Is there any information about the 1970s UK joke/comic book Funny Half Hour? Thanks. 205.239.40.3 (talk) 08:01, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

See [1]. 2A00:23C7:E53F:2901:2C58:BF28:3376:7BBB (talk) 09:58, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. I now see that it is mentioned at Thorpe & Porter. It was one of its most successful publications of the 1970s. Perhaps it deserves its own article. 205.239.40.3 (talk) 10:22, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

AN article in the 10 March 1888 edition of said journal is signed "M. H. G. D." Does anyone know who this is? All the best: Rich Farmbrough 12:52, 23 April 2025 (UTC).[reply]

FWIW, Google's AI Overview states (without any source and unaccompanied by any actual hits), that this was John Morley, The Pall Mall Gazette's editor from 1880 to 1883 and a prolific writer on politics and political history. However, without corroboration this AI assertion is useless – to a previous, differently worded query it baldly stated that M.H.G.D. was Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley!

The only note of plausibility in the suggestion is that Morley had been elected as Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Newcastle upon Tyne at a by-election in February 1883 (hence his resigning the editorial post) and may not have wished the article to appear under his own name. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 19:46, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Rich Farmbrough: It might help us to know a little more about the article, eg title, subject, etc. DuncanHill (talk) 19:50, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That newspaper turns up in Newspapers.com, a pay site. That mysterious signature appears on page 11, under an article about feeding the poor: "A meal for a farthing. A social salvation experiment in the east end." No immediate indication of who or what that MHGD represents. There's an article on an earlier page signed by X.Y.Z. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:25, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Part C of The Wellesley Index to Victorian Periodicals, 1824-1900 is probably the place to find this if it's known. Unfortunately volumes 2-5 are no longer available at archive. Someone at WP:RX might have access but i'm having trouble finding which volume if any covers Pall Mall GazettePall Mall Budget (the index only covers weeklies and quarterlies, but the article was apparently included in the weekly[2].) fiveby(zero) 00:53, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

British Library says:

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A00:23C4:79DF:1:9822:D15B:FE61:B4DB (talk) 08:15, 24 April 2025 (UTC)LTA. Dekimasuよ! 22:41, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The article in question has been in plain sight above as an oversize thumbnail since 21:33, 23 April 2025 (UTC), so there is no need to go to a physical library. It reads like an infomercial for the (just so named) Salvation Army. The editor at the time of the Pall Mall Gazette, W. T. Stead, was an activist supporter of the Salvation Army.^[3] He can have commissioned one of his journalists to write the piece, if he did not pen it himself. His predecessor Morley expressed, as MP, admiration of William Booth as a person^[4] but not directly of the Salvation Army.  ​‑‑Lambiam 18:38, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think what was being suggested was using a physical library to look it up in The Wellesley Index to Victorian Periodicals, 1824-1900, to see if that gives the author. DuncanHill (talk) 18:50, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Pall Mall Gazette is not among the periodicals indexed.  ​‑‑Lambiam 10:39, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I thought it was worth a bit of effort and managed to get a peak at vol 5 of Wellesley. Sadly no D., M. H. G. Is listed. I do have the 7 vol Dictionary of anonymous and pseudonymous English literature to unwrap, but I doubt it will help. All the best: Rich Farmbrough 23:17, 27 April 2025 (UTC).[reply]

Reading Jakarta and Jakarta metropolitan area, I'm slightly uncertain about the status of the city. The metropolitan area article notes that the city's share of the metropolitan area's population has declined significantly since 1990. Is that primarily because nearby areas of adjacent provinces have grown much faster, or has the city also become less populous and/or shrunk in area? Also, since it's a "Special Capital Region" with "a status equivalent to that of a province", I'm guessing that its boundaries can't change without some action of the central government, comparable to Washington DC or Canberra. Is that true, or have I misunderstood things? I don't understand that much about Indonesian government. Nyttend (talk) 20:35, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Indonesia is divided into provinces, then into cities/regencies. Jakarta (aka Special Capital Region of Jakarta) is province-level, and has five cities and one regency within it. The Jakarta metropolitan area is an unofficial construct much like any metropolitan area in the world. Abductive (reasoning) 10:47, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

"I say, I say, I say. I've sent my wife to Indonesia." "Jakarta?" "No, I put her on a plane.". AYE THANG YEW! DuncanHill (talk) 17:15, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

What, after all, is a city? Is it a human settlement, as our article claims, or is it lines on a map? Anyway, the population of Jakarta certainly hasn't shrunk, so it's your first theory: the spreading urbanisation beyond its formal borders. It's crowded, there's a reason the government is trying to escape it. CMD (talk) 17:25, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Is it considered bias, to change the word "Mormon" to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, because the LDS church does not use the term "Mormon" anymore.

FYI, I am a member of the LDS church. Paul Mcartny (talk) Paul Mcartny (talk) 01:33, 24 April 2025 (UTC) 01:29, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

As I recall, Mitt Romney said the word Mormon is a "nickname". It's in common usage. And it's certainly less wordy than spelling out LDS all the time. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:54, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Baseball Bugs as I said with Clarityfreind,"...back in the 1800's, calling someone a "mormon" was a derogatory term." Paul Mcartny (talk) 13:57, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This isn't the LDSopedia. What the church prefers (IMO a way of concealing its past from the less-educated) is not our guide. Clarityfiend (talk) 06:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'm just saying what we call ourselves. Paul Mcartny (talk) 13:45, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

And the things I'm saying, are the facts about our religion.

@Clarityfiend, back in the 1800's, calling someone a "mormon" was a derogatory term. Paul Mcartny (talk) 13:52, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It still is, to some outsiders. And what a given group calls themselves does not necessarily dictate Wikipedia usage. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:00, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank You! Paul Mcartny (talk) 14:15, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

And by the way, do they no longer call their unique text "The Book of Mormon"? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:35, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There is a person, in the ancient American Continent named Mormon who wrote the book so we call it The Book of Mormon. Paul Mcartny (talk) 13:41, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The only evidence for Mormon (prophet) having existed is Words of Mormon in the Book of Mormon a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, published in 1830 by the movement's founder Joseph Smith who analysed the name thus: Mormon-->more + mon (Egyptian)-->more + good. A Wikipedia style guide allows appropriate use of the word Mormon to refer to Latter Day Saint movement adherents. Wikipedia's neutral policy can report shared beliefs (Creed) of religious communities including branches of the LDS when identified as such, but prohibits claiming a particular or disputed doctrine, such as prophet Mormon existed, as a verified fact. Philvoids (talk) 23:15, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Ok. Can I still write LDS for editing, It is also easier to write than 'Mormonism'. Paul Mcartny (talk) 00:03, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

FYI, there is some geographical and historical evidence that the events in The Book Of Mormon did happen. Paul Mcartny (talk) 00:07, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It could be interesting to see such evidence. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:25, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I could do with a good laugh. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 10:41, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

