Scoobying Workshop #4, Afternoon 6/13/2006 (Main Campfire)

[soldtoarmenians]

[Roster]

Xander is standing in front of the unlit campfire holding up a book in the hand that doesn't have splinted fingers. He's being careful not to get soot on it because yo, Tev'Meckian/English Dictionary. In hardback.

"Hi, my name's Xander and I'm a geek. I'm sure that revelation totally gasts your flabber. But despite the huge pains I take to hide that fact, I felt I should confess it for the good of all, since sometimes it comes in handy to be a geek."

He coughs, then says in a gravelly voice, "Pef trom Grabthar, jux shag!"

"Okay, a real Tev'Meckian would totally laugh at my accent, if there were real Tev'Meckians. But how many other people, or monsters, or real aliens, or whoever I might have to keep something secret from while my team talks in front of them, are gonna have a clue what I just said?"

He waves the book. "This is a totally invented language, which means the speaking population is limited to... well, geeks. That makes it really useful for talking in front of people you're pretty sure... aren't. Real languages are great too, if you happen to be lucky enough that your whole team speaks one that most people around you don't, but the made-up ones are a lot easier to come by.

No, I'm not gonna make you learn Tev'Meck. It's three hundred pages long and just reading a translation of The Cat In The Hat almost gave me laryngitis once. But there are other invented languages that are a lot easier to learn, and I've got a worksheet for you on one of them.

It sounds simple, but when you speak it fast enough it's pretty much just, well. Gibberish. Except to you and whoever you're talking to. If you practice enough, you can rattle off an entire conversation in front of your teacher without her realizing you're planning on sneaking out to fight lava monsters during the filmstrip --- which, uh is bad and you should totally not do mm'kay -- and if they start to catch on, at that point you'll probably be good enough at it that you can invent your own."

Xander grins. "So today you can spend the whole workshop yakking to each other about anything you want to yak about -- but the catch is, you have to do it in Gibberish."
__

[OCD threads up! Gibber away. ]

Comments

Talk Amongst Yourselves

[soldtoarmenians]

"But in Gibberish, Oh Em Gee. If you're looking for a topic and don't have one, there's always... stuff you learned from the radio last night? Though if I took last night's radio broadcast literally I'd be looking funny at a lot of you, and... possibly myself. Granted a lot of Sunday and Monday is a little hazy for some reason, but I'm pretty sure we didn't spend it doing what Becky says we did."

__
[Just your dialogue omg. And no, you don't actually have to say every word in Gibberish; characters can screw it up, or cheat, or totally give up and speak English or Tenktonese if it frustrates them. Just play with it as much or as little as you like.]

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[multi-madrox.livejournal.com]

"Adiglidgas. Midigy udigundidigerwidigear sidigtill hidigas gidiglittidiger fidigrom tidighe didigays widige sidigpent idign tidighe cidigabidigin.

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia didn't follow that at all. But she responded anyway. "Bidigilop gridigouse dididididi groop."

Yeah, she wasn't even trying.

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[multi-madrox.livejournal.com]

"bidiguh?"

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[nadiathesaint]

"Bidigoose didiloop nubuh screebob rope," said Nadia, her tone expressing in no uncertain tones that this was an insult, probably to Jamie's mother.

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[lovechildblair.livejournal.com]

Blair stared at the sheet and muttered quietly as he tried to work out the rules. "Hi, I'm Blair. What's your name?"

"Hi I'm Bwaiw What's youw name?"

"Ihay I'myay Airblay. At'swhay youray amenay?"

"hu i'm bla1r what'z ur naME!?!?!?!?!??!?!?"

"Hee I'm Bleur. Hee I'm Bleur Vhet's yuoor neme-a?" Blair frowned and decided speaking like the chef wasn't the goal, although he certainly had enough trouble understanding him sometimes. He opened his mouth to try again. "Hubi, Ubi'm Blubair. Whubat's yubour nubame?"

