Stupid question, but....

[abledog]

Years ago when the OG - Star Wars hit our culture and articles describing the construction of the miniatures were written, I for some reason thought the word used was 'Greeblies'.

Now It's 'Greebles'... no 'I' in the word. Has it always been G R E E B L E S and I just read it wrong?

I know... earth shattering, but it's just a silly question I had.

[Rogviler]

Greebles?? Who says that?

I would agree that "greeblies" is Star Warsian...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dncRHH9f6MI

Probably a Canadian says greebles, they say all kinds of weird stuff.

[naoto]

Ever have the urge to add surface detail that when viewed at a certain angle and lit from a certain angle that if forms the appearance of something that vaguely looks like a 1940s-era pinup -- then call it Betty Greeble?

[shrug] aluminium or aluminum...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5YKLxWRXo4

the core of the operating system on a (digital electronic) computer is known as a "kernel" -- unless you happen to be using a Commodore computer, where it's called a "kernal".

The eighth letter of the English alphabet -- H -- is it aytch or hyitch ?

Do you say "kelt" or "selt" when you read Celt ?

[naoto]

https://web.archive.org/web/20080927200 ... sadams.php

Interview: Charles Adams
By Steve Fronczek
20 January 2008
...
Q: Did you use any inspiration from the old show to incorporate into your designs?
....
The original design was brought to life by building a box-like structure in sheet plastic and then covering it with details called “greeblies.” This term, coined by the model makers at Industrial Light and Magic back in the 1970s, simply means parts harvested from commercially available plastic model kits. The process of using these kinds of details is referred to as "kit bashing."
...
By the way, bumpy surface details on a modern CG model are often referred as "nurnies." This term was coined by Ron Thornton of Hollywood’s Foundation Imaging, an FX studio that did most of the visual effects work on Babylon 5 and also did a lot of work on some of the newer incarnations of Star Trek on TV.
...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble

A greeble (/ˈɡriːbliː/ GREE-blee) or nurnie is a prominent detailing added to the surface of a larger object that makes it appear more complex, and therefore more visually interesting.
...
An early physical example of their application was in the production of the spaceships in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) where they were called wiggets
...

[Rogviler]

Okay, so perhaps it's a question of spelling. I've never heard anyone pronounce it "gree-bull", only "gree-blee." As such, I wouldn't think to spell it any way other than greeblie. Spelling it differently than you would think it's pronounced is asking for trouble. I'm looking at you, gif.

[Ramsayman]

Greebles?? Who says that?

I would agree that "greeblies" is Star Warsian...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dncRHH9f6MI

Probably a Canadian says greebles, they say all kinds of weird stuff.

I resent that! I have never said Greebles! It's Greeblies, plain and simple! Maybe Newfoundlanders....

[widget]

Greeble. Period

[abledog]

Ah thanks guys... I wasn't imagining this. You see I'm in the process of learning hard surface modeling in Blender and many of the tutorials I see about adding surface detail to mechanical shapes, ships etc. use the word Greebles, (which kinda' irritated me).

I think it has something to do with most of these tuts' coming from British and Australian artists that have their own way of saying things.. (Aluminium anyone?)

I'm stickin' with 'greeblies' as a Star Wars baby!

[abledog]

Ever have the urge to add surface detail that when viewed at a certain angle and lit from a certain angle that if forms the appearance of something that vaguely looks like a 1940s-era pinup -- then call it Betty Greeble?

[shrug] aluminium or aluminum...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5YKLxWRXo4

the core of the operating system on a (digital electronic) computer is known as a "kernel" -- unless you happen to be using a Commodore computer, where it's called a "kernal".

The eighth letter of the English alphabet -- H -- is it aytch or hyitch ?

Do you say "kelt" or "selt" when you read Celt ?

YES! Okay, they do at least spell 'Aluminium' with the extra 'I', but 'Leftenant'... WHAT??? There's no way for them to explain their way out of that one... nope!

[naoto]

YES! Okay, they do at least spell 'Aluminium' with the extra 'I', but 'Leftenant'... WHAT??? There's no way for them to explain their way out of that one... nope!

... and how 'bout "colonel"? Tthe pronunciation of "ker-nul" may not be obvious from the spelling.

[southwestforests]

but 'Leftenant'... WHAT??? There's no way for them to explain their way out of that one... nope!