>:( Paul Mcartny (talk) 13:09, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Most everyone thinks their religion is the "right" one. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:57, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

the >:( face was directed at 94.194.109.80 Paul Mcartny (talk) 15:14, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yup. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:29, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Baseball Bugs 2000 years ago, around the time Christ was crucified, there was a volcano that erupted in the Yucatán Peninsula called the El Chichón volcano. In the book of Mormon, when Christ was crucified, the Nephites were stuck for 3 days in darkness. It was so dark that not even candles could be lit. (most likely because the ash from El Chichón.) Paul Mcartny (talk) 13:23, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There is definitely an El Chichón volcano there, though the article only lists relatively recent eruptions. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:57, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I did a little more internet digging and found out I got the wrong volcano. the real volcano was Xitle. here is a link

[5] Paul Mcartny (talk) 15:20, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If not, I will do more digging. Paul Mcartny (talk) 15:25, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The eruption of Xitle would be more than 200 years after the crucifixion. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:29, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

More digging I guess Paul Mcartny (talk) 17:10, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Not that I don't appreciate your dedication, but what you are doing is akin to a "defence in depth" of your conviction. Whenever one of your dominoes of evidence falls, you are not reconsidering your position, but retreat to the next domino. Is there any observable potential evidence that would shake your believe in the literal existence of the prophet Mormon? If not, you are welcome to your religious beliefs, but arguing the position with people with a naturalistic perspective is likely to be be unproductive. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 09:34, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Helpful mormon friends assure me that facts can be verified by applying "Moroni's Promise" expressed in Book of Moroni: "..ask God in prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, if the things are true. And if they ask with a sincere heart, the truth of them will be made manifest through the power of the Holy Spirit." Philvoids (talk) 11:46, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Paul Mcartny For our policy on this sort of thing, please see WP:COMMONNAME. Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:33, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you! Paul Mcartny (talk) 13:59, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

According to our article Fields of Fire (song), one of the contemporary reviews mentioned ""a nod to the homeland discernable in the repetition of a familiar Scottish folk theme in the guitar instrumental segments". What was that familiar Scottish folk theme? Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 17:13, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'm familiar with the song in question, but rather less familiar with Scottish folk songs. What I do remember reading in contemporary reviews is that the introductory guitar section has more than a passing similarity to the Guns of Navarone theme music. This being the 1980s it's probably going to be impossible to find the source on-line - I'll give it a try but no promises. Daveosaurus (talk) 00:42, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

At the time, its similarity to "Johnny Todd" was frequently commented on, but I'm not sure if that counts as a "familiar Scottish folk theme". 194.73.48.66 (talk) 12:27, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello,

I'm currently researching a fascinating medieval legend attributed to Peter Comestor’s Historia Scholastica, which allegedly appears in Patrologia Latina, Volume 198, page 1147. The passage reportedly explains why the Jewish ritual of circumcision is performed with iron rather than stone, based on the idea that iron “softened” to allow David’s stone to pierce Goliath’s helmet — thus earning a special honor in sacred rituals.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to locate this exact page in any available online source (e.g., Internet Archive, Gallica, Documenta Catholica Omnia).

Would anyone here be able to:

1. Direct me to a scanned or digitized copy of page 1147 from PL 198?
2. Or perhaps transcribe or summarize the relevant Latin text if you have access?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you very much.

טל ומטר (talk) 01:01, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Are you sure that it's page 1147 rather than column 1147 (which would be more usual in a PL reference)? Deor (talk) 02:07, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you@Deor It is indeed likely that it refers to column 1147. טל ומטר (talk) 06:37, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You didn't mention Google Books though. Here's the passage you're looking for. If you ever want to find links to PL volumes patristica.net is the place to go to. --Antiquary (talk) 08:43, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you@Antiquary very much. טל ומטר (talk) 09:47, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Also accessible on the Internet Archive ([6]), with the advantage that one can zoom in further than in Google Books view.  ​‑‑Lambiam 12:07, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

By the way, these requests may be processed faster at WP:RX, their dedicated venue! Aaron Liu (talk) 13:10, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

While researching the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries in Poland, I came across the family name "רַבֵּינוּ" (or "Ravinu" / "Rawenu"). The correct pronunciation is unclear: Rabenu, Ravenu, or Ruwenu. This name appears only in connection with a particular author and his son. Since surnames were generally uncommon in Poland at that time, its origin is puzzling. Could this name have originated in Germany or in other Yiddish-speaking regions?

טל ומטר (talk) 21:42, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Are you sure this is a proper name? There is a Yiddish term רבינו, (Rabbeinu, "our master", "our teacher", "our rabbi"), from Hebrew רַבֵּנוּ (rabéynu, "our teacher"), from רַבִּי (rabí, "teacher") +‎ ־נוּ (-nu, "our").  ​‑‑Lambiam 10:14, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Note [b] and [v] are closely related, and pronunciation has changed one way or the other in several cases during language evolution. See Betacism. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 10:37, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you very much@Lambiam and thank you@Stephan Schulz. This refers to an author who identifies himself as Yaakov son of Yitzchak of the 'רבינו' family. It has nothing to do with "Rabbeinu," meaning "our revered teacher" or a well-known rabbi. His son also refers to himself in the same way. טל ומטר (talk) 11:33, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There is a website https://lincolnandchurchill.org/. I always get "403 Forbidden" when I try to go to it. What is the website? Who runs it? Is anyone allowed to see it, or are we all forbidden? Thanks, DuncanHill (talk) 18:43, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'm able to get to it. Maybe the site only allows American IP's to get to it? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:23, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Same here (I am in the US and can access). Blueboar (talk) 19:30, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The site is run by the Lehrman Institute, which seems to have been the creation a historian named Lewis E. Lehrman. Not sure if he is considered an expert on Lincoln and Churchill… but he has published on both. Blueboar (talk) 20:07, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Ah thank you, he is Lewis Lehrman, an investment banker and Republican politician. DuncanHill (talk) 20:12, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I am not in the US and I can access the site. Maybe they just don't allow people named Duncan? Matt Deres (talk) 15:50, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Or Alan... Alansplodge (talk) 18:24, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'm in the UK and get 403 Forbidden as well. But as soon as I turn on the proxy server to an American or Canadian IP it lets me visit, but not with UK, German or Swedish IPs. Curious. —Simon Harley (Talk). 18:45, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

We see two consecutive archdeacons called Mant (see navbox below). Both have clerical fathers called Richard Mant, associated with Southampton. One links with Richard Mant, the other does not. It seems almost certain that the two are related, but whether brothers, cousins or uncle and nephew I can't tell. Any information? All the best: Rich Farmbrough 11:18, 28 April 2025 (UTC).[reply]

Our article Robert Mant says he was the son of Richard Mant, Rector of All Saints, Southampton. Our article All Saints, Southampton, says its first rector was Richard Mant, father of the Richard Mant who was born in 1776. That (second) Richard Mant was the father of Walter Mant. This would make Robert Mant the uncle of Walter Mant. I hope that makes sense. DuncanHill (talk) 12:06, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

And this page about Bishop Richard Mant mentions both "his two surviving sons – Walter Bishop Mant, (archdeacon of Connor 1832–34, and archdeacon of Down 1834–69), and the Revd Frederick Woods Mant", and "the Revd Robert M. Mant (1785–1834), the bishop’s younger brother and archdeacon of Down and Connor 1828–34". DuncanHill (talk) 12:13, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Per this and this, Robert is Walter's uncle, being a brother of his father Richard Mant. Walter took over from Robert when the former died. Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 12:09, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

[Edit Conflicts] There are clearly conflations and errors in these three articles.

