Wind blows northerly...

POSTED BY: sab39
UPDATED: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 19:16
VIEWED: 7116
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SAB39

Sunday, April 9, 2006 1:12 AM

(am I allowed to consider the BDM an "episode" for the purposes of posting in the "Episode discussions" section?)

It just occurred to me that Mal was being (maybe unintentionally) ironical when he said "Wind blows northerly, I go north".

As I understand it, a northerly wind is one that's blowing from the north.

In other words, it probably wasn't what he meant, but what he said was "I'm the kind of person who goes in the exact opposite direction than the way the wind is blowing"...

COPILOT

Sunday, April 9, 2006 1:20 AM

Didn't know that. Joss probably didn't either.

An I carried such a torch

EVILDINOSAUR

Sunday, April 9, 2006 1:28 AM

I didn't know that either, when I hear "wind blows northernly" I think of wind blowing in a northern direction

"Haha, mine is an evil laugh."

SAB39

Sunday, April 9, 2006 1:31 AM

I was doubting myself for a minute, but http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/northerly confirms my understanding - a northerly wind is coming from the north.

DONCOAT

Sunday, April 9, 2006 1:34 AM

As a sailor, I noticed that right away. You're quite right: a north (or northerly) wind blows from the north.

I just assumed that Mal wasn't the nautical type, and was using the term wrong as many landlubbers do.

Actually, though, the phrase works either way to describe Mal: he goes with the flow, and also goes against the grain.

Okay, now I have metaphor overload.

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I don't disagree on any particular point.

SAVEWASH

Sunday, April 9, 2006 5:13 PM

I had noticed this, too. Since Joss never seems to do anything by accident, I think he had Mal say this on purpose. Mal rarely goes with the flow; he more often heads straight into the wind, the opposite way that other captains would take. Also, the opposite way than what others want/expect/order him to take. And since Mal isn't dumb either, I think he knows exactly what he's saying.

"We need to keep our heads so we can ... keep our heads."

SAB39

Sunday, April 9, 2006 5:16 PM

I thought of that possibility, but much as I'd like to believe it, I think the remainder of the quote screws it up. Mal starts out with "I ain't got no rudder" - and the little I know about sailing suggests that the only way you can sail into the wind is pretty heavily dependant on having a rudder...

DONCOAT

Sunday, April 9, 2006 5:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by sab39:
...the little I know about sailing suggests that the only way you can sail into the wind is pretty heavily dependant on having a rudder...

Well, having a keel is actually more important, but without the rudder you'd have a tough time steering in general.

In such a case, whether you went downwind or not would depend on the amount of wind and the direction/strength of the current.

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I don't disagree on any particular point.

PURPLEBELLY

Sunday, April 9, 2006 5:51 PM

It's like this: Whedon went to a private school in England which means that he was educated not only to be technically inept, but to rejoice in it.

SUCCATASH

Sunday, April 9, 2006 6:20 PM

I think the problem here is a grammatical one.

Indeed a North Wind and Northerly Wind mean that it comes from the north and blows south. In this case, "northerly" is an adjective modifying the noun "wind."

But when Mal is speaking, "Wind blows northerly..." In this case, "northerly" is an adverb modifying the verb "blows."

Mal would have been wrong to say, "Northerly wind blows, I go north." But that's not what he said.

"Gott kann dich nicht vor mir beschuetzen, weil ich nicht boese bin."

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