Talk:Ford Prefect (character)

Quotes

Quotes re Ford's selection of the name from memory - if anyone has a copy of the book handy and wants to check, please do.

I remember the same, so I think its right!

Removed "He had simply mistaken the dominant life form." -- just checked the book. Doesn't say anything about Ford thinking cars a life-form. In the TV series, there's a scrolling list of possible names, one of which is Anna Ford. -- Tarquin

You're right but see comment on edit. I think this comment from the author is okay to put in the article, but further elaboration would be speculative. Murphy

... ah. I stand corrected. It's in "A guide to the guide", preface to the 4-in-1 edition. -- Tarquin 18:45 Dec 20, 2002 (UTC)

Oops. I didn't realise there had been any controversy about the line already, and I just removed it again. The thing is, it doesn't make much sense as it is, and even if elaborated upon, it doesn't get much clearer. I suspect that when Adams said, "He had simply mistaken the dominant life form," he was joking. After all, Ford didn't try to disguise himself as a car and fit in with all the other car-oid lifeforms when he arrived, did he...!? Hmm, I'll try to think of some way of making sense of this... -- Oliver P. 11:51 Feb 9, 2003 (UTC)

I've put the quote back in, but added that, "some commentators believe this explanation to be apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate." I'm not sure how encyclopaedic that is, but I'm not entirely joking. Adams made up a lot of the radio series stuff as he went along, and later admitted that the explanations of plot features which he gave in interviews were not necessarily the original reasons, because he'd forgotten what they were. Something like that, anyway. I might be able to find the exact quote somewhere... -- Oliver P. 12:16 Feb 9, 2003 (UTC)

I seem to recall somewhere that he just picked a name that seemed to occur frequently. I think the joke about 'mistaken the dominant life form' is a dig from Adams' environmental leanings, he is suggesting that Britain is built for the convenience of cars, rather than people. 2toise 04:21, 20 Oct 2003 (UTC)

I removed the "some commentators believe this explanation to be apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate" line... it really didn't look very encyclopaedic to me. -Chip, 24 Mar 2004

Well, now the movie has made it canon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1nOlSBUbDI&feature=youtu.be&t=1m so shall we add it back? WafflesMcDuff 10:50 CET 17 Jan 2018 —Preceding undated comment added 09:51, 17 January 2018 (UTC)

fords real name is not Ix

i have read the german version of the book, so this might be wrong, but in the german language it was told, that fords real name is inexpressible, even to him self, because it is spoken in the dead language of his destroyed planet. Ix was the nickname, given to him by the children of his school.

Yes, you're right. It is like that in the English version of the book as well. —Paul A 04:14, 20 Oct 2003 (UTC)

Having read the book, heard the radio broadcasts, seen the TV series, and played the computer games, I have concluded that an intergalactic observer scanning the ether for TV and Radio signals might conclude that "Ford Prefect" WAS the dominant life form - at least in GB. Reason, ONLY the British would direct radio/TV energy to outer space, dissipating the signal that should be focused on earthly beings. Actually, "Ford Prefect" is probably mentioned more often on English radio than "Human Race", simply because they PAY for it's use. (9-) Steve Laifman, USA (TigersUnited.com)

Image

It would be nice if there was an image of Ford on the article.

Done. David Dixon in the TV version of Ford Prefect. --JohnDBuell 20:17, 15 May 2005 (UTC)

Can we use the image of Mos Def as Ford from the website cited in the image? Or is this a copyvio? --JohnDBuell | Talk 01:02, 25 Jun 2005 (UTC)

The TV series was created before the movie so I think that would take precedence. 202.76.132.215 05:03, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

Douglas Adams is often quoted rejecting the idea of a 'canon' or precedence. Why not have two pictures as leaving out Mos would seem perhaps a racist POV Briantist 09:11, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't think we need to worry about racism, just copyright law. If we wanted to be completists, we'd need to find a photo of Geoffrey McGivern.... --JohnDBuell 16:29, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

Description on Ford's appearance?

not sure if he's ever being depicted in the novels, but I think his hair color was given as reddish? Might be worth mentioning that Mos Def doesn't look like that at all :) (clem 19:50, 14 May 2005 (UTC))

             On page 11 of the first book (in the "Hitch-Hiker's Quartet, which excludes the fifth and final volume), Ford's hair is described as "wiry and gingerish and brushed backward from the temples." I think it's safe to assume that 'gingerish' refers to a reddish hue. As far as the rest of his appearance, it's only mentioned that he's inconspicuous-looking. "He was not conspicuously tall, his features were striking but not conspicuously handsome." This is also on page 11 of the first book. I don't see anything else that refers to a specific feature other than that his skin seemed to have been pulled backward from the nose. Zymish (talk) 10:35, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Personality

Er, surely there should be some mention of Ford's personality?

I mean, this is all information on the character's history, but not actually on his character. Not that the bio's out of place, but this gives no real feel of who Ford is, how he acts, etc.

Famous cat

I've noticed people repeatedly adding and reverting this info about a famous cat:

Ford Prefect is also the name of a famous cat who resides in Cary, North Carolina. Like the real Ford Prefect, Ford's owners believe he is also from a small planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse. Ford Prefect photo

A link to an article (proof) is really needed for this sort of thing. Why is it famous, why should the reader need to know about it, and is it really that relevant? --Brandon Dilbeck 15:41, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:FordandArthur.jpg

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BetacommandBot (talk) 06:50, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Image copyright problem with Image:David Dixon as Ford Prefect.jpg

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Punctuation

Possessive apostrophe is followed by an S. So, Adams' is wrong. It should be Adams's. Fact. If you don't believe me, ask Strunk & White, Fowler, or any other respected authority on English.

In traditional (British) grammar, it was taught that certain "famous" names did not require an appended 's' for the possessive form. I've never found it a convincing rule.

The usual examples quoted were the Biblical names "Moses" and "Jesus" (rather less famous now, perhaps, than even when I was at school 30 years ago). The problem there, though, seems to be the awkwardness of pronouncing three successive syllables ending with an "s" sound when 's' is added after the apostrophe. That makes it a matter of speech rather than writing. I don't know if anyone is still teaching the rule, but in my opinion it is invalid. It is certainly unworkable, as there is no certain means of determining if the name being quoted is considered to be sufficiently famous to meet the rule.

Phew! Anyway . . . I agree with your observation and have applied standard punctuation to Mr Adams's (thus) name in this article. Alfrew (talk) 23:46, 12 December 2012 (UTC)

a puzzling sentence

I was read the sentence "The graphics in the TV series provide a similar explanation by listing director John Ford, Arthur Ford, news reader Anna Ford, carmaker Henry Ford, the Ford Anglia, the Ford Consul and finally Ford Prefect" and I didn't understand what list? thanks, Fadiha (talk) 13:08, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

This sentence puzzled me, too, as the "explanation" mentioned isn't apparent. I have requested clarification.

Also, the first sentence of the section needs to clarify the source of its quotations if there are differing explanations of the name. Alfrew (talk) 23:09, 12 December 2012 (UTC)

Prior art

Do other visitors to this page know this expression? It is new to me. I have looked up the linked Wiki article and the phrase seems to be a technical legal term in patent law. Unless the term is considerably better known than I think it is, this is too oblique for a general encyclopedia article that is not concerned with patents. If the phrase is common as a colloquialism, then pardon my ignorance. Otherwise, a more common and simple form of words belongs here. Alfrew (talk) 23:56, 12 December 2012 (UTC)

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