# Ladies, if a man has a painting of himself as a centaur above his bed what message are you getting? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 3, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143 "2009-11-03T06:13:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/1 "2009-11-03T06:13:58Z")
What would think if you saw something like that. Is it a subtle warning that he’s hugely endowed? That he’s an admirer of classic Greek mythos? That his divorce has left him without a true home and he must wander the woodland? That’s he’s a furry? What message is it delivering? [Ex: A-Rod Had Portraits of Himself as Centaur Hanging Over His Bed](http://www.usmagazine.com/celebritynews/news/ex-alex-rodriguez-had-portraits-of-himself-as-a-centaur-over-his-bed-20093010) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/2 "2009-11-03T06:31:36Z")
The message I get is that he’s _way_ more into fantasy and/or science fiction than I am. I’d throw a prepaid WoW card at him and run away while he was distracted by picking it up. ---
**Author:** ![TheTerribleTako](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@TheTerribleTako](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTerribleTako)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/3 "2009-11-03T06:36:02Z")
That he takes Old Spice commercials too seriously? If it’s just a centaur, it might be questionable, but possibly acceptable depending on how good of a story he has for it, but with his face and torso? Definitely a WTF? kind of situation. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/4 "2009-11-03T06:59:07Z")
And ladies, while you’re here and speaking purely hypothetically, what would you think if he just happened to have painted himself as a centaur with large, shapely breasts? And maybe a pierced belly button? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/5 "2009-11-03T07:26:21Z")
IANA lady, but unless he has an excuse like “Boris Vallejo asked me to pose for one of his paintings and gave me the original as thanks” it would strike me as very weird. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/6 "2009-11-03T07:31:26Z")
Look out for the horse shit. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/7 "2009-11-03T07:58:42Z")
What a lame-o douchebag. I’d have to laugh in his face. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/8 "2009-11-03T08:04:28Z")
“Gee, Picasso did minotaurs… now excuse me while I get the hell out of here…” I’d think that particular centaur is half-man, half-donkey. Or perhaps half-mule. Half-mule, half-donkey? Yeah, that’s it, with my apologies to ungulates. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/9 "2009-11-03T10:51:26Z")
What if it’s a centaur and a unicorn, hugging, with a rainbow arching overhead? And there are three wolves howling at the moon in the foreground? And teddy bears? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/10 "2009-11-03T11:07:43Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > What if it’s a centaur and a unicorn, hugging, with a rainbow arching overhead? And there are three wolves howling at the moon in the foreground? And teddy bears? Are the teddy bears centaurs too? Teddytaurs? ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/11 "2009-11-03T11:36:52Z")
That link was useless without pics. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/12 "2009-11-03T11:39:50Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Are the teddy bears centaurs too? Teddytaurs? Oh maaan.. the marketing potential… sorry for the hi jack.. Cenatur Self Portrait - But, if its on black velvet, then its classy, right? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/13 "2009-11-03T12:26:10Z")
I’m not a lady, but my two cents: clearly he is insane. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/14 "2009-11-03T12:28:33Z")
> [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](#): > > Oh maaan.. the marketing potential… Huh. \ Eeep! Someone [DID](http://www.sunny-bears.com/inv/steiff/teddytaur-ean-037351.php) come up with [teddytaurs](http://www.flickr.com/photos/savagepink/2062121697/)! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/15 "2009-11-03T13:24:26Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Huh. \ > > Eeep! Someone [DID](http://www.sunny-bears.com/inv/steiff/teddytaur-ean-037351.php) come up with [teddytaurs](http://www.flickr.com/photos/savagepink/2062121697/)! I was going to comment on the question in the OP, but there’s no point – **Der Trihs** has won the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/16 "2009-11-03T13:38:58Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > “Gee, Picasso did minotaurs… now excuse me while I get the hell out of here…” > > I’d think that particular centaur is half-man, half-donkey. Or perhaps half-mule. Half-mule, half-donkey? Yeah, that’s it, with my apologies to ungulates. So it’s a half-assed painting? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/17 "2009-11-03T14:21:14Z")
You know, some people are just into fantasy art. We have a picture by a noted fantasy artist of pepper Mill holding a gryphon up in our living room. (She’s also on several Tarot cards done by the same artist). And we have a picture of a friend as a half man/half flying fish (It’s pretty neat – he’s flying, wearing aviator glasses). And pictures of winged kitties and hybrid penguins in MilliCal’s room. No pictures of centaurs, though. Although I’ve wanted to have an artist friend do an unusual one that Lucian described in his works some 2000 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/18 "2009-11-03T15:15:55Z")
Kate Hudson seems to be getting the message these days… ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/19 "2009-11-03T15:23:17Z")
Maybe he’s been injecting too much horse testosterone? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143/20 "2009-11-03T15:28:15Z")
Aaah! Otherkin! Flee! > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Huh. \ > > Eeep! Someone [DID](http://www.sunny-bears.com/inv/steiff/teddytaur-ean-037351.php) come up with [teddytaurs](http://www.flickr.com/photos/savagepink/2062121697/)! Yeesh. You are a very brave, or very foolish, man to have chanced _that_ google search. And, since horse-centaurs are properly “hippocentaurs”, that would properly be a “teddycentaur”. The -taur suffix would indicate a teddybear-bull. For that matter, [onocentaur](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/onocentaur) might be a useful description of A-Rod. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-if-a-man-has-a-painting-of-himself-as-a-centaur-above-his-bed-what-message-are-you-getting/516143.md?page=2)