I was wondering, perhaps you could clear my confusion regarding fine niuances of English...
You see, in The Expanse, when Trip learns that Florida was hit, he goes to the captain and they say this:
Trip: Ah, she may have been away. Architects take a lot of trips.
Archer: Older or younger?
Trip: My baby sister. When we were in school...
Now, I freely admit that english is not my first language but I pride myself with being able to understand it quite well, even if sometimes I get times mixed up when writing messages in this language
So, I uderstand that above quote says that Tucker has two sisters, one older and one younger. Archer, being his friend and CO is aware of that, but he doesn't know exactly where they live. So, when Trip mentions that one of his sisters lives in Florida, the asked "Older or younger", trying to find out which sister lives in Florida.
But right away in next episode Phlox contradics that reasoning by stating "Commander Tucker had one sister".
So, I wanted to ask you: is this their mistake, or my mistake? Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Well, in light of Phlox's line, it must mean that Archer was unaware that Trip had a sister. Some friend, huh?
Since the whole thing with Phlox was concerned with Trip's loss, they must surely have referenced the other ep in writing this one. They wouldn't have ignored it, that would be daft. We moan and bitch about their overlooking of some pretty obscure bits of continuity, I can't imagine that with the high quality of work that goes into Enterprise they would commit such a grievous error. Unless it was to enhance Trip's loss. Which they're quite capable of.
Your own English is much better than theirs, Kazey. Keep it up. 8)
Posted by Phoenix (Member # 966) on :
"Older or younger?" means "Is she older or younger than you?"
If he had two sisters, Archer would probably say "Which sister?" or "The older one or the younger one?" or "Cathy or Anne?"
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
Admittedly, asking "Older or younger?" makes it sound as if this was the first time ever that Archer and Tucker discussed the sister. Which would be weird.
I'd have expected something like "Remind me... She's older than you, right?"
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by Kazeite (Member # 970) on :
My point exactly. To me, asking whenever one's deceased sister is older or younger is just incredibly rude...
I simply think that making sure which sister one's talking about is the simplest answer. That's why I'm confused.
So, I think even if there was second sister, she mysteriously dissapeared in the plot hole to "enhance" Trip's loss, like Lee said. (this isn't the first time, mind you - Mayweather's brother wasn't mentioned before Horizon, even though Travis talked about his family before...)
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Ignoring the commander-subordinate relationship for the moment, it's plain they're friends, at least since the flashback elements of "First Flight." And I think anyone of us is capable of remembering all our friends' siblings, but not just the fact of their existence but also their ages and even their names.
Trek is no stranger to magically producing previously-umentioned siblings before (Sybok, B4, Nicolai Rozhenko) but I don't think they've ever downgraded anyone's family size before. . .
Kirk - brain-eaten brother Spock - God-bothering half-brother McCoy - sister? Scott - sister (non-canonically anyway) Sulu - not sure Chekov - sister? Uhura - we don't even know if she has a first name!
Picard - chargrilled brother Riker - only child Data - evil brother, retarded brother Troi - ghostly dead sister Crusher - not sure LaForge - sister(s?) Worf - anonymous amnesiac brain-washed brother, loony alien-abducting 'stepbrother' Wesley - only child, thank God Yar - nutjob Sarah-Connor-clone sister
Sisko - sister? Kira - only child O'Brien - don't know, probably loads of sisters, it'd explain a lot Dax - let's not even go there Bashir - only child I think Jake - duh. . . Quark - disgrace-to-all-Ferengi-but-now-their-Supreme-Leader brother Odo - even more complicated than Dax
Janeway - sister (in those Jeri Taylor books anyway) Chakotay - only child? Tuvok - don't know Paris - only child? Kim - only child? Torres - only child Neelix - vapourised sister EMH - countless brothers-in-hologram
I'm really not clear on any of the Voyager characters at all, and I haven't bothered to do Enterprise because there's another 5 years of convoluted family history to go!
Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :
quote:Chekov - sister?
Only child.
quote:Troi - ghostly dead sister
And one half-brother.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Oh yeah. But for Lwaxana Troi to have had another baby means she had sex, and I can hardly be blamed for suppressing any memory of episodes involving that, now can I?
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
No, Kira had two siblings. We met them in that time travel episode in the sixth season with Dukat and her mother (*shudder*), remember?
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
I try not to. Although the mother, I just found out, was played by Leslie Hope Bibb from 24. She lost her memory too, there's definitely a pattern developing here!
Posted by Toadkiller (Member # 425) on :
I heard it as ...."my sister lives in FL."
"Older or younger" - i.e. he's trying to get a rough idea of how old the sister is.
I have plenty of friends/coworkers who I've know for a long time but I don't know if their siblings are older or younger than them, especially if they are all adults.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kazeite: My point exactly. To me, asking whenever one's deceased sister is older or younger is just incredibly rude...
Well, he could have asked "was she "original" or "extra crispy"? That would have been rude.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
I dunno. I don't think they were originally intending that Trip had two sisters. I think it's just Archer being a bit of an idiot for not knowing his friend has a sister.
Asking if she was younger or older doesn't really seem especially insensitive either. He just wanted to know more about her (a bit late, but there you go). As Jason said, it's not like he said, "Oh. So, was she sex on legs, or a complete minger?"
