It'd be like an ant pushing a tricycle!

[Trekker4747]

Says Geordi re: the Enterprise trying to move a de-orbiting asteroidal moon around a planet in "Deja Q."

An.... interesting choice of analogy there, Geordi. A "tricycle"? Not a "wagon" or considering that you're talking about an asteroid a "boulder."

Any other "odd" analogous terms Geordi -or any of our heroes- used?

 

[Too Much Fun]

I love that bit on "Futurama" where they point out that one of the common occurrences on Star Trek was that they'd always explain some complicated problem with some odd, but very easy-to-understand metaphor...and then they go on to explain their problem with that same kind of metaphor. Like letting all the air out of a balloon! Just one reason why that episode was so clever. I'm sure other metaphors of that type were used many times both on the original Star Trek and TNG, but none leap to mind at the moment.

 

[Anwar]

Should we include Data mentioned the "Woman from Venus" limerick?

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

In "Peak Performance," Geordi likened the warp capability of the Hathaway like "popping the clutch."

 

[Trekker4747]

One of the "better" ones I liked is when Geordi and Leah Brahms describe adjusting the frequency of the Enterprise's fusion reactors to "sour the milk" that the alien space baby -"Junior"- was suckling off the ship.

 

[Too Much Fun]

"sour the milk" that the alien space baby -"Junior"- was suckling off the ship.

Ah, yes, that's probably the best example and one of the most understandable ones too. I don't know if this counts for this thread, but probably my favourite metaphor in all of Star Trek is when the Borg slice into the saucer section and Riker says, "they're carving us up like a roast". I know it's a serious situation, but that bit makes me laugh out loud every time!

 

[GalaxyX]

In "Peak Performance," Geordi likened the warp capability of the Hathaway like "popping the clutch."

I always laughed at how many 20th's century analogies survived to the 24th century. "Popping the clutch" is a term that even now not many people know about.

Another one that made me laugh was the episode of the Sheliac, and Riker's "Oh great, the Sheliac hung up on us again."

 

[Anwar]

What made me laugh was the bit where Picard let the Sheliak know he found a way of voiding their entire treatment and hung up on THEM, and then made them call for a few minutes until he decided to pick up.

 

[Triskelion]

"You have used the asteroid's gravitational field as a slingshot - excellent!" Data to Picard in Booby Trap.

 

[flemm]

probably my favourite metaphor in all of Star Trek is when the Borg slice into the saucer section and Riker says, "they're carving us up like a roast". I know it's a serious situation, but that bit makes me laugh out loud every time!

Yeah, that cracks me up as well. A very appropriate metaphor to be used by Riker in particular, for some reason. I can just see him carving up a roast in his spare time

Somebody really should put together a video with a long series of these colorful metaphors from different Trek series. It would be hilarious

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

In "Peak Performance," Geordi likened the warp capability of the Hathaway like "popping the clutch."

I always laughed at how many 20th's century analogies survived to the 24th century. "Popping the clutch" is a term that even now not many people know about.

Another one that made me laugh was the episode of the Sheliac, and Riker's "Oh great, the Sheliac hung up on us again."

The crew uses a lot of antediluvian analogies, but when it's convenient to the writers, they haven't the foggiest what they really are.

For example, they all were all mystified by the holodeck recreation of 1940s San Francisco in "The Big Goodbye." Whenever I watch that episode, I find it odd that Picard, who read Dixon Hill, couldn't get the hang of the simulation.

The scene in the conference room where he tells them about it and everyone has that goofy, wide-eyed expression is... well, just bad. The rest of the episode is boss. It's just that part I have an issue with considering that the crew use a lot of 20th Century references in their speech patterns.

 

[Finn]

Well really. I think they talk too much like we do already. If we went back to the late 17th Century, we would have more difficulty understanding any English speakers of that era than Picard and co would with us.

I mean, I have read some of Mark Twain's writings, and I couldn't understand many terms or certain sentences. And he lived a hundred years ago...

 

[flemm]

For example, they all were all mystified by the holodeck recreation of 1940s San Francisco in "The Big Goodbye." Whenever I watch that episode, I find it odd that Picard, who read Dixon Hill, couldn't get the hang of the simulation.

The scene in the conference room where he tells them about it and everyone has that goofy, wide-eyed expression is... well, just bad. The rest of the episode is boss. It's just that part I have an issue with considering that the crew use a lot of 20th Century references in their speech patterns.

While I agree with you that this wasn't well handled in that particular episode, it's not too surprising that these characters might use some expressions from the past without understanding exactly what they are refering to. We do this all the time.

We say "I'm going to take another tack" or "it wasn't the right tack to take," but how many understand the sailing metaphor or the technique of "tacking" that is referenced in the expression?

I've discussed it with a couple of people who think they are saying "tact."

 

[flemm]

Well really. I think they talk too much like we do already.

Almost certainly, though I don't think counterfeiting some kind of "futurespeak" to render these characters intentionally difficult to understand was ever a viable option.

I appreciate the occasional Trek episode that deals with language in an interesting way, but overall it is not a strong point of the Trek universe. It's silly that all these races can understand each other effortlessly, and the universal translator is worse than the replicators as far as mind and soul-numbing plot conveniences are concerned.

However, without the convenience of the universal translator or some similar conceit, language and difficulty communicating would have to be a major focus of every episode involving aliens, so I can see why this isn't a viable option from a storytelling perspective.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

For example, they all were all mystified by the holodeck recreation of 1940s San Francisco in "The Big Goodbye." Whenever I watch that episode, I find it odd that Picard, who read Dixon Hill, couldn't get the hang of the simulation.

The scene in the conference room where he tells them about it and everyone has that goofy, wide-eyed expression is... well, just bad. The rest of the episode is boss. It's just that part I have an issue with considering that the crew use a lot of 20th Century references in their speech patterns.

While I agree with you that this wasn't well handled in that particular episode, it's not too surprising that these characters might use some expressions from the past without understanding exactly what they are refering to. We do this all the time.

We say "I'm going to take another tack" or "it wasn't the right tack to take," but how many understand the sailing metaphor or the technique of "tacking" that is referenced in the expression?

Ya got a good point there. Not many people do. I mean how people know that "learning the ropes" comes from midshipmen actually learning all the ropes on all the masts and sails of a ship.

On TNG, however, the manner in which the characters were able to use such 20th Century terminology and apply it to create a specific metaphor suggests that they knew what they were talking about.

More often than not these expressions or analogies weren't being used casually but deliberately to prove a point or create an immediate image in someone's mind. Of course, it was more for our benefit.

Almost certainly, though I don't think counterfeiting some kind of "futurespeak" to render these characters intentionally difficult to understand was ever a viable option.

Fo'sho.