Writing What You Don't Know: The Assistants

Discussion in 'Make It So' started by jacktrash, Aug 3, 2016.

  1. ChelG

    ChelG Well-Known Member

    Maybe search for Indian surnames you know are in current use in 1800s UK censuses here? That way you'll know if that name was in use then.
     
  2. Codeless

    Codeless Cheshire Cat

    I am not British, so I neither know what Indian surnames are in current use, nor how to access a UK census. I´m not sure i even can as a foreigner? It´s basically a good idea but i kinda need a few steps back, aka to even find out what modern names are around. I´d also like to make sure to know the surnames origin so I don´t wind up with a weird hodgepodge of Indian cultural details that don´t come from the same places.
     
  3. Petra

    Petra space case

    Hmmm, might depend on the sort of character, too. If it's been 6+ generations you might be able to justify a blend of regionalisms in the background, but if the character is closer to the time period the family came over then you want to be more precise.
     
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  4. ChelG

    ChelG Well-Known Member

    The census linked is searchable, and I can't imagine why they'd block you from it since it's from the 1800s. As for ideas, try looking for news or social commentary articles about Indian people in the UK? They'll surely have some names mentioned that you can research further.
     
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  5. chthonicfatigue

    chthonicfatigue Bitten by a radioactive trickster god

    Kumar should be a fairly safe call: its not tied to a single region or caste, and is a very common surname. Recorded in the UK census since 1891. Still in common usage; I know quite a few folks with the surname and they're mostly unrelated.
     
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  6. Deresto

    Deresto Foolish Mortal

    I haven't actually watched the video, but the title alone seems very helpful. Covers bird, lizard, and cat conlang ideas:

     
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  7. ChelG

    ChelG Well-Known Member

    Question for a thing, is HIV counted as a disability? I feel like it ought to be but "long-term health condition" might be classified differently.
     
  8. artistformerlyknownasdave

    artistformerlyknownasdave revenge of ricky schrödinger

    at least in the united states, HIV and AIDS are protected under the americans with disabilities act

    source: am training to be funeral director, certain protections are given to people with HIV/AIDS as specified under ADA
     
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  9. ChelG

    ChelG Well-Known Member

    Thank you! Wasn't sure if it came under the same heading.
     
  10. ChelG

    ChelG Well-Known Member

    Do phone lines have a maximum volume? I saw a gag in a thing where someone blasted an airhorn down the line and I don't know if that would actually work.
     
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  11. can anyone give me an idea of what kind of etiquette differences are likely to come up between someone from Hawaii & someone from New York City? particularly things like, the culture/expectations around accepting favors, who pays at restaurants, etc. neither of these dudes are excessively concerned with Propriety(TM) but I figure their baselines of expected behavior/common courtesy etc would still probably be pretty different
     
  12. Chiomi

    Chiomi Master of Disaster

    Talking over each other as fond/casual/how you Do Conversation vs Interrupting Is Rude, probably?

    And other than that it super depends - a Latino from the Bronx and a Hawaiian are probably going to have similar expectations about food/presence of music/how scary-by-default Aunties are, and similar expectations with regards to favors and what goes into hosting and being a good guest (lots). A white dude from the Upper East Side and a haole from Waikiki are also going to have similar expectations about hosting and being a good guest (very little) and expect more splitting all tabs. So probably navigating the differences in culture from geography, ethnicity, and class are going to provide as much subtle friction as you want them to.
     
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  13. ChelG

    ChelG Well-Known Member

    For a murder mystery, is it likely anyone could find usable arsenic on a college campus? Would they have it in the labs? I can use a different poison if not but arsenic has some useful properties, there's a reason it's a classic.
     
  14. TheOwlet

    TheOwlet A feathered pillow filled with salt and science

    Well If they have a chemistry department they'd have it.
    If the college is even mildly old, chances are there are some forgotten boxes of rat poison in some basement/attic/supply closet. Hell, they might have animals taxidermied under arsenic use somewhere, it used to be Common and getting fresh specimems can be a pain. Wood used to be treated with it. Old wallpaper had it.

    Hell, melarsoprol is still a medication in use today despite being a toxic arsenic compound because the better Treatment Option can be hard to get/expense.

    Wikipedia lists all of these, including when/if they fell out of use.
    But i promise you any College has some in their chemistry lab's poison cabinet, and potentially in a whole host of other places nobody would think so check.
     
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