Posted by Alshrim (Member # 258) on :
Well .. let's break the quote down and make it better english - rather than shortened english.
quote:
Trip: Ah, she may have been away. Architects take a lot of trips.
Here - Trip is CLEARLY only speaking about one sibling.
quote:Archer: Older or younger?
Archer COULD have said, "Is this sister you're talking about older than you are; or is she younger than you are?"
quote: Trip: My baby sister. When we were in school...
Here - trip answers ... that she is clearly younger, by saying it's his baby sister. I have a younger sister too - and she's 24 ! I still call her my baby sister (don't get any ideas guys !! )
At no point here, does any one of them imply that Trip has more than one sister; only that there was possibly one in Florida during the attack - and she becomes subject of the conversation which continues...
Hopefully that clears up the english-side of things... whether Trip ACTUALLY does has another sibling *shrugs* i'm sure we'll figure that out.
Posted by Ultra Magnus (Member # 239) on :
I went to McDonald's today, and I ordered a nice frosty large chocolate milkshake. When I went to get a straw, I reached into that little box they have, but I couldn't find any. But, I was persistant in my searches. Eventually I found one.
I like milkshakes. A lot.
Posted by J (Member # 608) on :
I took it as Archer asking if it was his older sister or his younger sister... I took it as two were implied. What was Phlox's exact quote again, in complete context please.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Archer's exact quote:
quote:"Was it your older sister...or you know, the barley legal one. nudge, nudge, wink, wink." Man, I thought she was hot before! Now she must be SMOKIN'!
See? Archer was just concerned for his freind- no ulterior motives at all.
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
I didn't know barley had to be legal...
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Mabye it's a subconsious connection between beer and sex....
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Ben Sisko had one sister - Judith I think... I think she lived in Cleveland??
Jake now has a half-brother/sister.
Riker has a clone-brother
Posted by Woodside Kid (Member # 699) on :
Kirk's brother was mentioned before he showed up as a corpse on the floor. What happened to Sam's other two sons, now that's another kettle of fish (since the dialogue in the episode seems to imply Kirk had only one nephew).
Posted by TheWoozle (Member # 929) on :
My wife has one sister and talks about her a lot. I have a brother and a sister and I very rarely speak of them, even though I speak TO them almost weekly. Not everybody talks about their family, for no particular reason. It seemed to me that archer knew Tripp had a sister in Florida, but not much else.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
I have a brother or sister I have never met.
If it's a girl, I sure hope my life avoids the whole "greek tragedy" thing.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jason Abbadon: I have a brother or sister I have never met.
If it's a girl, I sure hope my life avoids the whole "greek tragedy" thing.
I read that as "geek tragedy" and I thought - what? She ends up being a Trek fan too? Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
Ah yes, the world needs more inbreds...
Not that it matters, but for the sake of 'completeness-of-facts', Ben's sister Judith lives in Portland...take your pick on which one. Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jason Abbadon: If it's a girl, I sure hope my life avoids the whole "greek tragedy" thing.
Because not sleeping with your sister is a difficult task to accomplish?
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Well, under the circumstances he's describing, I guess it depends upon what she looks like...
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Actually, the sister I know I am related to looks nothing at all like me so I doubt I'd ever know.
Moral to this tale: When in doubt (or being questioned by police) your name is "Charles Capps". Posted by Toadkiller (Member # 425) on :
Yeah - that'll show him for only talking to us on the speaker phone....
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Does that make Psyliam....Drew Barrymore? 'Cause I could see him marrying Tom Green. Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
What?
quote:Originally posted by TSN: Well, under the circumstances he's describing, I guess it depends upon what she looks like...
Because not sleeping with your attractive sister is a difficult task to accomplish?
Good grief. No wonder in-breeding is so rampant in the US.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Well, he said that he knew he had a sibling somewhere, but had no idea who that person was. Thus, if it was a sister, he would meet her, have sex with her, find out too late that she was his sister, and gouge his own eyes out or whatever.
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
Totally a "one time at band camp" type story (not that this entire thread has long since derailed), but a friend of mine here in (West) Michigan (we tend to disassociate ourselves from the East side of the state) a friend of mine was dating [read: screwing] this girl in high school and she got pregnant and low-n-behold they find out they are related as bother-n-sister or as first cousins (I forget) because of some wacky adoption or something to that effect and they had to move to West Virginia (where inbreeding is apparently legal) to have that retarded little kid of theirs...I'm sure some statistician somewhere would have blown his mind to have seen that one coming...
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
How on Earth does that relate to sticking a flute up your pussy?
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
I'm not going to go into a long rant in the "Enterprise" forum about congenital defects, consanguinity, and the absurdity of unexamined taboos, but FG, you might want to look into the subject a bit more before you go off like that.
--Jonah
Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :
quote: they had to move to West Virginia to have that retarded little kid of theirs
They would have forced the mother to abort the baby in Michigan?
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Futurama Guy: "...because of some wacky adoption or something to that effect"
Um, if one of them is adopted they're not genetically related. Everything would be hunky dildo.
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
Umm, no, they found out after the fact that they were related by blood because one was given up as a baby or adopted by another family...then, again, after the fact they found out that there were related after some various family ties, documents, etc. were uncovered...
And moreless this entire scenario ties into:
quote:Originally posted by Jason Abbadon: I have a brother or sister I have never met.
If it's a girl, I sure hope my life avoids the whole "greek tragedy" thing.
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