendaliv/^2¢/_Δ's/ 10:31, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

The Spanish version of Santa Claus is either Papa Noel, or El San Nicolas.

There aren't many Female saints with long white beards. But I'm pretty sure Nicholas isn't one of them. Martinevans123 (talk) 10:34, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

There is Wilgefortis, known as Saint Uncumber in England. However, she was allegedly crucified while still a teenager, so it may not have been white. Wymspen (talk) 13:06, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

What's that you say, Saint Cucumber? How ridiculous. Who's next Saint Carrot? Martinevans123 (talk) 17:29, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

That false etymology is quite interesting. Is there a specific term for that type of error (i.e. two independent word derivations being conflated over time because of similarities in how the words are spelled or pronounced)?OldTimeNESter (talk) 13:58, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

@OldTimeNESter: I would recommend asking over at the Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Language. (((The Quixotic Potato))) (talk) 14:00, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

False etymology is called "False etymology". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:15, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

We always used the term folk etymology in historical linguistics, which, oddly enough, is a different article. —/Mendaliv/^2¢/_Δ's/ 17:58, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

Just to be completely clear - the reason why Santa Claus doesn't follow the Spanish pattern is because his name doesn't come from the Spanish. Or articles at Santa Claus and Sinterklaas do a reasonable job of describing the origin. Places named after Saint Nicholas by Spanish explorers do indeed follow the pattern you expect - see San Nicolás for several examples. You wouldn't expect any places to be named "San Claus" because the San is Spanish and the Claus is Germanic. Matt Deres (talk) 19:51, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

Off the rails --Jayron32 19:33, 9 January 2018 (UTC)
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
Come on now Matt, have you never heard of equality?? But thanks, anyway. Martinevans123 (talk) 20:14, 7 January 2018 (UTC) I don't understand the point of this post. Matt Deres (talk) 01:57, 8 January 2018 (UTC) I'm sure you're not alone. Martinevans123 (talk) 16:48, 8 January 2018 (UTC) If y'all are talking about the OP, who's made only the one edit, it's either true ignorance or trolling, albeit fairly benign trolling. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 07:59, 9 January 2018 (UTC) No, I think the OP was a genuine question; it sounds odd to us, but it's an easy enough mistake to fall for. The post I didn't understand was Martinevans123's non sequitur. Matt Deres (talk) 17:41, 9 January 2018 (UTC) And you thought nothing of my earlier nonseqitur saintly cucumber?! I'm so outraged I refuse to respond. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:05, 9 January 2018 (UTC) ...please forgive me, I just fancy myself as a little comic. At least your initial jokes had some kind of launching point. Your reply to me was not based on anything I said or intimated. It's just... there. The occasional joke or pun on here helps lighten the mood, but besides not being funny, your post just comes out of nowhere. It would be like just walking up to two people talking about the weather and shouting "To get to the other side!" at them. It's not clever, it's not based on anything going on at all, and it serves no purpose besides you trying to insert yourself into something you have nothing to contribute to. Please stop. Matt Deres (talk) 19:23, 9 January 2018 (UTC) I'd initially responded to Martin with a lengthy opaque diatribe regarding Nat King Cole's death, Sidney Crosby's birth, Satan's wife, DemonMusicGroup, Capitol Records, the 34th parallels (top and bottom) and a black-haired flamenco dancer. It made perfect sense if you thought about it, but it was the sort of thing nobody should ever think about, so though its ultimate omission cost me over 20 minutes, it left me seeming a lot saner than I might have if I'd continued expounding on the apparent connections to "Harbor Lights" and Spacehog (whose particularly relevant song shall now remain uncited, though I rightly assume Mr. Evans123 knows the one I mean). Anyway, since we're already boxed up and off the rails, thought I'd share. InedibleHulk (talk) 17:04, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

I wholly agree with Matt Deres, even though he doesn't appreciate apologies. The OP was certainly a genuine question but sounds odd because all the examples given are place names. In Spanish the same convention applies equally to personal names of the original Christian saints, doesn't it? Martinevans123 (talk) 10:33, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

See also False friend. Alansplodge (talk) 09:56, 11 January 2018 (UTC)

Church-tower roofs

Has anyone ever heard an English analogue to nl:Kruisdaktoren? The article's in nl:Categorie:Dak (linked to en:Category:Roofs) and nl:Categorie:Kerktoren (linked to Commons:Category:Church towers), and all of the article's pictures (here's one) depict the same style of tower roof, so I'm confident that this is the subject. However, I've never heard a term for this form, which apparently is cross-roof-tower. Nyttend (talk) 12:53, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

Not an official term, but it could be described as a “cruciform gable” roof. Blueboar (talk) 18:03, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

List of roof shapes implies "cross gabled" as standard term. Googling "cross gable roof" turns up enough similar images that it's clear this roof is in that family.--Jayron32 18:55, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

See also c:Category:Cross gables.—Odysseus1479 10:16, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

Ping An Finance Centre

Ping An Finance Centre says: "The two uppermost stories feature an observation deck."

Is this observation deck open to the public? If so, what are its hours and what's the admission fee (if there is one)? I can't find any other information about it online. Mũeller (talk) 23:00, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

Yeah its open to the public. chinahighlights.com/shenzhen/attraction/ping-an-ifc.htm (((The Quixotic Potato))) (talk) 00:24, 8 January 2018 (UTC)