"Uboh, thubat's rubealluby clubose! Nubot quubite bubut clubose. Wubait...stubop. Stubop. Uboh muban, Ubi cuban't stubop tubalkubing lubike thubis!" He bounced nervously, looking around. "Hubelp?"

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[multi-madrox.livejournal.com]

"Idig hidigave nidigo idigididigea widighat yidigou adigre sidigayidiging."

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[lovechildblair.livejournal.com]

"Rubealluby?" Blair tilted his head and realized he understood Jamie's question. "Ubi cuban ubunduberstuband yubou, thubat jubust fubigubures. Ubof cubourse Ubi cuban ubunduberstuband yubou bubut Ubi cuban't subeem tubo spubeak ubit. Thubis ubis jubust grubeat. Ubi'm prubobubabluby guboubing tubo fubail uband Xubanduber wubill thubink Ubi'm uba lubosuber uband Ubi'll nubevuber subee ubanubothuber twubinkubie ubagubain."

He bounced and looked carefully at Jamie. "Cuban yubou rubealluby nubot ubunduberstuband mube? Lubike ubat uball?"

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[multi-madrox.livejournal.com]

"Widighat didigid yidigou sidigay?"

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Idigi adigm nidigot sidigure idigi adigm didigoidiging thidigis ridigight..." Bridge says after a minute or two of looking at the worksheet.

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[soldtoarmenians]

"Sidigounds ridigight tidigo midige!" Xidigandidiger Xander says, grinning.

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Pidigeopidigle adigaidiglridigeady fidigind midige cidigonfidigusidiging whidigen Idigi tidigalk nidigormidigallidigy. Hidigow midiguch midigore cidigonfidigusidiging widigould Idigi bidige tidigalkidiging lidigike thidigis aidigll thidige tidigime?"

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[soldtoarmenians]

"Midigaybidige yidigou cidigould hidigand otigout Bridigidge Didigecidigodidiger Ridigings tidigo thidige gidigood gidiguys?"

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[multiplez]

"Midigy hidigead hidigurts." Z's not sure she's doing this right.

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[dude-its-jude.livejournal.com]

"Sidigo digidoes midigine," Jude agreed mellowly, even if he seemed to be having no trouble with the language.

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Midigayidigbe widige cidigould tidigalk idigin Sidigiridigian?" Bridge suggests. "Edigxcidigept thidigat sidigome odigoidigf thidige bidigad gidiguys adigat hidigome cidigan sidigpeak thidigat tidigoo..."

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory stared at the worksheet.

"I speak upwards of seven languages," she said in English. "And this makes no sense."

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[soldtoarmenians]

"That's 'cause it's not really a language; it's just a code," Xander answered with a nod. "It's just a way to disguise English so people who don't have the code-key or can't think fast on their feet won't figure out what you're saying."

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory pouted. "Odigkidigay."

She looked hesitantly at him. "Is that right?"

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[smartestone]

Hermione frowns for a moment. "I don't know gibberish. ...The crow flies at midnight?" It's an effort.

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander grins. "It's not what you say, so much as how you say it. Thidige cridigow flidigies adigat midigidnidigight."

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[smartestone]

She pauses. "I'm trying to think if I've heard of a cridigow in one of my classes..."

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com]

"Idig taidiglked wiidigth Coridigdyidig adignd Adiglanidignaidg."

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[dbiers.livejournal.com]

"Idigm nidigot eidigitidigher oidigf thidigem, bidigut Idig tidighidignidigk thidigidigis is cidigompidigleidigteidigly idignsidigane." D piped up.

[ooc: Tormenting Zack was suggested, and so... Hi. I might frak up, but I'll have a go.]

Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves

[twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com]

"Midigore adignnidigoyidigng thidigan idignsidigane," Zack replied. "Adigt leaidigstidig oidigncidige yidigou figidigidigure idigt odigut."