Ralphie murdered a girl (whom he'd gotten pregnant) because she mouthed off to him.

On the one hand, I'd love to see that; on the other, I doubt HBO would be able to pull it off without drastically simplifying the story, or making a complete hash of it.

Unless he'd planned to fuck with us in that way from the beginning, I'd say no. He isn't the kind of writer who'd change things around just because his readers had guessed a secret.

I don't know that that's a great thing about the show. Part of the fun of the books is sifting through the various unreliable narrators to figure out what the score really is.

I don't know that that's a great thing about the show. Part of the fun of the books is sifting through the various unreliable narrators to figure out what the score really is.

Oh for God's sake. Seventeen years isn't enough time?

You're correct with regard to how forms of address work in modern-day British conventions, but Martin makes up his own rules. You'd address HRH Elizabeth II as "Your Royal Highness," or as "Ma'am," but in Martin's world she'd be called "Your Grace"—which in our milieu is how you address Dukes, Duchesses, and Bishops.

You're correct with regard to how forms of address work in modern-day British conventions, but Martin makes up his own rules. You'd address HRH Elizabeth II as "Your Royal Highness," or as "Ma'am," but in Martin's world she'd be called "Your Grace"—which in our milieu is how you address Dukes, Duchesses, and Bishops.

If we oblige you, will you stop using the word "peen"?

Oh look, somebody took a linguistics class in college.

At the time of the War of the Roses, England was Catholic too, as was all of Western Europe.

It was a hugely popular name for babies in the 80s. And it's not unknown in Italian (as Giasone).

It was a hugely popular name for babies in the 80s. And it's not unknown in Italian (as Giasone).

Do you hear that sound? That's Modernist Positivism, leaving on the bus 50 years ago.

Do you hear that sound? That's Modernist Positivism, leaving on the bus 50 years ago.

It's not really a mispronunciation; it's an avoidance of the glottal stop between two back vowels by interposing /r/, usually referred to as the intrusive /r/. Cf. the Beatles' "I sawr a film today, oh boy."

It's not really a mispronunciation; it's an avoidance of the glottal stop between two back vowels by interposing /r/, usually referred to as the intrusive /r/. Cf. the Beatles' "I sawr a film today, oh boy."

Facilis descensus Averno.

Facilis descensus Averno.

Dr Krakauer knew he was never going to get her to that point, and that he was in any case not going to take the money from her that such a course of therapy would require. He basically was presenting her with the only opportunity she really had to save her soul—not as a doctor, but as a human being.