[foolio]

FYI


on a different thread I had asked about what I thought was Possums uncanny healing ability. I was promptly shot down. Thats fine, thats what the board is for. For people correcting idiots like me. Recently something else crossed my mind. There is a saying in the south eastern US , "Playing Possum." It comes from the fact that Possums will sometimes play dead to avoid a confrontation. I have no idea how widely known or used this phrase is...I have never spent significant amount of time in Europe or Canada, and have lived in the south my entire life with the exception of spending a year in Colorado.

Now since Possum has been left for dead twice that we know of, maybe his best ability is appearing to be dead. I cant think of any other character in the series who has been left for dead once let alone twice...(DU leaves him for dead in NOK, Unknown avowed Surly kills with her bare hands leaves him for dead in ROTCG)

[Benji]

I've heard of the term 'Playing Possum' before and it does sound like it could make sense. I didn't know that claws were named in the same way as soldiers, but he could have started out as a soldier and been given that name by Braven Tooth.

[foolio]

yeah, I dont know that there is anything to it, but I thought people who were not familiar with the saying would find it interesting.

[Cowl's Disciple]

foolio, on Feb 19 2009, 05:29 AM, said:

yeah, I dont know that there is anything to it, but I thought people who were not familiar with the saying would find it interesting.

I'm from Australia and that saying is familiar to me. From what we've seen thus far of Possum it seems like an apt name. In Night of Knives Temper (I think) observes that he looks like a possum (beady eyes, sharp features etc.) so that may have played a role in his name also.

[foolio]

Quote

I'm from Australia and that saying is familiar to me.

do you have Possums in Australia?

[Hinter]

foolio, on Feb 19 2009, 04:01 PM, said:

Quote

I'm from Australia and that saying is familiar to me.

do you have Possums in Australia?

Its the staple diet I believe

[Cowl's Disciple]

Hinter, on Feb 20 2009, 02:05 AM, said:

foolio, on Feb 19 2009, 04:01 PM, said:

Quote

I'm from Australia and that saying is familiar to me.

do you have Possums in Australia?

Its the staple diet I believe

http://en.wikipedia....Ringtail_Possum

You can't eat them, they're a protected species and they're vicious little bastards! Two of them fighting on a roof make more noise than alley cats fighting.

[Slow Ben]

Protected huh? Where i'm from you swerve to hitem in the road.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Where I'm from you serve them up with crackers and dill sauce.

[Benji]

Where i'm from you use them to make cheap jokes about the Australians

[Aptorian]

Now children, if you want to discuss Possums and Australia, there an off-topic forum where you can go have fun, this is the book forum.

Discuss the character possum or other possum related book events, lest I become all righteous moderator of fighting fury on ya'all

[Cowl's Disciple]

foolio, on Feb 20 2009, 11:05 PM, said:

that ringtail possum is a good looking creature compared to the hideous version we have around here....sorry apt, I am done. No more creature talk from me.

The question now is, does Possum look like a ring-tail possum or a North American possum and can he be served with crackers (yes, if Temper has any say in the matter)?

On a more legitimate note, he's one of my favourite characters from ICE's books, a bastard but a loyal bastard (to Laseen) and not bad in a scrap.