FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

Wind blows northerly...

POSTED BY: SAB39
UPDATED: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 09:16
SHORT URL: http://goo.gl/tLZQh
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Saturday, April 8, 2006 3:12 PM

SAB39


(am I allowed to consider the BDM an "episode" for the purposes of posting in the "Episode discussions" section?)

It just occurred to me that Mal was being (maybe unintentionally) ironical when he said "Wind blows northerly, I go north".

As I understand it, a northerly wind is one that's blowing from the north.

In other words, it probably wasn't what he meant, but what he said was "I'm the kind of person who goes in the exact opposite direction than the way the wind is blowing"...


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Saturday, April 8, 2006 3:20 PM

COPILOT


Didn't know that. Joss probably didn't either.

An I carried such a torch

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Saturday, April 8, 2006 3:28 PM

EVILDINOSAUR


I didn't know that either, when I hear "wind blows northernly" I think of wind blowing in a northern direction

"Haha, mine is an evil laugh."

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Saturday, April 8, 2006 3:31 PM

SAB39


I was doubting myself for a minute, but http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/northerly confirms my understanding - a northerly wind is coming from the north.

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Saturday, April 8, 2006 3:34 PM

DONCOAT


As a sailor, I noticed that right away. You're quite right: a north (or northerly) wind blows from the north.

I just assumed that Mal wasn't the nautical type, and was using the term wrong as many landlubbers do.

Actually, though, the phrase works either way to describe Mal: he goes with the flow, and also goes against the grain.

Okay, now I have metaphor overload.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Sunday, April 9, 2006 7:13 AM

SAVEWASH

Now I am learning about scary.


I had noticed this, too. Since Joss never seems to do anything by accident, I think he had Mal say this on purpose. Mal rarely goes with the flow; he more often heads straight into the wind, the opposite way that other captains would take. Also, the opposite way than what others want/expect/order him to take. And since Mal isn't dumb either, I think he knows exactly what he's saying.



"We need to keep our heads so we can ... keep our heads."

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Sunday, April 9, 2006 7:16 AM

SAB39


I thought of that possibility, but much as I'd like to believe it, I think the remainder of the quote screws it up. Mal starts out with "I ain't got no rudder" - and the little I know about sailing suggests that the only way you can sail into the wind is pretty heavily dependant on having a rudder...

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Sunday, April 9, 2006 7:43 AM

DONCOAT


Quote:

Originally posted by sab39:
...the little I know about sailing suggests that the only way you can sail into the wind is pretty heavily dependant on having a rudder...

Well, having a keel is actually more important, but without the rudder you'd have a tough time steering in general.

In such a case, whether you went downwind or not would depend on the amount of wind and the direction/strength of the current.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Sunday, April 9, 2006 7:51 AM

PURPLEBELLY


It's like this: Whedon went to a private school in England which means that he was educated not only to be technically inept, but to rejoice in it.

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Sunday, April 9, 2006 8:20 AM

SUCCATASH


I think the problem here is a grammatical one.

Indeed a North Wind and Northerly Wind mean that it comes from the north and blows south. In this case, "northerly" is an adjective modifying the noun "wind."

But when Mal is speaking, "Wind blows northerly..." In this case, "northerly" is an adverb modifying the verb "blows."

Mal would have been wrong to say, "Northerly wind blows, I go north." But that's not what he said.




"Gott kann dich nicht vor mir beschuetzen, weil ich nicht boese bin."

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Sunday, April 9, 2006 9:39 AM

DONCOAT


Good point. My Random House Unabridged says that as an adverb, 'northerly' can mean either "toward the north" or "from the north", with the former meaning being given first.

The ambiguity would not be a problem if Mal had said "northward" instead of "northerly". But I think the latter is more in keeping with Mal's Western lingo.

In any case, this isn't one that's going to keep me up nights worrying about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Wednesday, April 12, 2006 1:49 AM

J6NGO1977


Exactly. What Mals refrencing to is if anybody is after him (Alliance or otherwise) he runs in the opposite direction. Mal isn't one to run from a fight but he likes to stay out of trouble.

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Sunday, April 30, 2006 6:10 AM

DEWRASTLER


I've done some sailing and it kind of works out like this. Usually when you sail you are not aiming to be pushed by the wind. You are trying to be pulled by it, like a wing. So when the wind blows from the north, or northly, you sail as close into as you can. You can't sail directly north, but you try to get as close to it as you can. So when mal says that when the wind blows northerly, he goes north, he is actually correct. Though you can be pushed by a northerly wind, it is much more efficient to be pulled by one and head north.

One day.
One plan.
One army of Browncoats.

On June 23rd, we aim to misbehave.

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Monday, May 1, 2006 11:28 AM

J6NGO1977


Quote:

Originally posted by Dewrastler:
I've done some sailing and it kind of works out like this. Usually when you sail you are not aiming to be pushed by the wind. You are trying to be pulled by it, like a wing. So when the wind blows from the north, or northly, you sail as close into as you can. You can't sail directly north, but you try to get as close to it as you can. So when mal says that when the wind blows northerly, he goes north, he is actually correct. Though you can be pushed by a northerly wind, it is much more efficient to be pulled by one and head north.

One day.
One plan.
One army of Browncoats.

On June 23rd, we aim to misbehave.



Aaaaahh. very cool :) See come the FFF site and be educated :)

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Monday, May 1, 2006 11:37 AM

OLDFOGEY


Quote:

Originally posted by DonCoat:
...as an adverb, 'northerly' can mean either "toward the north" or "from the north"...



*heh!* And y'all think Chinese is confusing?

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Wednesday, May 10, 2006 9:16 AM

SUCCATASH


Cool thread. But confusing, there are so many different ideas.

Was Mal really saying, "When a north wind blows south, I go north" ???

Haha, fun nitpick. I still think Mal meant, "Wind blows in a northern direction, I go north."



"Gott kann dich nicht vor mir beschuetzen, weil ich nicht boese bin."

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