(1) while Robert (Mullins) Mant (19 March 1786 – 9 April 1834) is plausibly credited with the Archdeaconship of Down from 1828 (aged ca 42) until his death, Walter (Bishop) Mant (6 February 1808 – 6 April 1869) is also credited with same Archdeaconship from the same date (when he was ca 20), referenced to the identical source;

and

(2) Robert Mullins Mant is described as the son of Richard Mant (12 February 1776 – 2 November 1848), Bishop of Down from 1823, which would have Richard becoming a father before his tenth birthday! This Richard Mant is described as the son of Richard Mant D.D., described in Walter's article as the father of Walter, and of 'another son' who might be Robert.

Needs some further research! {The poster formerly known as 87,.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 12:21, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks all. I've started tweaking things, and will probably create the full list of Down archdeacons eventually. Our pages were pretty good, there were some date errors, but nothing else actually wrong. All the best: Rich Farmbrough 23:57, 29 April 2025 (UTC).[reply]

Harry Montague Vaughan Barron, the son of Harry and Clara Barron, died on the 9th of February 1909, aged 27. He was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery at noon on the 13th. A notice in the Evening Standard on the 13th was to be accepted by friends as "the only intimation". He had married on the 11th February 1908 at the Roman Catholic St James's, Spanish Place. Sir Harry Barron's Who's Who entry does not mention his son. Do we know how HMV died? Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 14:17, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Barron died in London after an operation for appendicitis. See [7]. Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 14:26, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Is this true that John Hopkins University is known to be a right-wing institution because some of its alumnus were known to be right-wing politician or minded people like Dr. Ben Carson, who was Trump's HUD secretary during the former's first term? --Donmust90-- Donmust90 (talk) 03:34, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It is very rare for a university to be right-wing.  However, in general, universities are more open to different ideas and different beliefs, including political beliefs.  So you can't say a university is right-wing just because some of its alumni are considered right-wing politicians or people with right-wing ideas. Stanleykswong (talk) 06:39, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The name is Johns Hopkins.  ​‑‑Lambiam 09:19, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

US representatives Sarah Elfreth, Kweisi Mfume and Lauren Underwood are both JHU alumni and members of the Democratic Party, and so is Maryland governor Wes Moore. While these are probably fairly centrist, there is no reason to think the spectrum of political positions of JHU alumni is less broad than that of those from other research universities.  ​‑‑Lambiam 09:33, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Ben Carson's almae matres are Yale University (BA) and University of Michigan (MD). He only did his residency in neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  ​‑‑Lambiam 09:42, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Definitely not. Ben Shapiro went to Harvard, Ron DeSantis to Yale, Ann Coulter to Cornell, and Trump famously to Penn. Take your pick, every elite institution has produced very conservative and very liberal figures. Strange how that works... Eddie891 ^Talk _Work 09:54, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If you look at the list of 21st Century American far-right politicians, you'll see that virtually none of them are from Johns Hopkins University. Stanleykswong (talk) 12:16, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hi all, I was reading our article Royal Mint Court, as it is the proposed site of the new Chinese Embassy in London.[8] In the section Royal Mint Court#The Royal Mint the following sentence occurs:

My question: Apart from the Yeomen of the Guard in the Tower, is it the case that from around 1806 that the Mint Guard was provided by any of the Foot guards regiments in turn, as part of their guard duties at the nearby Tower of London, and in summer by normal line regiments? Most of the following is the research I attempted, in order to arrive at this question.

Background

The Royal Mint was originally located in the Tower of London until 1806. As far I have been able to discover, the garrison of the Tower was first supplied by 'Hamleteers', men from Tower Hamlets, the Tower Division. The Tower Guard was formed in 1648 as part of the Trained Bands of The Tower of London and its Hamlets, sometimes known as the The Tower Regiment of Foot.[9]

In 1685, during the Monmouth Rebellion, King James II raised a force of infantry from the Tower of London garrison; the Tower Hamlets Militia. Two companies from the Tower guard became the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). The Royal London Militia was a volunteer unit, becoming the 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, probably not involved with full-time duty at the Tower or Mint.

When the Mint was re-located to the Royal Mint Court in 1806, "Twenty-four soldiers kept permanent guard, relieved every 24 hours from the Tower."[10] "The military guard continued to be drawn from the Tower garrison until 1903" when the Metropolitan Police took over. "On 1st July 1903, a sergeant, corporal and nine men of the 4th Rifle Brigade lined up in front of the Mint, presented arms and marched away to the Tower, thereby dismounting the Mint Guard for the last time."[11][12]

The Tower was the barracks of the 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). (From Constable of the Tower#History.) They weren't necessarily involved in guard duty at the Tower.

The majority of the Royal Fusiliers moved to Hounslow Barracks in 1881 after being based at the Tower for nearly 200 years. Only a small number stayed.[13]

From the diary of Edward Cutler, (1878-1963) of the Scots Guards: "Guards occupied a deal of the duty at the Tower. Main Guard, from which the Ceremony of the Keys took place; Spur Guard to which was attached the "store kitchens", a cell we had to spend the night if unfortunately too late to pass the gates before midnight. Wharf Guard under the Tower Bridge, Magazine Guard and Royal Mint Guard: the Mint Guard ceased about the beginning of the South African War, as did the Sentry Posts on the Ramparts overlooking Tower Hill."[14]

"Next year it will be 60 years since the 2nd Battalion [the Gloucestershire Regiment] relieved the Guards at the Tower of London for two months." R.S.M. W. Stenner, (No. 7777, 1904-30) "Recollections: Old Soldiers Remember." The Back Badge, Summer 1964, pp. 48–9 [15] [i.e. 1905] He mentions the many duties to be found at the Tower: main guard, five posts; spur guard, two posts; wharf guard, one post. Inlying picquet about five posts; fire picquet, about a dozen. The Mint guard had been transferred to the Met by then.

