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Mastermind Hunter
01-18-2006, 05:00 PM
Okay, I'm giving up on this fic. As far as I'm concerned, it's jumped the shark. The only thing the latest chapter -- which I've just finally read -- had to recommend it was the excellent DADA class sequence at the end, but that's not enough to rescue this fic from spiralling down towards its death from pointlessness.
And it had such potential, too.
-- Bob
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For Jor-El so loved the Earth, he sent his only begotten son...
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Re: Mastermind Hunter
01-18-2006, 07:18 PM
I keep meaning to ask - where does that expression come from? "Jumped the SHark" I mean. I've heard of "Screwed the pooch" (but that's usually amore problematic mistake than a fanfic going awry) and it's structurally similar to "jumped the track" but while losing direction sort of carries some of the meaning you've been imbuing it with it doesn't really seem to match either. In other words, WTF?
- CDThat which does not kill us... has made its last mistake.
SERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
Next morning, Harry found himself butt-naked in the other side of town, mouth tasting of lima beans. - from Uzumaki Harry by Shadow Crystal Mage
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
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Shark jumping
01-18-2006, 07:35 PM
IT refers to something that was good spiralling into mediocrity. The phrase comes from the TV series Happy Days, whic was well-beloved and well-written. . . until they decided to do a ratings stunt and have the fan-favorite character jump his motorcycle over a tank with a shark in it. After that, the episodes were one cliche after another...
Which is kind of amusing, since the show was part of one of the longest spin-off chains in TV history.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll
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Re: Shark jumping
01-18-2006, 07:48 PM
Ah, I see - for Happy Days, that sounds like a case of some studio putz either deciding to micromanage the writing team, or replacing them, after impressing his boss with some buzzword compliant spiel about mixing things up a bit to prevent mid-season slump, or some such codswallop.
I've really no idea what the excuse mght be for mastermind Hunting.
- CDThat which does not kill us... has made its last mistake.
SERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
Next morning, Harry found himself butt-naked in the other side of town, mouth tasting of lima beans. - from Uzumaki Harry by Shadow Crystal Mage
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
