Linguā anglicā: “Key to renowned Quorans”
I have taken to cartooning Quorans I like and banter with. Both the cartoons and the banter feature jocular references that may not be immediately obvious to outsiders, who can only judge from the Quorans’ profile pic. (Often enough, the profile pic is all I have to go on too.)
Herewith, a key to my in-joke references, which gives me a good excuse to link-love Quorans some more. Depictions drawn from profile pics are not further explained.
Jimmy Liu (gone but never forgotten), Michael Masiello (magister optimus), Robert Todd (elegentiae arbiter), Lyonel Perabo (skis grow out of his shoes), Zeibura S. Kathau (no goddamn amateur), Lara Novakov (#freelaranole), Aziz Dida (asker of neighbourly questions), Philip Newton (my Quora mentor), Joachim Pense (maintainer of standards), Sam Morningstar (knows more than a thing or two), Dan Holliday (the US Jimmy Liu), Brian Collins (get down here soon!), Dimitris Almyrantis (erudite gadfly), Dimitra Triantafyllidou (my northern counterweight), Lefteris V. Tserkezis (scholar and gentleman).
Jimmy Liu: Had just been permabanned when I wrote the piece. Robert Todd had just asked me whether it was common practice for Quorans to disappear, as if the Black Maria had carted them off in the middle of the night.
Michael Masiello: familiar with the Classics, among his manifold other fields of literary knowledge. Ergo, clad in a toga (as befits a student of the classics) and a beret (as befits a scholar). Magister Optimus: best of teachers.
Robert Todd: I hadn’t noticed the tiny goatee at the time I drew this. Elegantiae arbiter: arbiter of elegance; a shoutout to the Classics (it was the nickname of Gaius Petronius Arbiter), and to Robert’s own sly, well-read discernment.
Lyonel Perabo: a Frenchman transplanted to Norway, and fitting in all too well. If he fit in any better, as he said to me, skis would have to start growing out of his shoes.
Zeibura S. Kathau: keeps saying he’s an amateur linguist. He isn’t. He isn’t an amateur DJ either.
Lara Novakov: Nole is a Serbian nickname not just for people called Novak (e.g. Djokovic), but for people called something like Novak. Novakov, for instance. So whenever Lara gets in trouble with the mods, #freelaranole
Aziz Dida: Is a doctor in Kosovo; calls himself a neighbour when asking questions about neighbouring countries (including Greece). Asks a lot of very good questions.
Philip Newton: was the only Quoran I knew before Quora; gave me lots of encouragement at the start. Lives in Germany, so he doesn’t smile.
Dan Holliday: posts a lot to explain the US perspective on things. Hence the perched bald eagle.
Joachim Pense: is meticulous and does not let me get away with inaccuracies. Lives in Germany, so he doesn’t smile.
Brian Collins: is on track to move to Melbourne.
Dimitra Triantafyllidou: has become my Quora Nemesis, in the best way possible. She’s from northern Greece, I’m from southern Greece.