# The trouble with The Trouble With Tribbles - open spoilers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408 "2012-06-07T17:43:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/101 "2013-09-12T21:19:55Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > That would be great. The only thing this doesn’t explain is how did Kang, Kor, and Koloth regrow their forhead ridges? Over time, Klingons grow bigger and more impressive ridges, like deers with antlers. These guys were starting from a bad position, but grew some ridges eventually. Plus, cosmetics. Ridge enhancer is like eye liner. ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/102 "2013-09-13T18:20:20Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > That would be great. The only thing this doesn’t explain is how did Kang, Kor, and Koloth regrow their forhead ridges? Or is that merely cosmetic surgery? Well, I came up with the theory before that… 🙂 I still prefer it, but they didn’t ask me. Oh, and the reason they were using D-7’s in ST:TMP is because their faction had just taken over the Empire and hadn’t had time to build all their LumpyCruisers yet. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/103 "2013-09-13T18:35:57Z")
> [@Werekoala](#): > > Oh, and the reason they were using D-7’s in ST:TMP is because their faction had just taken over the Empire and hadn’t had time to build all their LumpyCruisers yet. Didn’t TOS run out of money and have to use Romulan model ships for the Klingons? Spock says, “Intelligence reports Klingons now using Romulan design.” [Link](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Romulan-Klingon_Alliance) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/104 "2013-09-13T18:50:05Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Didn’t TOS run out of money and have to use Romulan model ships for the Klingons? > Spock says, “Intelligence reports Klingons now using Romulan design.” > [Link](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Romulan-Klingon_Alliance) [Rok] Yes! THAT was the equation! [/Rok] ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/105 "2013-09-13T19:25:56Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > [Rok] Yes! THAT was the equation! [/Rok] You need a drink of water? You don’t sound so good. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/106 "2013-09-13T19:27:34Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > You need a drink of water? You don’t sound so good. :dubious: Androids don’t drink, Mr Plant. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/107 "2013-09-13T19:29:55Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Androids don’t drink, Mr Plant. Sure, NoClue, anything you say. you guys keep talking to him, I’ll get a butterfly net. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/108 "2013-09-13T19:47:04Z")
I misspelled [Ruk](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Ruk) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/109 "2013-09-13T19:59:50Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > I misspelled [Ruk](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Ruk) Androids don’t use spell check. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/110 "2013-09-13T20:28:21Z")
My favorite scene in all of ST-TOS is in the tribbles episode. It’s the bar fight, with Scotty trying to keep Chekov from starting a brawl, and then being the one that throws the first punch. _“Laddy, don’t ye think ye’d better…rephrase that?”_ _“You’re right, I should. I didn’t mean to say the Enterprise should be hauling garbage, I meant it should be hauled away AS garbage”_ _POW!_ ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/111 "2013-09-13T20:47:30Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > My favorite scene in all of ST-TOS is in the tribbles episode. It’s the bar fight, with Scotty trying to keep Chekov from starting a brawl, and then being the one that throws the first punch. > > _“Laddy, don’t ye think ye’d better…rephrase that?”_ > > _“You’re right, I should. I didn’t mean to say the Enterprise should be hauling garbage, I meant it should be hauled away AS garbage”_ > > _POW!_ I enjoyed more Kirk’s reaction when Scotty revealed that he didn’t start fighting until the Enterprise was insulted (and NOT on behalf of Kirk’s honor). ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/112 "2013-09-13T21:00:32Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Didn’t TOS run out of money and have to use Romulan model ships for the Klingons? > Spock says, “Intelligence reports Klingons now using Romulan design.” > [Link](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Romulan-Klingon_Alliance) Well of course, they had to - their war with the Lumpy Klingons was going badly, and the Romulans were lend-leasing them some Warbirds. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/113 "2013-09-14T14:44:53Z")
As an aside, I always wondered if there wasn’t some “grand bargain” between the Klingons and Romulans whereby the Klingons got the cloaking device and the Romulans got some superior warp tech. And why does “Romulans” ping the spelling error detector on my browser and “Klingons” doesn’t?) ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/114 "2013-09-14T14:51:31Z")
“Klingon” is recognized by non-Trek fans, and even used metaphorically outside the context of Star Trek. “Romulan” isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/115 "2013-09-14T16:01:37Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Didn’t TOS run out of money and have to use Romulan model ships for the Klingons? > Spock says, “Intelligence reports Klingons now using Romulan design.” > [Link](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Romulan-Klingon_Alliance) I think your quote is back to front though. The ship design being used in _Tribbles_ is not used by the Romulans until _The Enterprise Incident_, and their earlier model from _Balance of Terror_ isn’t used by Klingons. From what I remember Spock’s actual quote is from TEI and has Romulans and Klingons the other way around. (This is why Klingons later have cloaking devices too.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/116 "2013-09-14T17:24:41Z")
Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/117 "2013-09-14T18:07:20Z")
As to TOS running out of money, they were perpetually short of the readies from start to finish, which is why some of Dr McCoy’s surgical instruments look like 1960s art deco salt shakers. The Klingons had been in several episodes (_Errand of Mercy_ and _Friday’s Child_ to name but two) before they even got a ship, and in at least one episode they just settled for the guest aliens’ ship being mysteriously invisible rather than go to the trouble of building a model. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/118 "2013-09-14T18:36:16Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > My favorite scene in all of ST-TOS is in the tribbles episode. It’s the bar fight, with Scotty trying to keep Chekov from starting a brawl, and then being the one that throws the first punch. > > _“Laddy, don’t ye think ye’d better…rephrase that?”_ > > _“You’re right, I should. I didn’t mean to say the Enterprise should be hauling garbage, I meant it should be hauled away AS garbage”_ > > _POW!_ And then Scotty looks forward to confinement so he can catch up on his tech manual reading! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/119 "2013-09-14T20:49:08Z")
Scotty: They said you were a tin plated, over bearing, something or other with delusions of godhood! Kirk: And that’s when you threw the punch. Scotty: No. Kirk:\* No?\* Scotty: We’re big enough to take a few insults! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408/120 "2013-09-14T23:03:58Z")
Because it’s so damned poetic… “Though… I just remembered. There is one Earth man who doesn’t remind me of a Regulan bloodworm. That’s Kirk. A Regulan bloodworm is soft, and shapeless. But Kirk isn’t soft. Kirk may be a swaggering, overbearing, tin-plated dictator with delusions of godhood. But he’s not soft.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trouble-with-the-trouble-with-tribbles-open-spoilers/624408.md?page=7)