While talking Leftenant, ...
how about Lieutenant Colonel Leftenant ...

as in ..

Lieutenant Colonel Mary Leftenant

https://www.massapequapost.com/articles ... rce-nurse/

[abledog]

LOL... what has happened to us here...?

[abledog]

Greebles?? Who says that?

I would agree that "greeblies" is Star Warsian...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dncRHH9f6MI

Probably a Canadian says greebles, they say all kinds of weird stuff.

Oh yes... thank you for that video link! This is solidifying my 'Greeblie' designation. George Lucas himself used that phrase.

Now... to throw a fly in the ointment, I did begin to wonder why people from the UK etc.. use 'greeble'. The thought that came to mind was that it might actually be the original term, (put the pitchforks away for a moment please).

I think back to some of the first examples of this type of miniature work I was exposed to... the Jerry Anderson 'Marionation' shows I loved as a kid, especially 'Thunderbirds'. The vehicle concepts and miniatures were quite amazing. They did have small light catching details on them that seemed to be a precursor to what we'd see in later films... 2001: A Space Odyssey, Silent Running and of course Star Wars.

Greeble, might have been a term those guys used and G.L. gave us his version, (which has impressed on me, so it stays ...)

Does someone know for sure?

[southwestforests]

Does someone know for sure?

I don't know much of anything for sure any more.
But ...
I will expect that the thing may be a case describable by this title of a 2017 book by a linguist,
"Words on the Move: Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally)"

Language is always changing, but the way English is spoken today rubs many of us the wrong way. Whether it’s the use of literally to mean “figuratively,” or the way young people use LOL or business jargon like What’s the ask?―it often seems as if the language is deteriorating before our eyes.
But the truth is different and a lot less scary. Drawing examples from everyday life and employing a generous helping of humor, John McWhorter shows that these shifts are common to all languages, and that we should embrace these changes, not condemn them.

[naoto]

A static language (i.e. one that doesn't change [or adapt to the situation at hand]) is a dead language.

[widget]

Come down South.
I 've been down here for over 5 years and still can't understand some people.
It still cracks me up when they ask what aisle the "flar" and "ole" are on.

[Kylwell]

Irritate everybody and refer to tiny random details as "gribbles"

[seam-filler]

I've seen & heard both greebles and greeblies used, but by far the most common use I've come across is greebles. As far as I can recollect, the use of greeblies has been almost entirely in this forum!

I believe that the word greeble isn't yet in any of the accepted "academic" dictionaries but is under consideration as a new word in both Collins and Oxford English Dictionaries. Alas, greeblies is not and searches for greeblies only list it as an alternative to greeble.

As for me, I'm happy with either.

[aussie cylon]

Tomato’s.....tomatoes....we can go on....

[seam-filler]

Come to think of it, I remember before Star Wars they were often called "widgets".

[Ramsayman]

Tomato’s.....tomatoes....we can go on....

Tomaties, tomatles...

[Saturn]

Irritate everybody and refer to tiny random details as "gribbles"

ANd whoosh, a dozen Dale Gribble conspiracy theories fly through my head.

alt.black.helicopters. look it up.

[widget]

Come to think of it, I remember before Star Wars they were often called "widgets".

Imagine that....

[Whiteraven_2001]

What's to universe coming to? GL cited as a language authority??

[naoto]

Tomato’s.....tomatoes....we can go on....

Tomaties, tomatles...

Tow Mater?
https://youtu.be/h3fKFocGkkk

[Zubie]

Nobody mentioned "nurnies", which I do believe is the term generally applied to digital greebles(ies).

Never bothered to check the spelling, and indeed it does seem the most prevalent form is greebles, but is that grēbəl (rhyming with tribbles), or grēbēs (rhyming with trapeze).

It's like when I learned that I was pronouncing H.R. Giger's name wrong, gĭ - gər (rhyme with "be there") as opposed to gī ′gər (like Geiger [counter])

[seam-filler]

And then there's dunsel... And object or person for which there is no use or purpose.

Star Trek TOS (The Ultimate Computer) - Spock tells McCoy of the term which midshipmen use. I'm not sure if the word was in existence before Star Trek.

Also from TOS trek, the pipe and conduits on sets were referred to as GNDNs (or gundens)... Goes nowhere, does nothing.

[Lonewolf]

An award our team won in the Iron Model challenge in 2017 says "Best Use of Greeblies".