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Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 07:26:25 +1100
Subject: Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend
From: Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
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Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:60135

On Thu, Nov 21, 2013 at 5:18 AM, Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> wro=
te:
> On Wednesday, November 20, 2013 1:09:42 PM UTC-5, Mark Lawrence wrote:
>> I suggest that you write to the BBC and get all episodes of the
>> extremely popular *COMEDY* "Dad's Army" withdrawn as "typical shabby
>> Nazi trick" was one of Captain Mainwearing's main lines.
>
> I see what you are getting at. You were referring to a TV show popular in=
 your part of the world 30 years ago.  As this is a world-wide group, you m=
ight understand that I didn't get the reference, and perhaps many others di=
d not either.  Humor is tricky, you need to know your audience.

The solution is really quite simple. The insertion of a single
footnote will do it. Let it stand that every obscure reference is
explained after your signature, and there you are, out of your
difficulty at once! [1]

ChrisA

[1] See Gilbert & Sullivan's "Iolanthe", eg
http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/iolanthe/web_op/iol23d.html