🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan19.052153.8148@nwnexus.WA.COM> elf@halcyon.com (Elf Sternberg) writes:
>   I ran into an interesting problem last night, and it's a bit of a
>show about how frustrating these little details can be sometimes when
>writing science fiction.  Let's say I have a character with the
>following hand:
>        _   _   _
>   _   | | | | | |  Basically, this is a poor ascii attempt to render a
>  / \  | | |_| | |  hand with four digits.  But I can't stand the word
>  | |  | | [_] | |  'digits.'  So, let me ask my question:
>  \  \_| | | | | |
>   \             |  Is this a four-fingered hand or a three-fingered
>    \            |  hand?  In either case, do I count these fingers
>     \           |  (from left to right) as 'Thumb, first, second,
>      \          |  third,' or is it 'Thumb, second, third, fourth?'
>

IMHO, if the creature has X digits, with Y of them non-opposable and 
Z opposable, the opposable digits are thumbs, unless Y = 0, when you
call the Zs fingers/toes.  If Y = 1, it's really a Z.


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Pete Hardie:  phardie@nastar  (voice) (404) 497-0101
Digital Transmission Systems, Inc., Duluth GA
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