I’m not certain that this even is a town. So far it seems to be just a few novelty shops on a beach. The nearest town — and its Mayor — could be miles away…. by bus.
I suppose she could use the excuse that she was still disorientated from finding herself here in the first place. And maybe she wasn’t exactly looking for an astrologer, but how much worse could it be than a couple of eccentric kids and a crazy old woman?
“Study of” is only one of several meanings for “ology”. It does indeed also mean “science”. It also means “branch of knowledge; written work; structure or principle; a speaking, discourse, treatise, doctrine, or theory.”
Curiously enough, it comes from the same Greek root word, legein — meaning “to speak” — where we get the term Hapax Legomenon, which was also the name of the fish-man ruler of Venus. His title literally means “to say only once.” Perhaps chosen for the “don’t make me repeat myself” philosophy of giving orders.
Everything is possible but I’m inclined to think it was chosen simply because it sounded like a vaguely plausible title of royalty while also having an actual meaning thus fitting the “always some more meaning hidden beyond the surface” nature of this strip…
And just like Sweetheart’s experiment, this is a metaphorical reflection of what’s in Dr. Lee’s mind. All the people she’s meeting are representations of some parts of her personality. Which really doesn’t say much about her mind.
Hard to break anyone’s will without breaking a portion of their mind as well. I wonder if breaking the mind of a not-mad scientist will necessarily prove all that wise? o_O
She’s trapped in a seascape place
That might be at Cape May.
She seeks a good escape place
To try to get away.
Her search has turned up idiots
Who were no help at all—
She wants to discuss them,
With no reason to trust them.
‘Cause their minds have been enthralled.
A sign says astrology
From false etymology
And troubled philology
Makes for bad terminology
In all terminology
The proper psychology
A dash of mythology
Perhaps some cryptography
And maybe theology
Of strange ideology
With this bold chronology
Pursuit of graphology
Shows wicked symbology
With nanotechnology
And spoken scatology
Will take an anthology.
She’ll put on dark sunglasses,
She’ll give up all her hopes.
Surrounded by these asses
Who demonstrate they’re dopes
Her time is growing short now
If Nick’s alive today—
It must be remembered
He’ll be shortly dismembered
And his brain just thrown away.
Yeah, Dr. Lee, how could you have missed it? You were just at that arcade! (How big is this town anyway?)
I’m not certain that this even is a town. So far it seems to be just a few novelty shops on a beach. The nearest town — and its Mayor — could be miles away…. by bus.
I suppose she could use the excuse that she was still disorientated from finding herself here in the first place. And maybe she wasn’t exactly looking for an astrologer, but how much worse could it be than a couple of eccentric kids and a crazy old woman?
It’s a boardwalk
My personal theory is that it’s a village.
Or, perhaps, “Village.”
It would be very convenient if it was a “Village”, as then the town hall would be just down the road.
And then, being Number 6 is always better than being Winston Smith.
The Narbonverse being what it is, I’m hardly going to rule out the possibility that an astrologer might indeed be useful. ^_^
Especially Madame Delphi.
Strictly speaking, it means “the study of a subject,” the subject in question being whatever it’s attached to.
“Study of” is only one of several meanings for “ology”. It does indeed also mean “science”. It also means “branch of knowledge; written work; structure or principle; a speaking, discourse, treatise, doctrine, or theory.”
Curiously enough, it comes from the same Greek root word, legein — meaning “to speak” — where we get the term Hapax Legomenon, which was also the name of the fish-man ruler of Venus. His title literally means “to say only once.” Perhaps chosen for the “don’t make me repeat myself” philosophy of giving orders.
Everything is possible but I’m inclined to think it was chosen simply because it sounded like a vaguely plausible title of royalty while also having an actual meaning thus fitting the “always some more meaning hidden beyond the surface” nature of this strip…
Which is why “apology” is the study of aps, as everyone knows.
I’m stealing that. But at least I’m telling you that I am.
Can we change that to App-ology?
Any other Brits here who were instantly reminded of “You got an ology?”
(Oh, wow, I can embed things; I was expecting it to just come up as a link!)
You can only embed certain things, like videos. Images won’t work.
Beat me to it!
… Could be worse, it could say “Scientology”
Never agree to a reading.
There’s a giant mountain temple shaped like an alien crystal princess just outside this town, isn’t there
I know what you’re talking about, but that might actually be a possibility, depending on the humor of the programmers of the simulation.
I’m seriously getting “The Prisoner” vibes here with Ginny being Number 6….
Who’s Number one?
You are, Number six.
“I am not a number, I am a free Mad!”…”Okay, maybe not a Mad; but I’m certainly not weirdness-blind either…”
There’s a distinct lack of “heh heh heh”s, but the woman in lavender bears a passing resemblance to a dowdy Dr. Helen Narbon, Sr.
Maybe a little, but Sr. always had those big square glasses.
So, “extirpation” means “to destroy utterly.”
This isn’t a punishment. It a psychological terror experiment custom designed for Ginny to break her will completely and utterly.
*it’s
Which fits with the theory that this is the VR thing, since that’s exactly what they did to Sweetheart.
And just like Sweetheart’s experiment, this is a metaphorical reflection of what’s in Dr. Lee’s mind. All the people she’s meeting are representations of some parts of her personality. Which really doesn’t say much about her mind.
Hard to break anyone’s will without breaking a portion of their mind as well. I wonder if breaking the mind of a not-mad scientist will necessarily prove all that wise? o_O
She’s trapped in a seascape place
That might be at Cape May.
She seeks a good escape place
To try to get away.
Her search has turned up idiots
Who were no help at all—
She wants to discuss them,
With no reason to trust them.
‘Cause their minds have been enthralled.
A sign says astrology
From false etymology
And troubled philology
Makes for bad terminology
In all terminology
The proper psychology
A dash of mythology
Perhaps some cryptography
And maybe theology
Of strange ideology
With this bold chronology
Pursuit of graphology
Shows wicked symbology
With nanotechnology
And spoken scatology
Will take an anthology.
She’ll put on dark sunglasses,
She’ll give up all her hopes.
Surrounded by these asses
Who demonstrate they’re dopes
Her time is growing short now
If Nick’s alive today—
It must be remembered
He’ll be shortly dismembered
And his brain just thrown away.
—from “When You Are Old and Grey,” Tom Lehrer.
I think she meant to say, “Etymology, you are a cruel science.”