Talk:Ace of Spades

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[edit] Design

Sources - Schott's Sporting, Gaming & Idling Miscellany (2004) and Chartered Institute of Taxaton. Alf 00:30, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Contradiction

The article says that "the soldiers were quick to pick up this misconception" and that "this custom was believed to be so effective" but also says it was "erroneously believed." Which was it? Someone with knowledge on the subject needs to clear these up and give citations to back them.--Nleamy 02:34, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

There's no contradiction that I can see. Just because the US soldiers believed something was effective doesn't mean that they didn't waste their time doing it. Source will be forthcoming. --Sus scrofa 15:11, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps the paragraph is just not written as clearly as it could be. For example, the statement that "soldiers were quick to pick up this misconception." Was the misconception that the NLF believed that the Ace of Spades represented bad things (and if so, does one really "pick up" on a "misconception" or would it be better to say that the soldiers were under the false impression that the NLF believed this) or was the misconception that they thought that the NLF believed that the Ace of Spades was bad, but quickly picked up on their false assumption (and hence, why would they continue to do this?). The paragraph makes a bit more sense now (and I think the likely intention is the first choice) but I think it could likely be re-written.--Nleamy 20:38, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

I've clarified the wording in the latest edit. --Sus scrofa 21:08, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

Also wanted to add here that though the article currently says, "In the popular game called "Okonkwo" or "Scat", the ace of spades has been nicknamed as the misfiring gun. The misfiring gun originated from the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe," there is actually a chapter in Mikhail Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time in which the main character picks up and drops the ace of spades, and when the card hits the table, another character pulls the trigger on a pistol which he has pointed at his own head as part of a bet. The gun, of course, misfires. This was written in the 19th century, so it would be older than Things Fall Apart. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.59.52.78 (talk) 14:50, 21 March 2008 (UTC)