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1993-05-20
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From tao@fine.princeton.edu Thu May 20 13:54:37 1993
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: tao@fine.princeton.edu (Terry Tao)
Subject: Constellations - the shortlist
Originator: news@nimaster
Nntp-Posting-Host: math.princeton.edu
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Thu, 20 May 1993 00:22:34 GMT
Whew! Thanks for all the replies, by email and by post. I've got far more
than the 64 constellations we needed. Some I unfortunately had to
eliminate, for several reasons: some were anachronisms, too contemporary
(the constellations would have been named centuries ago) or not in Discworld
taste; some would never have been named by the dignified astrologers, who
really would have *tried* for a serious sounding name; and some were
interesting ideas (e.g. the astrologer's answer to Skund), but were too
improbable, even for the disc - relying a bit too much on "in-jokes" and
such. Also, there were some repetitions that popped up occasionally, and
so I had to select only one. Finally, I wanted all the Zodiac constellations
to be roughly the same size, and while some suggested names for individual
stars, nebulae, etc. were interesting, they weren't really what we wanted.
Sorry to all those constellations who were left out!
Anyway, here's the list. I guess I'll just lay out the lot for you, all
109 of them.. Someone else can choose which sixty-four become the official
list. (Yes, all of Pterry's constellations are in there somewhere..)
Akhtivol (Trollish for Bright Night Thing Higher Up Than I Can Reach)
Andion the Softener (A feared hero of legend)
Ardlestip, the Cup of Sugar
Baashwyc, the Condiment Set
Ballabork the Slightly Unwell Walrus
Bingle, the Pinkfish
Borff, the Chipolata
Boris, the Cunningly Disguised
Bybbel, the Partly Eaten Apple
Carpigob, the Sea Turkey
Chela's Nostril
Clang, the Docile Hippo
Cusper, the Snake with a hat
Deformed Rabbit
Eehish the Flatulant Wyvern
Eslar's Wart
Flarnt, the Cracked Jug
Flob, the Unknown Poet
Four Empty Mugs
Five Other Krullians Who Did Not Heed The Story Of The Eight Careless Krullians
Frundel, the Packing Crate
Gastible, the Spice Rack
Gahoolie, the Case of Tulips
Gilwort's Line (lost every few years, but refound again. Only has two stars)
Grodumm's Holy Pocket Fluff
Grumbin, the Communal Rice Bowl
Ignominius
Irg the Spaniel and his Shadow
Jixx, the Burning Greengrocer
Khaphut's Wig
Kharzilch- The Pickled Herring
Mahatma'Cote the Cloakroom Attendant
Miki the mouse
Mubbo the Hyaena
Nombo the Dead Herring
Luq-Meia the rather sick barnacle
Okjock the Salesman
Omporno the Tapestry Fitter
Ongl'truq, the cleaven Maggot (near Bybbel, the partly eaten apple)
O'Ryan the Punter
Ququvrac, the Crazed Philatelist
Serpens Majoris - the greater sea monster
Serpens Minoris - the lesser sea monster
Serpens molto minoris - the really tiny sea monster
Snoo the Bloated Gerbil
Sovergum's Navel
Spragg the Hunchbacked Stoat
S'sputt the Rhododendron
Tangularis Circumferensi - The Rimward Tangle
Tangularis Corioli - The Hubward Tangle
The Asthmatic Weasel - Sign of door-to-door salesmen
The Balances (with The Thumb Star)
The Barbarians Handbag
The Broken Wizard
The Big Ladel
The Book of Celerity
The Celestial Parsnip
The Cow of Heaven
The Cheese Wheel
The Disappearing Citadel
The Disfiguring Bruise
The Dirtied Hanky
The Door of Paranoia
The Eight Careless Krullians
The Exploded Swamp Dragon
The Fearful Suitors
The Fire-Damaged Bungalow
The Fisherman's Knee
The Five Small Turnips
The Flying Moose
The Four Unsuspecting Toenails
The Gnat's Chuff
The Great Goat Rump
The Greater Empty
The Hedgehog Kebab
The Humbled Shrew
The Illustrious Sandal
The Inverted Elephant
The Irritable Woodlice
The Knotted String
The Lawyer's Kneecaps
The Leaping Sandwich
The Lesser Empty
The Little Ladel
The Loose Doorknob
The Lonely Star
The Mouse of Predestination
The Nine-Legged Platypus
The Perhaps Gate
The Posthumous Decoration
The Presentation Clock
The Rubber Figgin
The Seven Awkwardly Positioned Stars
The Small Boring Group of Faint Stars
The Sneeze
The Somewhat Larger Ladel
The Spinning Buzzard
The Stars Whose Sum is Twelve
The Three Knobbly Potatoes
The Three Spoons
The Two Fat Cousins
The Wizened Wahooni
Uiahovip's Magnificent P (Uiahovip was nearsighted, it's actually an E)
Umposht and Kwerd, the Maracas
Virgin with Scimitar (near the Fearful Suitors)
Wezen, the Double-Headed Kangaroo
Wizard in a Bucket
Wolf Chewing Pebbles
Zurgencree the Laundry Thief
--
Terry Tao Math Dept., Princeton University (tao@math.princeton.edu)
"It's what I do. Any time there's something so ridiculously dangerous
that no rational human being would even consider trying it, they send
for me." - Belgarion (King of the Murgos)