Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2023 August 9

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August 9

Wee Macgreegor

I have concocted a brief article on the Scottish character Wee Macgreegor, prompted by the discovery of a slim volume in my late parents' library. What I need is a reference connecting it with Wee MacGregor railway in Australia, or the Wee MacGregor Mine which it originally served, if such a connection exists. Alansplodge (talk) 11:16, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Haven't found one yet, but from a quick look on Trove the character was regularly mentioned in Queensland newspapers from 1903 onwards. DuncanHill (talk) 11:56, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Copper at the 'curry, The 1917 Copper Boom Railways of Cloncurry and Their Aftermath might have more info? Not available digitally that I can see. 70.67.193.176 (talk) 17:25, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Hodge, David (November 1927). ""Wee Macgreegor" Twenty-Five. An appreciation of J. J. Bell". The Bookman. London. no help for question, but don't see cited in article. The Critical Kailyard, etc. Tablets, rocks, jugs, pencils, jujubes, matches, bonnets, lozenges, mufflers, dolls, sardines, whiskey, stage play, and march, but not yet mines or railways. Here[1] at least is double-e for the name of the mine. fiveby(zero) 19:09, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Thank you both. Curiously, my father's name was David Hodge, but he wasn't writing articles aged 9. Alansplodge (talk) 21:43, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Help identify an artist

I have a bronze plaque of David Lloyd George, dated 1919. It is approximately 150mm wide and 160mm high. The artist's name appears to be "E. Viand" - I may be mistaken about the V. You can see a picture of the plaque at Imgur. I have been unable to identify the artist, and would appreciate your help. Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 12:19, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Could be Viard.  Card Zero  (talk) 14:56, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Yes, I believe you are right! From that I find he also did Haig and Clemenceau. Unfortunately there is a modern sculptor called Etienne Viard who is confusing google. DuncanHill (talk) 15:18, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

I tried several likely French boys' names starting with "E" but no luck. Alansplodge (talk) 22:41, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Judging by the common style and theme combined with the identical year, I would guess that all three plaques are part of a series commemoration WWI leaders. Given that the Haig and Clemenceau plaques were sold together for £32 it is likely that the artist is not well known. The fact that the auction house doesn't identify the artist and just states "signed 'E.Viard 1919'" suggests that they couldn't identify the artist either. -- Random person no 362478479 (talk) 22:59, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Associated with Art Deco there is Eugène Viard manager of the Viard glassworks together with his brother Geroges: gazette-drouot. A sculptor, holding that kind of function is probably not implausible. --Askedonty (talk) 20:14, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

The brothers Eugène and Gabriel Viard owned glassworks in Bar-sur-Seine, near Troyes.[2] Born in Troyes were the brothers Eugène Louis Viard (1878-1952) and Louis Gabriel Viard (1881-1961), so they may be the brothers in question. I found no further information about this Eugène Viard. So he may or may not have been an artist and may or may not be the person we're looking for. -- Random person no 362478479 (talk) 20:45, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

It seems that the brothers were schoolmates with Marinot, the artist the links they are mentioned in are dedicated to. According to this, Marinot was given usage of a workshop for studies, than only later decided to turn to glass ( which he ended sculpting ). There is not the slightest mention of Eugène Viard I could find that was not under the subject of his ownership of the glassworks and his apparent hierarchical relationship with Marinot. This could be Eugene as a sculptor was to busy a manager to bother much about it but could produce a series if he wanted to. Otherwise he had an homonym, but then who was the sponsor? That should be engraved with the series. --Askedonty (talk) 21:58, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

I found a Jean-François dit Jiorné (also Giorné) Viard (1823-1885), who worked in bronze, a Julien Viard (1883 to 1938), "started out sculpting bronze but later shifted to glass", I have not been able to confirm a relationship. DuncanHill (talk) 11:08, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

The French Wikipedia has an article on fr:Julien Viard. He was born in Paris and worked with bronze and later with glass together with his father Clovis Viard. Clovis and Julien Viard founded glassworks in Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis in 1914. Since we know that the brothers Eugène and Gabriel Viard owned glassworks in Bar-sur-Seine by 1911 (and were probably born in Troyes) I think it is unlikely the four of them are closely related. -- Random person no 362478479 (talk) 19:42, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

He sees communists in his soup

Where does that line come from? Describing some kind of witch hunt guy. Maybe from a movie or suchlike. Web search didn't immediately help. I'm reminded of it due to the Oppenheimer movie. Thanks. 2601:644:8584:2010:0:0:0:5FA4 (talk) 20:54, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

The earliest (and just about the only) example that Google can find for me is:

"Charlie sees communists in his soup . He and his bunch would be funny if they weren't so pathetic."

The Confetti Man (1975) p. 282 by Bonnie Jones Reynolds.

Alansplodge (talk) 21:40, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Thanks! That sounds like the right type of quote, though I'm fairly sure I've never read that book. I don't see anything online about a movie adaptation but maybe someone else used the line in about the same way. 2601:644:8584:2010:0:0:0:5FA4 (talk) 21:44, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

"The government's got us seeing Communists in our soup." Charles Stanforth in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull DuncanHill (talk) 21:50, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Ah, that explains all the unintelligable results about Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (apparently a computer game). Alansplodge (talk) 22:16, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

A few more examples: "You even see Communists in the soup!", "They even see Communists in the soup they eat.", "Glenn Beck is the sort of person who sees Communists in his soup, ...".  --Lambiam 22:35, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

And probably a reference to "Animal Crackers in My Soup". Alansplodge (talk) 22:38, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Probably entirely unrelated to that song in any way. The meaning of the phrase is that someone is so irrationally afraid of communists, that they could be hiding anywhere, even somewhere as ridiculous as a bowl of soup. Like, obviously a whole-ass human can't hide inside a bowl of soup, but the person in question is so scared of communists they look for them even in such places. --Jayron32 13:15, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

Or perhaps it's Alphabet soup, and the communists are hiding secret messages in it. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 51.198.140.169 (talk) 13:23, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

The more common expression is under the bed, but clearly communists could be found in several rooms of your house. Just not this house. Matt Deres (talk) 19:01, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

Just keep them away from our precious bodily fluids. AndyTheGrump (talk) 19:10, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

There's a very classic advertisement, "Is your washroom breeding Bolsheviks?", but apparently Wikipedia doesn't have anything on it... AnonMoos (talk) 21:48, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

Apparently touting the idea that cheap toilet paper might turn your employees to Communism, [3] so not quite the same thing, but amusing all the same. Now added to our Scott Paper Company article. Alansplodge (talk) 11:36, 11 August 2023 (UTC)