Summary

So... It seems that the Mint Guard was one of the many duties performed by the battalion/regiment in residence at the Tower. Usually performed by (one of the?) Guards regiments, but during their annual Summer Camp it was devolved to one of the line regiments, including the Glosters and the Rifle Brigade, as above. It seems that the 4th Battalion, the Rifle Brigade was in residence at the time of handing over guard duties to the Met, and to them fell the final military duty of the Mint Guard. Am I on the right track? MinorProphet (talk) 11:05, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

https://british-police-history.uk/f/metropolitan-royal-mint Stanleykswong (talk) 12:47, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

He sued WP a while ago, recently there have been additions to the article that he withdrew, "He has withdrawn the suit. Please refer to the order on Saket District Court's website- punch in the following details. 10 CS DJ 518/22. This will not be covered in secondary media most likely."

Is anyone able to get a link out of this? Primary source might be useful. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 18:41, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Here is a page where you can search by case number – which, however, must be a string of digits only, so it is not possible to "punch in" the identifier "10 CS DJ 518/22". Just "518", with the year 2022, brings up many cases, but not this one. Apparently there is some other "Saket District Court's website", but I have not found it.  ​‑‑Lambiam 09:21, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

American general who died near the end of WWII. Here's 3 pictures of him:

• Maurice Rose (US Army major general)
• Presidential Unit Citation ceremony - March 24, 1945 Generals Collins, Hodges and Rose,
• Rose as commander of the 3rd Armoured, August 1944 - March 1945

Why isn't he wearing any decorations in any of these pics, only general without in pic 2? Seems unlikely he didn't have any. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 20:30, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There are some photos of him with his "fruit salad", e.g. here, but apparently he didn't like wearing it. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:37, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It wasn't customary back then to wear all of your decorations. Dwight Eisenhower used to only wear a few of his. Hawkeye7 (discuss) 22:39, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, but this guy didn't wear any at all in most of his photos. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:10, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think it's a person's own choice.  He needs only wear the decorations indicating his rank, not all decorations. Stanleykswong (talk) 06:22, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Difference between Red Successors and Young Pioneers during Chinese Cultural Revolution? I just finished reading Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jaing. Red successors defined as mirroring Red Guard but in elementary school (we don't have article) while Young Pioneers defined as primary school group that included most children approved by school committees. Were the Young Pioneers officially recognized by the CCP because school committees were appointed by the CCP and the Red successors were not officially recognized because they were semi-formal? Is that the difference? Any help appreciated. Thanks. Therapyisgood (talk) 01:09, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The Young Pioneers of China were (are!) an organization usurped during the Cultural Revolution, part of a greater pioneer movement in the socialist world. The term I know for "Red Successor" (红色接班人) is something I've seen on posters and in speeches, I have not read the memoir but my guess is it is a significant social position but not corresponding to a eponymous organization as such, see Little Red Guards. Remsense ‥ 论 01:28, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The Communist Party of China is a highly flexible organization. During the Cultural Revolution, Lin Biao repeatedly referred to the Little Red Guards as red successors, but in fact, they are not and will never be. Stanleykswong (talk) 06:12, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The Red Pioneers should be called Young Pioneers of China (中国少年先锋队 or 少先队 in short). Young Pioneers, formerly known as Labor Scouts (劳动童子军), was an organization established  for children from working class families during the All-Russian Congress in 1922.

The red successor (红色接班人) originally referred only to those who were born in a red aristocratic family. In Chinese Internet slang, it means "high in Zhao-containing" (含趙量高). Stanleykswong (talk) 06:07, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There's a particular voice that was used in 1980s/1990s comedy to mark a character as nerdy. Stilgoe and Skellern sing this entire song using it. I remember using it myself for a character in a school play.

Where did it come from? To some extent it's got to be that we were all copying one another. But then you'd expect there was a largely-forgotten original, in the same way that there are contemporary Peter Lorre impressions by people who don't themselves remember Lorre. Was there? Marnanel (talk) 12:42, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The voice and mannerisms became popular with Jerry Lewis, specifically in his movie The Nutty Professor (1963 film). Jerry Lewis explained, in multiple interviews, that he and Dean met a man on a train from Chicago who spoke like that. They spoke to him throughout the trip, fascinated by his mannerisms. Jerry felt it was perfect for his nerdy side of the character in the movie. He kept the nerdy personna in standup comedy from that point on, making up strange words to accent the character. Certainly, Jerry Lewis is not the original nerdy character, but he popularized it and has been copied repeatedly. For example, Profesor Frink is an obvious rip-off character. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 13:41, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Major-General's Song

Recording from 1920 of a patter song from "The Pirates of Penzance" (1879) comic opera.

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Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Nerdy", a slang term originating in the 1950's for "overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted, or lacking social skills", may not describe the patter song style as well as the bolded link in this lyric: "This particularly rapid, unintelligible patter / Isn't generally heard, and if it is, it doesn't matter". Stilgoe, Skellern and the OP in school were all following a comic song tradition marked by performers such as duo Flanders and Swann, and George Formby.You may enjoy searching their names in YouTube or hear the prime english-language patter song-smiths Gilbert and Sullivan by clicking in the box. Philvoids (talk) 14:31, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, but I'm familiar with patter songs; I was asking about the delivery they use in this particular song. Marnanel (talk) 17:52, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You'd need to be Henry Higgins to figure out English nerdy from a song. Abductive (reasoning) 18:17, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It may help you in your searches to know that this kind of voice is often called adenoidal. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 11:29, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Also there is spit in the mouth, perhaps due to braces or a retainer. Abductive (reasoning) 17:43, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The above medals, in an image recently uploaded to Commons, were awarded in 1934 by the Women's Automobile and Sports Association to "Miss V. Wild" for motorsport events in the United Kingdom.

Who was she, and what became of her? Web searches find serval listings of her as a competitor, but no forename or other details - and no image. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 12:53, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I do not believe "Miss" is her name. Looking at the entrants for the race, I see "Mrs Montague Johnstone, Mrs A.Needham, Miss M.Allan, Miss Watson Riley, etc..." So, that tells me her name is "V. Wild." Victoria? Virginia? Vivian? A few years previous, Enrico Wild raced. Relation?

To make matters more complicated: At that time, the Wild family was into racing. Alessandro Wild raced under the name Ventidue Wild. Ludovico Wild raced under the name Ventuno Wild. There is also a Ventiquattro Wild. So, if this female driver is related, her first name likely does not begin with a V.

