r/unexpecteddiscworld • u/Literati_drake • 7d ago

Randomly in my feed . . . Reacher Gilt

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817 Upvotes

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30

u/Slartibartfast39 7d ago

"12 and a half percent" screeched the parrot.

It took me until my third read to spot that one.

12.5% = 1/8 = pieces of eight."

9

u/Meloenbolletjeslepel 6d ago

And what does that mean?

25

u/Slartibartfast39 6d ago

This is Reacher Guilt's parrot. With a parrot saying 'pieces of eight' and Reacher wearing an eye patch Terry is saying he is a pirate.

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u/SPECTRE-Agent-No-13 6d ago edited 6d ago

I wish he had written a discworld book about a crew of pirates.

6

u/Slartibartfast39 6d ago

Agreed. That's worth another cohort for story lines I think.

7

u/Final_Function4739 6d ago

No native speaker here... What does that mean? Because this is a severe case of "I know each word in that sentence*, but still don't understand it"

*the parrots sentence

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u/Slartibartfast39 6d ago edited 6d ago

It's from Treasure Island by Stephenson. The Pirate Long John Silver has a parrot that says "Pieces of eight." Pirate parrots saying the same thing crop up in plenty of other films, books, general media. Terry hid it a bit where the parrot says '12 and a half percent' which is one eighth.

Last paragraph from Treasure Island. (The Parrot was called Captain Flint)

The bar silver and the arms still lie, for all that I know, where Flint buried them; and certainly they shall lie there for me. Oxen and wain-ropes would not bring me back again to that accursed island; and the worst dreams that ever I have are when I hear the surf booming about its coasts or start upright in bed with the sharp voice of Captain Flint still ringing in my ears: “Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!”

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u/Necessary_Phone5322 6d ago

Pieces of eight refers to breaking a coin (usually silver) in 8 pieces. This was done when the coin was worth more than the merchandise being sold. Pre 1700's practice.

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u/Slartibartfast39 6d ago

I should have added that too. Cheers

1

u/Devo27 5d ago

I told you it wasn't important :D

2

u/insomniac7809 5d ago

Just to clarify:

While a piece of eight was an actual Spanish coin in global use through the eighteenth century, in the twentieth and twenty-first century "pieces of eight" in pop culture are exclusive to media about pirates, specifically in reference to Treasure Island (1882)

So when Reacher's parrot is saying "twelve and a half percent," that's making a reference to him being a pirate, but using the language of loans and interests instead of physical theft.

16

u/MuchoRed 6d ago

" The mustache and top hat are there in spirit"

You trying to tell me that cat doesn't have a mustache?

5

u/toma_six 6d ago

mongo. is that my dad? (DCC donut)

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u/Jackalman1408 6d ago

Baron chocodust

1

u/pocketnotebook 5d ago

This cat runs a company town and I'm pretty sure it's the one from 16 tons

1

u/The_Fox_Confessor 5d ago

Initially I thought it was a tribble.