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April 12

Qapla' in Rocky Horror

Why does Frank say Qapla' just after 33:45 in The Rocky Horror Picture Show when he unveils the monster? μηδείς (talk) 00:47, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting question. I don't have access to a copy of the film at the moment (ya loan something to a friend and then don't see it again - I think there is a Ferengi Rule of Acquisition about that) but I can tell you that it is unlikely to be a Klingon reference. RHPS came out in 1975 and the first time any Klingon was heard was in ST:TMP which didn't hit the big screen until 1979. I saw the play in London but it was too many years ago to remember if that word was used. Did you use the subtitles to see how the word was spelled? MarnetteD | Talk 00:59, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Good idea, I will check. I knew the sequence was anachronistic, which is why I asked; maybe the writer who invented Qapla' was a fan of RH. μηδείς (talk) 01:45, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

The subtitles say "hoopla", but it sounds like /xɘ'plaʔ/ to me, and certainly a weird way of saying hoopla. μηδείς (talk) 01:50, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Etymology On Line says "hoopla 1877, hoop la, American English, earlier houp-la, exclamation accompanying quick movement (1870), of unknown origin, perhaps borrowed from French houp-là "upsy-daisy," also a cry to dogs, horses, etc." So I'll have to accept that as correct since he is jerking the cover off the tank when he says it. μηδείς (talk) 01:52, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting stuff. That seems fairly close to the word that I have often heard voilà [1] which also is defined as there it is; ta-da; presto; behold! Learning something new every day is sure the way to go :-) Cheers. MarnetteD | Talk 04:59, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. Voila is litteraly "see there", while ta da is the vocal imitation of a horn or piano flourish. μηδείς (talk) 19:06, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I believe the audio commentary on the 25th Anniversary DVD confirms that he says 'Hoopla!', although I'd have to dig out my copy to confirm that. Richard O'Brien and Patricia Quinn have a little conversation about how Frank pronounces the word in a silly way. Helene O'Troy - Et In Arcadia Ego Sum (talk) 14:46, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, Helene. Are you referring to a voice-over commentary track or a separate interview-type commentary? μηδείς (talk) 19:06, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Is this on youtube anywhere? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:44, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Opa!? Gzuckier (talk) 01:56, 13 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I have looked, Bugs, and I am sure you can download the movie at Tube Plus dot me or Daily Motion dot com, but I can't find the clip at youtube. μηδείς (talk) 20:15, 13 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Green monster eats socks YTV show

What was the name of the show that shows a green monster that eats socks and it used to be on YTV?--Donmust90 (talk) 01:46, 12 April 2013 (UTC)Donmust90[reply]

Bump in the Night has a green, sock-eating monster, but it was on ABC, according to the article. Clarityfiend (talk) 02:53, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

It was on YTV in Canada, though. Adam Bishop (talk) 10:56, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Stephen Colbert

I recall seeing stencils of a goofy face on New York City streets years ago that I now believe to have been Stephen Colbert's face. Do you know if he did in fact engage in this bit of guerrila "street theatre," as it were? Had to have been 15 or 20 years ago, I think. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.119.108.128 (talk) 04:08, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Are you thinking of this guy's face, by any chance? If so, that's the symbol of the Church of the SubGenius. --Viennese Waltz 04:44, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, God. Will the most annoying meme of the 20th century never die? μηδείς (talk) 19:10, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Funny way to put it. :) Looks like this guy precedes the spaghetti monster by a few decades. I predict a religious war. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:43, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Was it promoting Mad magazine by any chance? Alfred E Neuman? --TammyMoet (talk) 18:17, 14 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Another wild guess: could it have been one of the many iterations of the Andre the Giant has a Posse stencils? I can easily see someone swapping Colbert in for Andre in the OBEY style. SemanticMantis (talk) 19:23, 16 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

The most Identified musical instrument with the chinese culture

Hi,
I'm looking for the most identified musical instrument with the chinese culture. It is sound like a flute, I think.
It usually played lengthily and slowly.
Who knows its name? Exx8 (talk) 19:51, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Chinese flutes come in a variety of types, so many it makes me Dizi. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:30, 12 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

We have articles about Chinese musical instruments and Chinese orchestra if you wish to look a little deeper. Matt Deres (talk) 01:43, 14 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]