And another complication: I've found multiple references that state that the Wild family were Swiss-Italian racers who chose the last name "Wild" for their racing names. Their actual name is Italian. Therefore, all I can say is that it is very likely that the woman you are interested in is not named Miss, does not have a first name beginning with V, and does not have the last name Wild. In other words, "Miss V Wild" is not her name in any way. That makes it very difficult to find information about her. I suggest looking for family information about Alessandro Wild (understanding that Wild is not his real last name) and seeing if you can find information about his sister (or mother, or daughter, or cousin...). It likely isn't his wife because she is listed as Miss instead of Mrs. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 13:27, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Google Books has a single mention of a Lodovico Wild in a marriage announcement. Given that, as you mentioned, Wild seems to not be their actual family name, this may be someone else entirely. Nevertheless, I have transcribed the text below:

This was sometime between 1938 and 1943 based on the listed it:Arciprete di Monza, so timing-wise it would generally seem to line up. GalacticShoe (talk) 16:57, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If you look very, very, very closely, you can see her in this photo (click twice to enlarge twice). (It may just be me, but her passenger looks like Stalin in profile.) Clarityfiend (talk) 07:05, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Somewhat clearer in this photograph driving a different car in 1933. Mikenorton (talk) 12:11, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Looks like the same navigator, though.

I don't think anyone thought for a moment that "Miss" was anything other than her social position (apart from anything else it's in upper & lower case, whereas the surname is all caps): in some sports 'Mr. X' and 'Mrs/Miss/Ms Y' are/were added to names to designate amateur competitors as opposed to professionals whose names only are/were used, but I don't know if that applied in this sport at this time. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 13:13, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

For those with a newspapers.com account, there is a good picture of her on page 17 of the 15 May 1933 Daily Record. Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 17:36, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If there's no named photographer, it's likely to be copyright-expired, so perhaps you could upload it to Wikimedia Commons? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 19:45, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure that there's a relevant PD tag for 1933 publications? Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 11:13, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

{{UK-PD-unknown}}. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 11:55, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Pigsonthewing: Thanks, have a look at File:Motor enthusiasts V Wild, M Allan, Marjorie Cottle, Marshall, and Dickson.png. Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 12:37, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 13:20, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm, WASA members seemed to be upper-class ladies so i was looking at Viola Mary Harmsworth (Wild) Jeannerat (1910 - 1952). Discarded tho because she was married 1935 and this was 1939. There's a wedding photo in"Early Spring Weddings...". The Bystander. 13 March 1935. available at British Newspaper Archive. Some resemblance i think. You got mail, but i pointed to wrong photo, #1 upper left. fiveby(zero) 13:38, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Now on Wikidata as Miss V. Wild (Q134301730). Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 13:21, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It's a shame that the forename isn't apparent. I could find lots of mentions of her entries into various races in the 1930s, and can even give you the colour of the vehicle she predominantly raced in, but never her full name. Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 13:34, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Since, as 68.187.174.155 has demonstrated above, her entire 'competitive' name is assumed, as was her family's practice in sporting contexts, perhaps the 'V' doesn't stand for anything.

Her competitors/friend may simply have addressed her as "Vee", and the complete absence of any 'full forename' in press reports where others' forenames are given suggests she never mentioned one. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.2.101.226 (talk) 06:57, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

it's a plausible theory, but far from "demonstrated". Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 09:16, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This seems to be a feature of the way these events are reported, for example [16] mentions "Miss A. Sandell" and "Miss R. Game", among others. "Miss V. Wild", bronze medallist, was nobody special. She also competed in the 1939 MG Car Club Abingdon Trial/Rally, but then came the war.

You can make any number of speculative connections [17]. Back in the 1960s, Group Lotus had a centre at Hethersett, near Norwich, and on 8 March 1969 one of my friends married one of their drivers. 2A00:23D0:4A0:A101:B848:CC98:603F:8118 (talk) 17:16, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I am very confident in saying that her forename, or at least the name she went by, begins with V. Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 17:29, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Alessandro Wild and Ludovico Wild both raced under the pseudonyum V. Wild at the same time as the V. Wild discussed in this thread. They went by their real names, not the "V" names, which is how we know what their real first names were. We also know that their last name is not "Wild." I have no confidence that any racer named "V. Wild" at that time is named either V or Wild. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 17:57, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Also, I realized that the other racers are named Ventuno Wild, Ventidue Wild, and Ventiquattro Wild. In Italian, that is 21 Wild, 22 Wild,and 24 Wild. Maybe the V. Wild here is Ventitre Wild. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 18:22, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

68., i think everyone is looking for a nice English girl, why do you keep looking for Italian men? Some chance it was Viola, she played some lawn tennis and got trounced in the 1936 Women's British Open Squash Championship listed under her married name "Mrs Viola Jeannerat". Baseball Bugs would you mind looking at the photo in Daily Mirror 6th March 1935 page 17 on newspapers.com and see if you think it is the same person? fiveby(zero) 12:50, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict) Oh, really. You're talking about Italian motor racing. What has that to do with rallies in Scotland and Abingdon? 2A00:23D0:4A0:A101:28AD:22F7:A580:F4CE (talk) 12:59, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Why look for men? There are four V. Wild racers in the 1920s and 1930s. Two are identified as brothers often. The third man is confusing and is sometimes listed as a third brother or a new alias for one of the previous brothers. The female V. Wild's car model and number match the car model and number used by one of the brothers. That makes it likely that the V. Wild female is related to the two V. Wild brothers and maybe even a third V. Wild relative. So, if someone were to work out the proper last name of the two V. Wild brothers, that is likely the same last name as the V. Wild female. From there, it may be possible to work out the true identify of Miss V. Wild. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 13:55, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Miss V Wild was in a photograph with a lot of other English ladies. She was driving a Wolseley Hornet in the IPv6's link. Re your comment The female V. Wild's car model and number match the car model and number used by one of the brothers what source are you using? 82.4.215.90 (talk) 17:48, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Why'd they do this? Rushed landing aim? I thought the heavy engine might be in the front but a Bell UH-1 Iroquois engine is behind the passengers (which is logical, minimize transmission weight). Why didn't they land on the level the back of the line was on? Slightly harder to snipe at, no need to build propwashed wood steps in a hurry. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 15:52, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

They haven't landed; the rotors are holding the helicopter in position. This is often done in mountain rescues. The building is still there, so you can see the size of the three rooftops available. I don't recall the VC being interested in sniping civilians during the Fall of Saigon. Abductive (reasoning) 17:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

An interview with the pilot and film from another direction which might help is in this YouTube clip. Alansplodge (talk) 11:40, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Why was the southeastern chunk of Church property outlined in blue here (now containing most of the Paul VI Audience Hall) not included in the Vatican City state under the Lateran Treaty? 71.126.57.99 (talk) 16:29, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Nothing seems to come up in the Googling. Except perhaps that it (the Palace of the Holy Office which is also on the chunk) was used during the Inquisition to imprison people, and so maybe best not to give the Vatican any such facility. Abductive (reasoning) 17:22, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

(ec) Presumably because it was not owned by the Vatican at the time. According to the source used in our article Paul VI Audience Hall it was given to the Holy See in 1965 by the Knights of St Columbus. It had been St Peter's Oratory. DuncanHill (talk) 17:22, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think there's no "Knights of St Columbus" - there's the Knights of St Columba (biggest?, most likely), Knights of Columbus or Knights of Saint Columbanus. Johnbod (talk) 17:30, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Quoting our article: "It was constructed on land donated by the Knights of Columbus and is named for Pope St. Paul VI" and the source of the inline citation given is titled Faith and fraternalism : the history of the Knights of Columbus, 1882-1982. Modocc (talk) 01:00, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

