The uncorroborated story I heard...

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The uncorroborated story I heard...

ER — 6/14/2008 6:20:47 PM (archived)

the same one that made the Crusader connection, was that they were stereotypical Americans, because of their obsession with business and profit, but that their appearance was not symbolic of anything, other than they had to look and act rather unpleasant and disreputable without being actually evil or threatening. I'm sorry I can't give you a footnote on this, so we must relegate it to the category of "urban legend". A quick Google wll confirm the Old Arabic term for Frank (Frenchman) as a possible origin of the word, though.

I always suspected that the headgear worn by Ferengi females, the decorative garter around a bald skull, inspired the very similar headgear yuppy females were placing on their larvae's naked heads back when the series was popular. You will recall this was the same era that gave us the "Baby on Board" bobble sign. But that is only speculation on my part.

The whole thread (54 posts)

The reason ET has not contactacted us... - alcaray - 6/13/2008 10:28:56 AM
- Is because they don't exist or/and because we can't recognize them (n/t) - Raoul - 6/15/2008 7:19:31 PM
  - It was just a joke. (n/t) - alcaray - 6/18/2008 10:34:53 PM
    - Beacuse ET got no POINTS on Last Movie - carl - 6/19/2008 9:03:44 PM
  - re: Is because they don't exist or/and because we can't recognize them - Marcia - 6/18/2008 8:13:27 PM
    - re: Spell check: intelligent potential. - Marcia - 6/18/2008 8:15:25 PM
- re: The reason ET has not contactacted us... - Eric - 6/14/2008 1:26:57 AM
  - That film - TB - 6/14/2008 4:25:54 PM
    - Was Charged by ATT for PHONE HOME - carl - 6/19/2008 9:04:44 PM
  - 57 species of aliens making 4,000 landings on Earth - Socrates II - 6/14/2008 2:12:37 AM
    - 57 varieties of Manchurian Candidate aliens in the State Department? - ER - 6/14/2008 6:06:01 PM
      - You've got to have a sense of humor abot these things. Lighten up! (n/t) - Jacob - 6/14/2008 6:50:54 PM
        
        Well... I thought it was pretty funny... (n/t) - ER - 6/14/2008 7:47:44 PM
    - You judge Letterman harshly, for the wrong reason. - alcaray - 6/14/2008 5:40:50 AM
      - All the more reason - Socrates II - 6/14/2008 6:01:03 PM
        
        Letterman gave it the same treatment (ridicule) that you did. Only he was entertaining. - alcaray - 6/14/2008 10:53:56 PM
        
        If I'm paid $16 million a year and get Paul Schaefer as my sidekick - Socrates II - 6/15/2008 6:27:54 PM
        
        You need to make people laugh to get the big bucks. (n/t) - alcaray - 6/15/2008 7:30:47 PM
        
        The point is - Socrates II - 6/18/2008 6:40:32 PM
        
        I think this one belongs in another thread on another board. The one about elitism. - alcaray - 6/18/2008 10:37:11 PM
        
        I have already submitted a bill to Congress on just this matter - Socrates II - 6/19/2008 2:14:32 PM
        
        If only they would put amature scientists in charge of vetting talk show guests! (n/t) - alcaray - 6/19/2008 7:14:41 PM
        
        That would be so cool! - Socrates II - 6/19/2008 7:32:51 PM
- I feel some sci-fi coming on - Robert - 6/13/2008 11:02:25 PM
  - How humans think about aliens - TB - 6/14/2008 4:50:57 PM
    - Nice camo - Robert - 6/15/2008 2:01:57 AM
      - Trade Information Not Objects - Marsby - 6/17/2008 10:08:08 PM
        
        re: Trade Information Not Objects - Robert - 6/18/2008 5:34:48 PM
      - "though if I'm correct that it's a peculiarly human failing"- BUT WHAT IF IT ISN'T.....? - ARRELL - 6/16/2008 4:04:54 PM
        
        Attack of the killer meme. - ER - 6/16/2008 7:50:34 PM
        
        'To Serve Man' (n/t) - Jody - 6/16/2008 11:06:19 PM
        
        re: Attack of the killer meme. - ARRELL - 6/16/2008 8:00:23 PM
      - Camo? Sliding under the radar? - TB - 6/15/2008 7:20:21 PM
      - Science fiction is a collectivist conspiracy. - ER - 6/15/2008 1:31:06 PM
        
        Sounds exactly like the earth in Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. (n/t) - SDG - 6/16/2008 8:10:47 PM
        
        chilling prescience - Robert - 6/15/2008 4:19:19 PM
        
        Hey, flip it to a new thread on Off-Topic! - TB - 6/15/2008 7:28:00 PM
        
        If you're wondering how they breathe and eat, and other science facts... - Socrates II - 6/16/2008 1:12:34 PM
        
        The dystopian novel may be too late. We're already living it. (n/t) - ER - 6/15/2008 6:10:31 PM
  - Ferengi indeed. - ER - 6/13/2008 11:15:37 PM
    - re: Ferengi indeed. - Robert - 6/15/2008 2:10:47 AM
      - Sorry, Robert - Lee - 6/15/2008 5:57:24 AM
        
        You see what you want to see - Robert - 6/15/2008 3:47:13 PM
        
        Apparently somebody wrote a paper on this general subject. - TB - 6/15/2008 7:31:49 PM
        
        Could this be put into any other context? - Lee - 6/15/2008 9:54:11 PM
        
        Enough, Lee - Robert - 6/16/2008 4:25:38 AM
        
        Of course. - Lee - 6/16/2008 4:56:44 AM
        
        They don't look or act like American businessmen. - Lee - 6/15/2008 4:12:40 PM
    - I always thought - Lee - 6/14/2008 12:09:34 AM
      - The uncorroborated story I heard... - ER - 6/14/2008 6:20:47 PM
- Wait til they get a load of the Witnesses. (n/t) - Hank - 6/13/2008 12:23:46 PM
  - We could save a lot of money just waiting for the Mormons to send missionaries. (n/t) - Bowser - 6/13/2008 10:32:48 PM
  - I'm willing to bet the real first message from an ETI will be about... - Socrates II - 6/13/2008 5:34:19 PM
    - "Enlarge your..." - McFly - 6/15/2008 4:40:22 AM

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