5 ms·
Why isn’t it obscure? Because you know it?
by hnarn 6y ago
Why isn’t it obscure? Because you know it?
- noir_lord 6y agoI mean Terry Pratchett (very popular English language author) wrote a book literally called Jingo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingo_(novel) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingo_(novel) It's not a word you'd hear every day but it's a word I'd bet on the majority of genuinely literate people to understand.
- hnarn 6y agoThe HN filter bubble truly can be a staggering thing sometimes. I never knew I wasn't genuinely literate, but you learn something every day.
- emteycz 6y agoThey said that the majority of genuinely literate people will know it, that doesn't say anything about you.
- hnarn 6y agoIt's still staggeringly elitist and unaware to assume that "genuinely" literate people (whatever that means) should not only know of Pratchett but also know his entire bibliography by heart. While it may come to a shock for English speakers from the UK and the US, not everyone that speaks English are American or British, and may not be primarily interested in literature from those countries.
- emteycz 6y agoGenuinely literate people mostly know Pratchett, it's a extremely well known author consistently topping charts whose books are available in nearly every language of the world, very popular in Russia as well as Finland as well as Czechia and elsewhere. It shocks me (a Czech person) you'd claim otherwise, some of his books are actually required reading here - we read foreign literature just as much as local. It never struck me as elitist, this is pure merit - you're making it about nations but it's just about Pratchett being that good.
- gammalost 6y agoLooked up that book on two different online stores in Sweden cdon and bokus. On both of them the book had zero reviews. Are swedish people not literate?
- emteycz 6y agoI am very sure Pratchett is well known even in Sweden. What are the reviews for Romeo and Juliet? And again - not knowing Pratchett doesn't say that one isn't literate. The statement is "most genuinely literate people will know Pratchett". Stop being so defensive for nothing, nobody is attacking your intellect here...
- gammalost 6y agoMy bad, meant adlibris not bokus. Bokus has 3 reviews on it. But here's the difference on adlibris. https://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/romeo-and-juliet-9780486275574 https://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/romeo-and-juliet-97804862755... https://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/jingo-9781473200258 https://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/jingo-9781473200258
- gammalost 6y agoBesides not really sure how I am being "so defensive"? I made one comment agreeing with somebody
- jmmcd 6y ago> It's still staggeringly elitist and unaware to assume that "genuinely" literate people (whatever that means) should not only know of Pratchett The comment you're referring to didn't say that, or suggest it. So this is one red flag for your "genuine" literacy :)
- reikonomusha 6y agoYour assertion about what a majority of literate people know is almost surely false.
- andrewinardeer 6y agoIf it's relevant my cat is name Jingo.
- noir_lord 6y agoWanted to name mine Greebo but was over-ruled. In hindsight probably a good idea, not a self-fulfilling prophecy you'd want.
- ynx 6y agoI heard the word throughout my (American) upbringing - it might not be used as much internationally but it's definitely not obscure by any stretch.
- wilsonrocks 6y agoI think it might be used more in places that have history with European (maybe just British?) Colonialism.
- chris_wot 6y agoIt’s not that it’s obscure because you do not know it, that’s for certain.