Minotaur/s

Thomas_Anderson · Jun 23, 2009

I discovered the other day that Microsoft Word spellchecker lacks the word 'minotaurs' in its dictionary. I assume this is because in the original legend, the Minotaur was one of a kind, but in my story they're an alien race. Then, I hit another snag, as 'minotaurs' sounds kind of not right to me.

Do you think that, if minotaur were a race, that the spelling should be like sheep, where the plural and singular are the same?

Something else I've gone back and forth in mind is the nature of their anatomy. Should a female minotaur have human-like breasts, or should they have udders? I'm thinking breasts, due to their evolution making them bipedal and using arms, and thus they'd have pectoral muscles. Then again, the nipples don't have to be aligned on their pecs, do they? I don't know, what do you guys think?

Kitty Pryde · Jun 23, 2009

Shouldn't it be Minotauri? Since the plural of taurus would be tauri? Yeah? Though I doubt MS word has that one either

ETA: The original has the (super-beefcake) body of a man, so no udders. I can't imagine what manner of complicated bra one would need for that sort of thing!

Cris · Jun 23, 2009

I can't believe that spell checked doesn't have minotaur in there. If you ask me I'd say that's a big bunch of bull.

And now that I've said that. I'm going out onto a limb by saying I think it is minotaur, singularly or plural.

Cris

dclary · Jun 23, 2009

Kitty Pryde said:
Shouldn't it be Minotauri? Since the plural of taurus would be tauri? Yeah? Though I doubt MS word has that one either

ETA: The original has the (super-beefcake) body of a man, so no udders. I can't imagine what manner of complicated bra one would need for that sort of thing!

According to Ford, the plural of Taurus is "Used Car Lot."

dclary · Jun 23, 2009

Thomas_Anderson said:
I discovered the other day that Microsoft Word spellchecker lacks the word 'minotaurs' in its dictionary. I assume this is because in the original legend, the Minotaur was one of a kind, but in my story they're an alien race. Then, I hit another snag, as 'minotaurs' sounds kind of not right to me.

Do you think that, if minotaur were a race, that the spelling should be like sheep, where the plural and singular are the same?

Something else I've gone back and forth in mind is the nature of their anatomy. Should a female minotaur have human-like breasts, or should they have udders? I'm thinking breasts, due to their evolution making them bipedal and using arms, and thus they'd have pectoral muscles. Then again, the nipples don't have to be aligned on their pecs, do they? I don't know, what do you guys think?

How about furry human breasts with like, 3-inch-long uddery nipples?

Robert E. Keller · Jun 23, 2009

Word Perfect considers minotaur to be a mistake, but not Minotaur. I find that odd.

MattW · Jun 23, 2009

dclary said:
How about furry human breasts with like, 3-inch-long uddery nipples?

That's an unnecessarily detailed, and probably appropriate, description.

dclary · Jun 23, 2009

Robert E. Keller said:
Word Perfect considers minotaur to be a mistake, but not Minotaur. I find that odd.

That's because it was a monster. Just one. Not a race of creatures. Not "a" minotaur. THE Minotaur. the half-bull-half-man offspring of Minos' wife copulating with a magical bull, via a Trojan Cow.

If you're talking about minotaurs as a race, you're referring to D&D mythology, or Narnian mythology. You're not talking about Greek mythology.

Robert E. Keller · Jun 23, 2009

dclary said:
That's because it was a monster. Just one. Not a race of creatures. Not "a" minotaur. THE Minotaur. the half-bull-half-man offspring of Minos' wife copulating with a magical bull, via a Trojan Cow.

If you're talking about minotaurs as a race, you're referring to D&D mythology, or Narnian mythology. You're not talking about Greek mythology.

True, but I figured they make updates to that sort of thing. "Minotaur" has come to mean a generic half bull, half man rather than just the creature from the labyrinth that was slain by Theseus. I think the term is used widely enough that the Word Perfect dictionary should have an alternate definition describing a generic bull man, and I find it odd that they don't. They must be a bunch of D&D and Narnia haters. Just kidding. I suppose it makes sense for the sake of historical accuracy, so good point on your part, and I tip my hat to you for knowing your Greek mythology (I don't actually have a hat on, but I'd tip it your way if I did.)

dclary · Jun 23, 2009

Robert E. Keller said:
"Minotaur" has come to mean a generic half bull, half man rather than just the creature from the labyrinth that was slain by Theseus.

Well, that's the rub. It hasn't come to mean that, except amongst an extraordinarily small subgroup of nerds.

You won't find that definition in any dictionary that I've seen. There's no mention of "a" minotaur in the first 10 pages of google search.

There are 3.4 million hits for "minotaur."
There are fewer than 150,000 hits for "minotaurs."

