# ­xkcd thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [May 28, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574 "2020-05-28T00:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 83
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1642 "2022-09-01T13:28:59Z")
> [@Wallaby](#): > > Odd that he didnt include Virginia in that case. But he did include Virginia beach. > > No one in Australia says Aust-ral-i-a. And it’s our country. I don’t think _anyone_ pronounces Virginia with 4 syllables. Pretty much the same for Australia, but I suppose there might be someone somewhere who does. Virginia Beach has 4, but the stresses don’t really match. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1643 "2022-09-01T17:29:51Z")
Virginia native here. No, we pronounce it with three syllables. “vir-GIN-ya”. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1644 "2022-09-01T18:13:23Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Which syllable is the accent on? I’ve definitely heard it with the accent on the second syllable before. Gorsnak nailed it: > [@Gorsnak](#): > > It’s about 2 1/2 syllables when I say it. Sask and atch tend to mush together. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1645 "2022-09-01T19:25:09Z")
I’m glad my parents signed me up for the Universe Standard at least. The speed limit in universe light would be a real bummer. The aging and death thing sucks though. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1646 "2022-09-01T19:45:28Z")
So basically SKATCH-(uh)-wahn. That makes sense. Interesting, because other guides I found online had that extra first syllable, e.g. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PGcjWb56P7o/maxresdefault.jpg "How to Pronounce Saskatchewan?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGcjWb56P7o) ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1647 "2022-09-01T23:53:28Z")
First syllable is the 1/2 in my counting. s-SKATCH-wun ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1648 "2022-09-02T04:07:45Z")
Having had a chance to listen to the YouTube clip, it’s mostly fine aside from the final a, for which locals (or me, at least) give more a short u sound rather than the short a in the clip. The last syllable is precisely the same as ‘one’ or ‘won’. Otherwise if I’m actually ennunciating I say it pretty much like that. I just rarely enunciate ‘Saskatchewan’ because I haven’t got all day. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1649 "2022-09-03T03:48:45Z")
> **[First Internet Interaction](https://xkcd.com/2667/)** > > To that stranger on the KOOL Tree House chat room, I gotta hand it to you: You were, ultimately, not wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1650 "2022-09-03T04:31:49Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > I’m glad my parents signed me up for the Universe Standard at least. The speed limit in universe light would be a real bummer. The aging and death thing sucks though. I’m not entirely sure that there’s enough added value in the Standard one to justify the price. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1651 "2022-09-03T12:20:57Z")
This one is reminiscent of Ten Thousand: > **[Ten Thousand](https://xkcd.com/1053/)** > > Saying 'what kind of an idiot doesn't know about the Yellowstone supervolcano' is so much more boring than telling someone about the Yellowstone supervolcano for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1652 "2022-09-03T13:49:54Z")
Catching up: seeing Valencia in the list at the bottom of the America Songs brought to mind the Decemberists’ song. I’ve decided that Schenectady is the most amusing substitute for Valencia there. _O Schenectady_ _With your blood still warm on the ground_ _Schenectady_ _And I swear to the stars_ _I’ll burn this whole city down_ And the Universe price tiers: I think $49.95/month would be a bargain just for having the meaning of life clearly explained. (Suppose you stopped paying the monthly fee - I assume they’d have to come wipe your brain of any knowledge of the meaning.) Let alone “Bad things don’t happen” and aging and death being an opt-in. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1653 "2022-09-04T00:39:22Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > (Suppose you stopped paying the monthly fee - I assume they’d have to come wipe your brain of any knowledge of the meaning.) No, they’d just kick you down to Universe Lite. You’d still remember the meaning of Universe Pro; it just wouldn’t be applicable any more. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1654 "2022-09-04T18:38:08Z")
Meaning of Universe Lite is 36 ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1655 "2022-09-06T01:34:17Z")
> **[Artemis Quote](https://xkcd.com/2668/)** > > Another option: "It is an honor to be the first human to set foot on the moon." ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1656 "2022-09-06T03:37:06Z")
If I happen to be the first person to set foot on Mars or any other body, I am so stealing that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1657 "2022-09-06T04:39:03Z")
I would have gone for “This one small step for man, but a huge leap for a mankind.” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1658 "2022-09-07T22:15:07Z")
> **[Things You Should Not Do](https://xkcd.com/2669/)** > > Now I'm tempted to start telling people that I secretly don't actually know how to do any physics calculations, and so all the answers in What If are based on me actually trying to do the thing and then reporting what happened, but phrased as if it's hypothetical. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1659 "2022-09-10T16:31:48Z")
I suppose this belongs here, as it’s certainly xkcd related. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6tu0mIpX8nU/maxresdefault.jpg "You're Technically HOTTER Than The Sun (with XKCD!)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tu0mIpX8nU) Minutephysics did a video based on one of the entries in What If? 2 ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1660 "2022-09-10T16:34:43Z")
> **[Interruption](https://xkcd.com/2670/)** > > It's been extra bad ever since my GPS got stuck on Phoebe Judge mode. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1661 "2022-09-10T16:47:35Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Minutephysics did a video based on one of the entries in What If? 2 Minor nitpick with that video. It went by pretty fast, but I’m pretty sure it said Uranus is not visible with the naked eye. Not quite true. Uranus is magnitude 5.8 or 5.9 so technically is visible. Admittedly, it would require a dark sky (hard to find these days) and good seeing. And picking it out of all the magnitude 6 stars would add to the difficulty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=82) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=84)