How the celebration of heritage day enforces the application of the constitution of South africa 41.114.167.113 (talk) 19:45, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Presumably you're talking about Heritage Day (South Africa), and this sounds like a homework question. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:44, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If it is a homework question, it seems to be improperly worded, because "enforce" is clearly too strong. I'd be stumped by the question as is. Nationally celebrating rights afforded by law may strengthen the inclination of the judicial system to apply these laws faithfully, but I don't know if South Africans celebrating the day think of this as also celebrating their Bill of Rights. Here is a Parliament Statement issued last year on Heritage Day in which the Presiding Officers of Parliament note that "Heritage Day is also a time to remember and take pride in what unites us – our Constitution".  ​‑‑Lambiam 10:01, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'm chipping away at adding citations and expanding this article about a Canadian politician. The article states: "When Bob Rae dropped out on the third ballot and released his delegates, Scott Brison opted to support the politically similar Michael Ignatieff." I cannot for the life of me find a source that confirms this anywhere on Newspapers.com or otherwise. Can anyone lend a hand here? MediaKyle (talk) 20:38, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

"   Scott Brison    ... Supported Rae, then Ignatieff."^[18]  ​‑‑Lambiam 09:40, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You're my hero, thank you. MediaKyle (talk) 10:30, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There are some truck images where they are painted in some pop culture patterns (like Peterbilt 359), seemingly related to historical American trucking culture. But finding reasonably large images of such painted trucks to discern and identify the paintings was tough for me - most appear only on scale models rather than actual trucks (like that Peterbilt as a Revell model). Are there any sources specifically dealing with such art paintings on trucks? And are those paintings based on actual trucks? Brandmeister^talk 10:43, 4 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

By "identify", do you mean, "identify the original of which this is a copy"? I expect most to be original art work, not unlike typical graffiti murals.  ​‑‑Lambiam 11:13, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I mean to identify what is actually depicted on them (which may include the original paintings). Brandmeister^talk 11:17, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I was asking questions about Aztec and Inca History to a friend who studied anthropology and colonial history of Latin America, and he told me most Inca Emperors, except maybe the last one and Huascar and Atahualpa, were "probably not real". I don't know if his view is common or not, and I didn’t find anything on Wikipedia, so I'm asking here. Did the Inca Kings really exist? 80.187.85.122 (talk) 14:00, 4 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You could start by asking him to prove his assertion. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:08, 4 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It's so improbable that the Incan Empire, with its extensive irrigation system, didn't have a succession of rulers. If you look at the Sapa Inca article, there are only 13 emperors. There is a great deal of rather ordinary and believable detail about them, such as being the third son, setting up a school system, or being poisoned in a plot over succession. The only troubling aspect is that each of them was said to have ruled for nearly exactly 30 years. Perhaps there were some Chester A. Arthurs and William Henry Harrisons among them that were left out of the oral histories. Abductive (reasoning) 21:12, 4 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Arthur had a rather normal-length presidency; it was his predecessor, Garfield, who is much more analogous to Harrison. Nyttend (talk) 02:28, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Garfield is remembered because he was assassinated. Abductive (reasoning) 06:08, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

InMcCallum, R. B. (1944). Public Opinion and the Last Peace. Oxford University Press. p. 110. we read "Professor Brogan has remarked that to fail to understand Hitlerite Germany required not merely ignorance but will." I would be grateful to known when and where Brogan said that. Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 22:16, 4 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Here is a trail of my fruitless search. In the same book (Public Opinion And The Last Peace), McCallum writes, "Professor Brogan has pointed out that Englishmen who professed such admiration for the constructive work of the Nazis and Fascists forget that France carried out a great construction of her own."^[19] It appears quite plausible to me that this derives from the same source as the "not merely ignorance but will" pronouncement. The statement has a footnote citing as source: D. W. Brogan. The Development of Modern France, p. 599. The same work by Brogan is cited elsewhere in McCallum's book, and it is the only work by Brogan named there. It is indeed a source for the French reconstruction effort,^[20] but I failed to find some version of the "not merely ignorance but will" or "admiration ... forget" pronouncements anywhere in this work.

In an article on Lord Halifax, McCallum has mentioned the "not merely ignorance but will" pronouncement using a slightly different wording:

Sir Denis Brogan has said that to misunderstand Hitler's intentions required not only ignorance but will-power.^[21]

The verb forms (remarked, pointed out, said) leave open the possibility that the source is a speech delivered by Brogan.  ​‑‑Lambiam 10:56, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Lambiam: Thank you (twice) for the above, I was going to look up Brogan on French reconstruction later, you have saved me the effort. As for my original question, I have found the answer. I found:

And to be deceived about Hitler’s Germany required more than ignorance, it required will. There was abundant evidence of the character of the leaders of the Third Reich, their aims, their ideals. Those aims and ideals were as odious and dangerous in theory as in practice. There was no ground for the illusion that Nazi Germany was evolving towards decency; it was getting worse and worse ; more and more like its own vision of itself the longer it lasted. People can believe anything, but the suspension of disbelief in the evident that marked so many commentators on Germany, so many visitors of eminence to Germany between 1933 and 1939, gives a new and more depressing extension to “anything”.

inBrogan, D. W. (1941). "Broadbent Abroad". Is Innocence Enough? Some reflections on foreign affairs. London: Hamish Hamilton. p. 69.. DuncanHill (talk) 12:25, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hiding in plain sight at Denis William Brogan. 2A00:23D0:40A:C501:3012:1D64:4442:BE80 (talk) 13:13, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I added it to the article! DuncanHill (talk) 13:17, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Why is Lalitpur District part of Uttar Pradesh, and not part of Madhya Pradesh, which almost completely surrounds it? I know state boundaries were set to match linguistic borders, but their articles' infoboxes suggest that both states are predominately Hindi-speaking. Neither the district article nor Lalitpur, India explains this, and neither Uttar Pradesh nor Geography of Uttar Pradesh mentions Lalitpur. Nyttend (talk) 02:52, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Lalitpur was in the United Provinces (see United Provinces of Agra and Oudh and United Provinces (1937–1950)) before they were re-named Uttar Pradesh. Before that it was in North-Western Provinces and before that Agra Presidency. Presumably when the states were re-organised in 1956 there was no compelling reason to move it from a Hindi-speaking state of which it had been a part for many years, to another Hindi-speaking state. DuncanHill (talk) 11:38, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, the savings in not having to redo signs & stationery etc is often thought to be the reason why the universal abbreviation "U.P." was able to remain "U.P." (Uttar Pradesh = "Central region"), despite not really being very central in any geographical sense. Johnbod (talk) 03:28, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

