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Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend

References (14 earlier) <mailman.2979.1384969067.18130.python-list@python.org> <15a6e59c-1ebc-44dc-9441-b2410a49ab98@googlegroups.com> <l6itsv$q1a$1@ger.gmane.org> <528DF430.1060608@rece.vub.ac.be> <CAPTjJmpE1qogG59KqMvO_kO3fxRxPc5EvvyazLEeFTZm4smqEQ@mail.gmail.com>
Date 2013-11-21 11:29 -0500
Subject Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend
From Neil Cerutti <mr.cerutti@gmail.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Message-ID <mailman.3011.1385051374.18130.python-list@python.org> (permalink)

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On Thu, Nov 21, 2013 at 10:48 AM, Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> wrote:
> Well, a good British comedy does go around a long way. I have to say,
> though, the shortness of the line makes it harder to recognize. Only
> in the tightest of circles could one say "Bother that telephone!" and
> have people understand that it's a reference to the Fat Controller
> from The Railway Series (aka the Thomas the Tank Engine books). The
> more quote you make, the more likely that pieces of it will be
> recognized.

The best sort of reference is one you can miss completely and
still not be confused by. For example, The Borribles by De
Larrabeiti is one of my favorite books despite my knowing virtually
nothing of the back-streets of London or the (now dated) pop-culture
satire it contained.

Many of the main villains in
the book are hilarious and mean-spirited parodies of
a series of British children's literature, The Wombles,
and a British TV show, Steptoe and Son, but the characters work
fine on their own.

But even so, I agree that a footnote is a good idea. And I haven't always
lived up to that ideal, myself.

-- 
Neil Cerutti <mr.cerutti+python@gmail.com>

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Thread

Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend bradleybooth12345@gmail.com - 2013-11-19 10:40 -0800
  Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend maxwell34m@gmail.com - 2013-11-19 11:05 -0800
  Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Neil Cerutti <mr.cerutti@gmail.com> - 2013-11-19 14:07 -0500
  Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Gary Herron <gary.herron@islandtraining.com> - 2013-11-19 11:06 -0800
  Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend bradleybooth12345@gmail.com - 2013-11-19 11:27 -0800
    Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Denis McMahon <denismfmcmahon@gmail.com> - 2013-11-19 20:48 +0000
      Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Duncan Booth <duncan.booth@invalid.invalid> - 2013-11-20 11:38 +0000
        Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Denis McMahon <denismfmcmahon@gmail.com> - 2013-11-23 02:03 +0000
    Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Mark Janssen <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2013-11-19 14:51 -0800
  Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-20 00:17 +0000
    Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> - 2013-11-19 22:10 -0500
      Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-20 03:52 +0000
        Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> - 2013-11-20 00:54 -0500
          Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 09:29 +0000
            Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-20 13:57 +0000
              Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 14:51 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2013-11-20 18:33 -0500
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> - 2013-11-21 15:44 +0200
              Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 14:49 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-21 02:05 +1100
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 15:06 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 15:09 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-21 02:14 +1100
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 15:35 +0000
                Multiple postings Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 15:36 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 15:34 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-20 16:29 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 16:45 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2013-11-20 09:12 -0800
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-20 17:37 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2013-11-20 09:51 -0800
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-20 18:09 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2013-11-20 10:18 -0800
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-20 18:35 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2013-11-20 11:54 -0800
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-21 07:26 +1100
                Off-topic: Pop culture references [was Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend] Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-21 00:27 +0000
                Re: Off-topic: Pop culture references [was Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend] MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2013-11-21 00:48 +0000
                Re: Off-topic: Pop culture references [was Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend] Tim Golden <mail@timgolden.me.uk> - 2013-11-21 09:08 +0000
                Re: Off-topic: Pop culture references [was Re: Newbie - Trying to   Help a Friend] Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2013-11-22 17:10 +1300
                Re: Off-topic: Pop culture references [was Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend] Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-21 20:46 +1100
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2013-11-21 12:53 +0100
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-22 02:48 +1100
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Neil Cerutti <mr.cerutti@gmail.com> - 2013-11-21 11:29 -0500
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-22 04:10 +1100
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend bradleybooth12345@gmail.com - 2013-11-21 15:17 -0800
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Gary Herron <gary.herron@islandtraining.com> - 2013-11-21 15:35 -0800
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend bradleybooth12345@gmail.com - 2013-11-21 15:55 -0800
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2013-11-21 19:55 -0500
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Gary Herron <gary.herron@islandtraining.com> - 2013-11-21 20:17 -0800
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2013-11-21 19:17 -0500
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 15:34 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 15:06 +0000
                Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-20 15:24 +0000
              Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 14:50 +0000
              Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 14:50 +0000
          Re: Newbie - Trying to Help a Friend Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2013-11-20 09:29 +0000

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