Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2019 May 21

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May 21

Alphabetizing bands

I've found the list of bands on Southern Gothic to not be in any real order and I'm trying to alphabetize it. Obviously Johnny Cash goes under C and Drive By Truckers goes under D. What about entries like Slim Cessna's Auto Club? Put it under C like I would if it was just Slim Cessna or ignore the name of an individual and put it under S? In the case of Dr. John would it be D or J? The APA style guide says D but I searched the archives here and saw some suggestions for ignoring titles which would suggest J. I suppose it could go either way so which is preferable or more commonly used here on Wikipedia? ACupOfCoffee (talk) 19:55, 21 May 2019 (UTC)

I don't think it's worth the effort of discussing and implementing it. Not many readers would rather have the list alphabetized. Jmar67 (talk) 21:31, 21 May 2019 (UTC)

ACupOfCoffee -- except for certain bibliographic standards, Wikipedia is usually more interested in its own style guides than external style guides. See Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lists#Embedded lists, Collation etc. AnonMoos (talk) 04:45, 22 May 2019 (UTC)

My two cents. If it's an individual artist, go by last name, otherwise just use the first letter in the band's name. So Slim's Club would go under S. Clarityfiend (talk) 08:17, 22 May 2019 (UTC)

I agree with Clarityfiend. Deor (talk) 13:54, 22 May 2019 (UTC)

May I suggest conducting further research. Thereby if Dr. John is a genuine doctor with a Phd. I would classify his name as "John, Dr." However if this is just a stage name or given name such as Doctor Khumalo I would classify him as "Dr. John." -- 10:01, 22 May 2019 81.131.40.58

I've moved a few around. As for "Slim Cessna...." and the like, most of those are basically individuals with a named backing band and not bands with a fake individual in their name. Think "Buddy Holly and the Crickets". I moved Delta Rae to the Ds as it is a band named after a fake individual and "Rae" in that construction seems more like a middle name. Think "Betty Sue" or "Linda Lou" or "Sue Ann". --Khajidha (talk) 19:50, 22 May 2019 (UTC)

At a radio station I worked at years ago, we had the same issue in arranging our record library. [For the youngsters here, we had an actual library room filled with thousands of phonograph records.] One band that caused some consternation was The Lamont Cranston Band. Initially it was filed under C, but then we moved it to L based on the fact that not only was there no such person in the band; there was no such person period. ("Lamont Cranston" was a fictional character in The Shadow.)    → Michael J Ⓣ Ⓒ Ⓜ 00:01, 26 May 2019 (UTC)

Matoid

The following quote contains the word matoid. Google seems to know it not, apart from word endings such as rheumatoid. Is it a typo, and if so, for what?

Van Gogh is the typical matoid and degenerate of the modern sociologist. Jeune Fille en Bleut [sic] and Cornfield with Blackbirds are the visualised ravings of an adult maniac. If this is art it must be ostracised, as the poets were banished from Plato's republic.

It's by Robert Ross, from The Morning Post (1910). I came across it in The Guinness Dictionary of More Poisonous Quotes, which has more than its fair share of misprints.

Thanks. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:00, 21 May 2019 (UTC)

Maybe mattoid? ---Sluzzelin talk 21:07, 21 May 2019 (UTC)

Ah, that is surely it. Thanks, Sluzzelin. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:22, 21 May 2019 (UTC)

Resolved

My new favorite (clean) word for describing Trump. Clarityfiend (talk) 08:19, 22 May 2019 (UTC)

I sense a new TV series coming: daft-ish. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:44, 22 May 2019 (UTC)