'Uttar' means 'north', 'Madhya' means 'middle' --Soman (talk) 22:26, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

InDuster, A Gentleman with a (1922). "Lord Northcliffe". The Mirrors of Downing Street (Popular ed.). London: Mills & Boon, Limited. p. 56. we read "I think Scrutator in Truth has uttered the truest and therefore the most useful reflection on Lord Northcliffe's life." Begbie then describes Scrutator as "sane and responsible" and quotes him at length. So, who was Scrutator? Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 23:11, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Reviewing Newspapers.com (pay site), I see over 41,000 ocurrences of the word "Scrutator". It often seems to be used in reference to the process for choosing a new Pope, implying one who scrutinizes the process. However, I also ran across a 1940 obit that said a person known as "Scrutator", the pen name of a London Times editorialist, had died. His name was Herbert Sidebotham. Might this be it? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:15, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

In William Cushing's Initials and Pseudonyms: A Dictionary of Literary Disguises (1886) he's identified as Henry Du Pré Labouchère, Truth's editor, but since Labouchère died in 1912 that's no answer to your question. We're perhaps looking at a William Hickey kind of franchise. --Antiquary (talk) 09:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think it must have been a William Hickey-type of situation, and also it's clear more than one paper had a Scrutator. Sidebotham was Sunday Times, and others used the name there. The Morning Leader also had a Scrutator. I've now had a chance to look at some of the columns in Truth. Some appear under the name "A Truthful Tory", which was an acknowledged "William Hickey". Others do not have a byline. The 1929 Truth obituary of Robert Augustus Bennett, "until recently the editor of Truth", says his earliest contributions (he started writing for Truth in 1884) included occaisional "Scrutator" articles. So "a Truth journalist" is probably as close as we will get, absent the files. DuncanHill (talk) 09:56, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Columnists need not be involved in the process of presenting of news, so I'm not sure every columnist would be considered a journalist. "A Truth columnist" may be a mere appropriate label.  ​‑‑Lambiam 10:19, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

A journalist need not be involved in the process of presenting of news either! OED journalist "One who earns his or her living by editing or writing for newspapers, magazines, etc", dated to 1693. OED columnist "Originally U.S. One who writes a ‘column’ in the newspaper press. In the U.S. sometimes with the jocular spelling colyumist. Dated to 1920. DuncanHill (talk) 10:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that that's the British usage, at any rate, of journalist. I believe I've even come across newspaper cartoonists being so described, though crossword compilers, hmm, that might be pushing it. If we're dipping into the OED I'll add scrutator, "one who examines or investigates", so an obvious choice for any writer of political or social comment, whether in Truth or elsewhere. --Antiquary (talk) 12:45, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Is the area informally called "German Belt" (the region in the Midwest of the United States that was settled by German immigrants) defined in some way? Were there attempts to define its borders, even in a broad way? Alternatively, what States where includes and what were not? Thank you! 79.42.50.171 (talk) 18:05, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

"Borders", as well as "includes" both sound a little bit unconstitutional for that matter. Also note that emigrants might ( and often should better ) cultivate some pride out of their ethnic roots without necessarily associate to it unconditional attachment to all other groups of broadly the same heritage. --Askedonty (talk) 18:32, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There's a very nice map in the European Americans that shows that even in 2020, there are a lot of German-Americans in the Upper Midwest (from Pennsylvania stretching to Montana). I would say that attempts are rarely, if ever made in the US to define borders of ethnic groups. Race maybe. Abductive (reasoning) 23:58, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Did you mean the first map in German Americans? Using entire states gives only a very rough approximation. This article has a sentence,

No, I meant the map in European Americans. It shows county by county. Abductive (reasoning) 18:31, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

"There is a German belt consisting of areas with predominantly German American populations that extends across the United States from eastern Pennsylvania, where many of the first German Americans settled, to the Oregon coast."

It is labelled "[citation needed]". If "with predominantly German American populations" means that over half the population has full or partial German ancestry, this overstates the case. The section German Americans § 19th century has a more detailed map of the density of the German population compiled from the 1870 census data, using a different criterion: number to the square mile. The "Belt" as seen there extends west as far as Kansas and Nebraska, which at the time of publication could be considered extending "across the United States"; Colorado and Wyoming had not yet achieved statehood. The peak of the German immigration had yet to come; it would be interesting to see a map of the 1900 census.

A description from 1909, using geometric boundaries, is given here:

... the German Belt — that is, between Northern New York and Mason and Dixon's Line, and running westward — ...^[22]

 ​‑‑Lambiam 07:57, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Happened in Canada recently. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was defeated in his riding of Ottawa, but is going to run in a by-election soon because Damien Kurek essentially gave him his very safe Alberta seat. Are there precedents? Doesn't need to be national level or Canadian. Matt714931 (talk) 21:37, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Without invoking specific instances, I will say that in the UK, in the far-from-unknown instance of a party leader losing in their own constituency, it is pretty much the usual thing for a less prominent member in a safe seat to give it up in order for the leader to return to Parliament via the resulting by-election.

(Technically they cannot actually resign, but instead go through the procedural charade of applying for one of two supposedly paid jobs that no longer really exist, but which are deemed "offices of profit under the Crown", employment in which disqualifies them from Parliamentary membership.) {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.2.101.226 (talk) 22:40, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Similar things have happened in Australia. It's worth noting that in such cases, that less-prominent member will be will usually be rewarded with something such as a simple and confortable ambassordorship or the like.

And there are lots of precedents in Canada as well, both at the federal level and in various provincial legislatures. I believe we had a question about, this, concerning Mark Carney, only a few weeks ago. There's almost always some sort of compensation for the member who gives up his or her seat. Xuxl (talk) 13:49, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

A famous British case - in the 1906 United Kingdom general election the Tory leader, Arthur Balfour, lost his seat Manchester East (UK Parliament constituency). Alban Gibbs, MP for City of London (UK Parliament constituency) resigned and Balfour won the February 1906 City of London by-election. I don't know if Gibbs received any kind of reward. DuncanHill (talk) 11:19, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

In many countries as Pakistan, Syria, Iraq there are target killings of Shias by Sunni groups. Even Al Qaeda and ISIS have killed many Shias.

Most Muslim countries did not attack Israel, like Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt even though they have good military strength.

In many countries, Shia Iran is helping Shia groups in Yemen, Syria.

Shias are less than 14 percent of all Muslims. Many Sunnis don't consider Shias as Muslims.

Iran and their Shia groups, they are facing violence from Sunnis in many places, but it seems Shias have taken the full responsibility on behalf of all Muslims to fight against Israel and USA?

When Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and most Sunni countries are not fighting with Israel and USA, why Iran and their Shia groups are fighting. They don't know they cannot defeat Israel and USA? SilverfangDragon (talk) 03:35, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The article Arab–Israeli conflict might provide some answers. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:04, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Not many Arabs in Iran though. DuncanHill (talk) 15:53, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

and Iran–Israel proxy conflict. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 11:15, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There is a discussion at Axis of Resistance too. Abductive (reasoning) 18:29, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The ensign

Letters "H.M.P." and an indistinguishable logo

I recently bought from Ebay a 12x6ft woollen 1940-65 RCAF ensign, and found letters "H.M.P." on its flag heading. Given that the seller got the ensign from someone else, these three letters could be the only possible trace left for probing into its source. Having failed to find anything useful on my own, I humbly seek help from you omniscient English Wikipedians. —— 王桁霽 (talk) 21:42, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

H M P Zary, and a smudged Red Indian logo. DuncanHill (talk) 22:26, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Would be good if it were so, but his initials are H. P. M. rather than H. M. P.; he's notable for an article per our standards for aces, but not my field unfortunately. Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 22:32, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

He comes up as HMP in other results, eg 403 Squadron Operations Record Book 1945. DuncanHill (talk) 22:36, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There are book sources that have "H. P. M. Zary" ([23], [24]) or "Henry Paul Michael Zary" ([25], [26]). I did not find book results with the order of the secondary given names reversed.  ​‑‑Lambiam 10:18, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you DuncanHill for the reply. I wonder why the name of a pilot would be printed thereupon, because for most of the cases the flag heading would be for the flag maker company. — 王桁霽 (talk) 00:53, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, dear, the photo in ur link, esp the Indian emblem on the aircraft, perfectly cleared things up methinks. Now i'm fully convinced the ensign belonged to the squadron he commanded (RCAF No. 403 Squadron according to my research). Truly impressive insights. — 王桁霽 (talk) 01:03, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Further research showed that Mr Zary was also in Squadron 421, whose badge was exactly a Red Indian warrior. — 王桁霽 (talk) 01:18, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I understand "anti-camo" was better in large black powder battles but they did have auxiliaries wearing green why didn't they get closer to ghillie suits or hand-painted camouflage? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 23:19, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

What are you talking about? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:49, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think he's asking why it took so long for military camouflage to develop from the simple green uniforms worn by Napoleonic-era riflemen to modern-style disruptive-pattern camo. Iapetus (talk) 08:28, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

• Early developers of camouflage were actually artists of the various Modernist styles, see: List of camoufleurs. Previous movements in art like Romanticism and Neoclassicism would probably not have come up with the striking patterns of modern camouflage. It also had to do with the rapid advancement of technology in general. World War I, where modern disruptive camouflage was first used. was also the site of many other "firsts" in the technology of war. Pinguinn 🐧 09:12, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Someone on the interweb says it is, and that the Title of Nobility Clause therefore precludes Trump despite his interest in the job[27] and Sen. Graham's endorsement.[28] I see there was once a papal coronation but while not formally abolished, it hasn't been practiced since 1978. Likewise I don't see anything in papal titles specifically connoting nobility. I understand that the papal conclave finished its deliberations for today without electing a new Pope, so it's possible they are debating this issue right now. But, I'm wondering whether the matter has already been studied as it may be of some urgency ;). Obviously since Cardinals are "princes of the Church", Trump can't become a Cardinal while serving as POTUS, but the Pope is not a Cardinal similar to how the King is not a subject. Thanks and I'm not seeking legal advice. 2601:644:8581:75B0:1602:415C:D21D:EF59 (talk) 02:17, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The issue is null and void. While canon law permits any baptised Catholic male to be elected pope, (a) nobody other than a cardinal or at least a bishop has been elected for many centuries, and (b) DJT isn't a baptised Catholic to begin with. As usual, this is him using a completely ludicrous premise, narcissistically to cause the world to talk about him. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 03:42, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Here's the origin of the word "pope".[29] And I doubt very much that DJT has come up in conversation at the conclave, except maybe as a joke. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

While Jack of Oz and Baseball Bugs are correct, I’ll go ahead and answer the question. The clause in question states: “No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.” The Vatican is a foreign State, and the office of Pope is an Office or Title, so the President (and any other U.S. officer) cannot accept it without the Consent of the Congress. I suppose that the President could become Pope with congressional Consent, although it might be an interesting question whether Congress could give such a Consent under the First Amendment. John M Baker (talk) 03:52, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

How would the first amendment figure into it? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:59, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Happens all the time. It is common for the US ambassador to the Holy See to be awarded a Papal knighthood. Hawkeye7 (discuss) 04:02, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Does papal knighthood confer any authority on its recipient, or is it more like just a souvenir? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:08, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

These days titles of papal nobility and orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See confer no authority. Papal knighthoods are indeed substantive and not honorary, although I am not sure that makes a difference. My understanding is that Congressional approval is routine. Hawkeye7 (discuss) 04:25, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that a choice like Trump hasn't been made before, but if we can have a robot pope, then a Cheeto pope shouldn't be too much of a problem. The Vatican is a foreign state but it's not the Vatican that makes someone the pope. The College of Cardinals does that, and it's just an organization headquartered in the Vatican. Doesn't seem worse than the director of NASA also holding a professorship somewhere, which has probably happened.

Anyway, thanks everyone. If I somehow become a Cardinal tomorrow and have to choose between Trump and a robot, the info from here will undoubtedly be invaluable. 2601:644:8581:75B0:1602:415C:D21D:EF59 (talk) 06:50, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You still believe that Trump abides by the Constitution? The same Constitution he tramples on daily? Woke up and smell the covfefe! (Also, aren't worshippers of Satan automatically disqualified?) Clarityfiend (talk) 07:54, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

As Trump is mildly cretinous, he probably doesn't realise that being Pope would make him a servant... Fortuna, Imperatrix Mundi 10:27, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Only mildly?? I'll have you know he's a very artistic person. Martinevans123 (talk) 10:44, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Anatolius of Laodicea was a senator. He was acclaimed by the people and made priest and bishop in one day. 51.7.231.224 (talk)

Did that get him out of the Senate? If so, it worked. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:07, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hi,

A memorial was inaugurated in Ressaix, Belgium a few days ago, where 10 American aviators died in 1944. Should it be included in the municipality's article or does it deserve its own article? Thanks. 42.117.181.216 (talk) 10:43, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Depends on how much material in how many WP:Reliable sources you can initially find, and how much effort you want to expend at this time.

An article should preferably be referenced to at least three Reliable sources of substantial length (see WP:42 for guidance), and needs to be constructed and structured suitably, which is not a trivial task especially for your first time (see WP:YFA); a mention in an article (here, presumably, Binche) requires at minimum only one cited Reliable source and is a lot easier to perform.

It's quite usual for a subject to begin as an inclusion within a suitable existing article, and later to be expanded into its own independent article (linked to at least the 'parent' article to avoid orphanage); this is particularly the case for a recently reported event, since in due course further material is likely to be published that can contribute to the eventual article.

Hope this helps. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.2.101.226 (talk) 12:13, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]