SPOILERS The Light Fantastic Discussion **Spoilers**
- Thread starter Tonyblack
- Start date
Light Fantastic was one of the first Pratchett I read, and I read them mostly in a hodge-podge order, as I was able to get my hands on them or when they weren't already borrowed from my school library 
as much as I enjoyed reading it at the time, I now prefer the TV adapation to the book *awaits the peltation of rancid fruit*
as much as I enjoyed reading it at the time, I now prefer the TV adapation to the book *awaits the peltation of rancid fruit*
Apologies for the Thread Necromancy. 
(What, you expect me now to remove the Necromancer Robe of Unimaginably Lurid Terrors?* And leave myself exposed in the mating season?** Never!) =)
Anyway, I shan't leave a review of TLF. I came to it relatively late in my DW journey, once I had already read Interesting Times and others. So I knew STP had done better, and I knew this book was -- well -- not-as-great-as-later-efforts. But I have one question:
Towards the end of this book, Twoflower reports to Rincewind that some people broke into a music shop and ran off with instruments. Rincewind's response? "Yes. Luters, I expect."
So, for many years I thought this was nothing but some clever wordplay. (Curse you for getting it first, Terry). *shakes fist comically* However, I just started doing some research into lutes, and discovered some interesting things.
For a start, the word for a person who plays a lute is lutenist, lutanist or lutist. A person who makes a lute is called a luthier.
But, according to wikitionary, a "luter" is ALSO a word for a lute-player. (I'm not sure on that, but let it pass). But it also means "a person who uses lute (the material)" ... and this material is ... *looks it up* "Thick sticky clay or cement used to close up a hole or gap, especially to make something air-tight."
So, my question is:
1. Why is that called "lute"?
2. Wouldn't a person who uses it be more akin to a bricklayer, not a "luter"?
3. Did STP know this, and was he using it for his joke?
Just wondering...
__________________
* Now available from all the Boffo Novelty and Joke Shop, No. 4, Tenth Egg Street, Ankh-Morpork. ("If it's a really horrible joke, it's a Boffo!")
** Thank you, Neddie Seagoon and Harry Secombe.
(What, you expect me now to remove the Necromancer Robe of Unimaginably Lurid Terrors?* And leave myself exposed in the mating season?** Never!) =)Anyway, I shan't leave a review of TLF. I came to it relatively late in my DW journey, once I had already read Interesting Times and others. So I knew STP had done better, and I knew this book was -- well -- not-as-great-as-later-efforts.
But I have one question:Towards the end of this book, Twoflower reports to Rincewind that some people broke into a music shop and ran off with instruments. Rincewind's response? "Yes. Luters, I expect."
So, for many years I thought this was nothing but some clever wordplay. (Curse you for getting it first, Terry). *shakes fist comically*
However, I just started doing some research into lutes, and discovered some interesting things.For a start, the word for a person who plays a lute is lutenist, lutanist or lutist. A person who makes a lute is called a luthier.
But, according to wikitionary, a "luter" is ALSO a word for a lute-player. (I'm not sure on that, but let it pass). But it also means "a person who uses lute (the material)" ... and this material is ... *looks it up* "Thick sticky clay or cement used to close up a hole or gap, especially to make something air-tight."
So, my question is:
1. Why is that called "lute"?
2. Wouldn't a person who uses it be more akin to a bricklayer, not a "luter"?
3. Did STP know this, and was he using it for his joke?
Just wondering...
__________________
* Now available from all the Boffo Novelty and Joke Shop, No. 4, Tenth Egg Street, Ankh-Morpork. ("If it's a really horrible joke, it's a Boffo!")
** Thank you, Neddie Seagoon and Harry Secombe.
But, according to wikitionary, a "luter" is ALSO a word for a lute-player. (I'm not sure on that, but let it pass). But it also means "a person who uses lute (the material)" ... and this material is ... *looks it up* "Thick sticky clay or cement used to close up a hole or gap, especially to make something air-tight."
So, my question is:
1. Why is that called "lute"?
2. Wouldn't a person who uses it be more akin to a bricklayer, not a "luter"?
3. Did STP know this, and was he using it for his joke?
Just wondering...
__________________
So, my question is:
1. Why is that called "lute"?
2. Wouldn't a person who uses it be more akin to a bricklayer, not a "luter"?
3. Did STP know this, and was he using it for his joke?
Just wondering...
__________________
Likes:
=Tamar
Thanks, raisindot! I'm researching lutes because one of my side-characters plays one, and I wanted to get it right.
I also never knew that "luter" is a real word, or that there was more than one meaning to the word "lute".
Is "luter" also a person who plays the lute? I'm not sure on this. Some websites say so, while others suggest that the term is lutenist, lutanist or lutist. I've definitely heard those terms, but not "luter" (which, to me, looks like a misspelling of "liter").
I also never knew that "luter" is a real word, or that there was more than one meaning to the word "lute".
Is "luter" also a person who plays the lute? I'm not sure on this. Some websites say so, while others suggest that the term is lutenist, lutanist or lutist. I've definitely heard those terms, but not "luter" (which, to me, looks like a misspelling of "liter").
