- published: 14 Oct 2015
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An obelus (symbol: ÷, plural: obeli) is a symbol consisting of a short horizontal line with a dot above and below. It is mainly used to represent the mathematical operation of division. It is therefore commonly called the division sign.
The word "obelus" comes from ὀβελός, the Greek word for a sharpened stick, spit, or pointed pillar. This is the same root as that of the word "obelisk". Originally this sign (or a plain line) was used in ancient manuscripts to mark passages that were suspected of being corrupted or spurious.
The obelus, invented by Aristarchus to mark suspected passages in Homer, is frequent in manuscripts of the Gospel to mark just those sections, like the Pericope in John, which modern editors reject. The first corrector of א, probably the contemporary διορθωτής, was at pains to enclose in brackets and mark with dots for deletion two famous passages in Luke written by the original scribe which, being absent from B W 579 and the Egyptian versions, we infer were not accepted in the text at that time dominant in Alexandria, viz. the incident of the "Bloody Sweat" in Gethsemane (Lk.xxi.43 f.) and the saying "Father forgive them" (Lk.xi.34).
Actors: Paul Newman (actor), Robert Altman (director), Ed Horwitz (miscellaneous crew), Robert Altman (writer), Lionel Chetwynd (writer), Vittorio Gassman (actor), Robert Altman (producer), Bibi Andersson (actress), Robert Altman (writer), Brigitte Fossey (actress), Fernando Rey (actor), Monique Mercure (actress), Allan F. Nicholls (producer), Ralph M. Leo (miscellaneous crew), Monique Champagne (miscellaneous crew),
Plot: In the distant future the world is in the grip of another ice age. A city originally built to house five million people is now in its death throes as the relentlessly advancing glacier is slowly crushing the metropolis's steel infrastructure. The relatively few surviving fur-clad inhabitants, perhaps thousands, perhaps only hundreds, drift aimlessly in their grim, drab world, awaiting their inevitable fate as they try to survive from day to day with scavenged firewood and minimal diet. Their only solaces are booza, an alcoholic drink distilled from moss, and Quintet, a seemingly innocuous board game for six players. The only other surviving mammals are roving packs of hungry mastiffs which roam the city's corridors and quickly dispose of the remains of the dead. Newly arrived from the south is Essex with his pregnant wife Vivia, seeking shelter in the doomed city only to find it populated by people middle-aged or older. They had supported themselves by hunting seals, but now that the last of the aquatic mammals has been killed off, they seek shelter in the apartment of Essex's brother, a renowned Quintet player. The new arrivals quickly learn that the game has a more sinister side.
Keywords: alcohol, armageddon, assumed-identity, avalanche, betrayal, board-game, canada-goose, casino, climate-change, dead-woman-with-eyes-open