# Please decipher this xkcd **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703 "2010-05-17T01:36:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/1 "2010-05-17T01:36:35Z")
> **[Prudence](https://xkcd.com/665/)** > > Moments later, the White Witch rolls up and, confused, tries to tempt the probe with a firmware upgrade. I love this strip but this time I just don’t get it. He doesn’t date them but I think this is from last year. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/2 "2010-05-17T01:39:56Z")
It’s a rewriting of the opening from _The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe_. When Lucy sees that the wardrobe opens into another world, instead of just running in, she shows a little prudence and sends a probe like in Stargate. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/3 "2010-05-17T02:15:51Z")
The hovertext often helps with interpretation. In this case, it would’ve at least clued you in to the references. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/4 "2010-05-17T03:26:22Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > The hovertext often helps with interpretation. In this case, it would’ve at least clued you in to the references. Cue twenty people coming in and saying they didn’t know xkcd has a mouseover text for all the comics. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/5 "2010-05-17T03:31:32Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Cue twenty people coming in and saying they didn’t know xkcd has a mouseover text for all the comics. Not before 12 of them ask what “mouseover text” is. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/6 "2010-05-17T04:34:10Z")
That’s ok, folks. Ask away. Fighting Ignorance is what they do here. The mouseover texts are often the best part. I used to save xkcd’s, but I wouldn’t get the mouseovers, so I started doing screen grabs (cmd-shift-3 on a mac\*) with my cursor hovering over a non-critical part of the comic. More Ignorance Fought… and Trounced. \*or cmd-shift-4–you’ll get “Hunting Bambi’s Mom” crosshairs, then marquee (“frame”) the section of the screen you want to “grab”. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/7 "2010-05-17T05:12:05Z")
I don’t get today’s. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/8 "2010-05-17T07:13:20Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > I don’t get today’s. Not entirely certain, but I think it refers to bloggers seeming to focus on extraneous stuff instead of producing good content. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/9 "2010-05-17T08:09:48Z")
It wasn’t very well carried out though. Which is more and more often the case. > **[xkcd sucks](http://xkcdsucks.blogspot.com/)** > > "\[a\] vitriolic and bitter collection of unwarranted nastiness about a silly and harmless comic." ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/10 "2010-05-17T11:40:23Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > [xkcdsucks.blogspot.com/](http://xkcdsucks.blogspot.com/) Aah, thanks a lot. At last some xkcd (and nerd-) bashing. Refreshing. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/11 "2010-05-17T12:57:01Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I used to save xkcd’s, but I wouldn’t get the mouseovers, so I started doing screen grabs (cmd-shift-3 on a mac\*) with my cursor hovering over a non-critical part of the comic. Or you could save the HTML, save the strip, then edit html to have just the img tag and replace the path with where you actually save the strip. It takes a little longer than doing a screen capture but you preserve the original presentation. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/12 "2010-05-17T13:03:53Z")
> [@Khaki\_Campbell](#): > > Aah, thanks a lot. At last some xkcd (and nerd-) bashing. Refreshing. Amazing that someone has that much time on his hands. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/13 "2010-05-17T15:23:20Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Amazing that someone has that much time on his hands. > **[XkcdExplained.com is for sale | HugeDomains](https://www.hugedomains.com/domain_profile.cfm?d=xkcdexplained.com)** > > Premium domains add authority to your site. Transparent pricing. 1 year WHOIS privacy included. 30-day money back guarantee. [http://xkcdexplainedexplained.com/](http://xkcdexplainedexplained.com/) [http://xkcdexplainedexplained.tumblr.com/](http://xkcdexplainedexplained.tumblr.com/) [http://xkcdexplainedexplainedexplained.tumblr.com/](http://xkcdexplainedexplainedexplained.tumblr.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/14 "2010-05-17T19:39:28Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > [http://xkcdexplained.com/](http://xkcdexplained.com/) > > [http://xkcdexplainedexplained.com/](http://xkcdexplainedexplained.com/) Dear God, you can say that again **CookingWithGas**. Some people seem to really, really, really, really hate nerds and nerd humour so much that they’re reserving time in their daily life to mock them. I don’t understand it, but hey, what do I know about non-nerds? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/15 "2010-05-17T19:53:32Z")
I can’t think anything _more_ nerd humor than picking at nerds and nerd humor. Nerdishly. It’s like a blog version of a slapfight. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/16 "2010-05-17T20:18:48Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I can’t think anything _more_ nerd humor than picking at nerds and nerd humor. Nerdishly. Seriously. Metahumor is about as nerdy as you can get. And I never metahumor I didn’t like. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/17 "2010-05-17T20:33:04Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > And I never metahumor I didn’t like. That’s a very sanguine outlook on life. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/18 "2010-05-17T21:56:05Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > And I never metahumor I didn’t like. _snrk_ I also like to check the forum thread for that day’s comic. For updates like the one this past April Fool’s, it absolutely clued me into some things I otherwise wouldn’t have known about. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/19 "2010-05-17T22:03:48Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Amazing that someone has that much time on his hands. I don’t know. They are analysing the humour, like you would read a movie review or similar. Thinking about what could be improved and thoughts about how humor works. It seems far more a waste of time to me, to just write opinions on a message board. (Like I do.) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703/20 "2010-05-17T22:18:11Z")
It’s best to just remain phlegmatic about this sort of thing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-decipher-this-xkcd/539703.md?page=2)