That's not to say that you can't create a race of minotaurs. It just explains why a spell checker isn't going to consider "minotaurs" accurate.

Robert E. Keller · Jun 23, 2009

dclary said:
Well, that's the rub. It hasn't come to mean that, except amongst an extraordinarily small subgroup of nerds.

You won't find that definition in any dictionary that I've seen. There's no mention of "a" minotaur in the first 10 pages of google search.

There are 3.4 million hits for "minotaur."
There are fewer than 150,000 hits for "minotaurs."

That's not to say that you can't create a race of minotaurs. It just explains why a spell checker isn't going to consider "minotaurs" accurate.

It appears I've been playing too much D&D during my life. I thought minotaur had become widely defined as a generic bull man. Point taken. I'll have to roll an intelligence check next time I make assumptions about the definition of a creature. Let see...where'd I leave my dice?

Pthom · Jun 23, 2009

Maybe minotaurs are sterile, like mules.

And if they're not, there would have to be female ones (cowataurs?) and assuming they're mamalian, there would need to be milk glands somewhere. Dunno about udders on a biped, though.

Which, taking the risk of derailing this thread even further and with a massive pun alert, I can't help thinking the following: If more than one minotaur are minotauri (taurus being the term for bull), why are centaurs half horse? Shouldn't they be half bull too? Or should we rename them centequines? And how come is it you never see female centaurs? If it is because of modesty ... couldn't they wear halters?

Euan H. · Jun 23, 2009

Centequine would be only one hundredth horse, wouldn't it?

Pthom · Jun 23, 2009

If you spelled it centiquine, I suppose it could be 100th dram of quinine? Wait, what happened to the minibar?

AceTachyon · Jun 24, 2009

Pthom said:
And how come is it you never see female centaurs? If it is because of modesty ... couldn't they wear halters?

Female centaur. Here you go, Pthom.

Wark · Jun 24, 2009

I vote you add it to your spell check dictionary, no S, and dog tits.

dclary · Jun 24, 2009

AceTachyon said:
Female centaur. Here you go, Pthom.

To paraphrase Fry from Futurama: "Oh, why couldn't I fall in love with the centaur with the horsy top half and the girly bottom half!?"

Sarpedon · Jun 24, 2009

hmmm, those are awfully small mammary glands for such a large animal. I remember piers anthony talking (at great length) about the nutritional needs of young centaurs and the consequent physiological adaptations.

dclary · Jun 24, 2009

Sarpedon said:
hmmm, those are awfully small mammary glands for such a large animal. I remember piers anthony talking (at great length) about the nutritional needs of young centaurs and the consequent physiological adaptations.

I'm assuming that the particular vase we're looking at was the cover of "Tiger Beat" from 420 bc, and we're really looking at the Miley Cyrus of Upper Peloponnesia. Give her a couple years. She'll fill out as she approaches womanhood.

AceTachyon · Jun 24, 2009

You do realize I'm now gonna have to write a song about female centaurs, right.

You people...

Thomas_Anderson · Jun 24, 2009

Pthom said:
Maybe minotaurs are sterile, like mules.

Then wouldn't they die out in one generation?

dclary · Jun 24, 2009

She had four on the floor and two in air
waving 'em and neighing like she just don't care
And I rode that filly bareback all damn night

I finally got a piece of her pretty tail
bucking and a-broncing and making her wail
Sweet centaurtina makes everything feel all right

Pthom · Jun 24, 2009

Sarpedon said:
hmmm, those are awfully small mammary glands for such a large animal. I remember piers anthony talking (at great length) about the nutritional needs of young centaurs and the consequent physiological adaptations.

Well, the human part of that animal appears to be complete (sans legs) as does the horsey half (sans head). Perhaps there are two uteri and 4 mammaries--one set for each half? Think about the work the midwife is in for.

Okay, this is getting weird.

Thomas_Anderson said:
Then wouldn't they die out in one generation?

Mules haven't died out--we keep making more. So wouldn't whoever it is that makes minotaurs just make more of them?

Sarpedon · Jun 24, 2009

Well, the human part of that animal appears to be complete (sans legs) as does the horsey half (sans head). Perhaps there are two uteri and 4 mammaries--one set for each half?

Hmm, that would make nursing very complicated. Not to mention foreplay.

So wouldn't whoever it is that makes minotaurs just make more of them?

They must get awfully sore

JLCwrites · Jun 24, 2009

Sarpedon said:
Hmm, that would make nursing very complicated.

Which brings up the placement of the Minotaur's breasts. It would depend on her offspring. Do they walk on all fours, or are they born standing on two legs? Will she hold and feed the offspring, or will they stand and eat?

I also vote for Minotaur being both singular and plural.

Minotaur/s

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