JKR's hints (was Re: Drooble's Best Blowing Gum Theory)

[pickle_jimmy]

No: HPFGUIDX 70691

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Richelle Votaw" <rvotaw at i...> 
wrote:
> Pickle Jimmy wrote:
> 
> > So, what you are saying is that JK invented the name "Drooble's 
Best
> > Blowing Gum" as an anagram of some secret message that has 
nothing to
> > do with the plot of the story - and by this I mean that it will 
never
> > come out in the book, it's just there for us (the reader) to work
> > out. .
> 
> I wouldn't quite say it has nothing to do with the plot, but 
definitely that
> there will NOT be a line in the book where Neville suddenly 
discovers and
> anagram.  Yes, I do think it's a reader clue.  Regardless of adult 
following
> being unexpected, JKR has left such clues before.  Do you think she 
expected
> people to start looking up words in latin dictionaries?  Then why 
did she
> give Lupin a name that gives a clue to what he is before you find 
out?  It
> never comes out in the book, no one says, oh, silly me I should've 
known,
> *lupin* means like a wolf (or something close to that).  How about 
in SS/PS
> The Mirror of Erised has the inscription "Erised stra ehru oyt ube 
cafru oyt
> on wohsi."  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't remember any book 
character
> ever looking at that  line and saying "aha, turn this around and it 
says
> what the mirror does."  No, it's there for the reader to see, and 
the
> meaning comes out in the book.  But the line is never mentioned as 
the
> source of that information.
> 
> So yes, I do think there are clues there for readers to work out, 
names that
> are there for no other purpose.
> 
> Richelle

Pickle Jimmy (again):

Let me say (from the outset) that my initial post wasn't meant for 
anyone inparticular - I was just stating my opinion, but Richelle has 
picked it up and run with it. So, I am in no way targeting Richelle, 
I just think we differ here in opinion.

On with the discussion:

Lupin - Wolf, Sirius - Dog, Pettigrew - Rat, SCABbers - betrayer, I'm 
sure there are more.

Yes, some of the names of people are clues to who/what they are, but 
I would argue that this is more to do with JK's clever way of 
choosing names for characters (and her abilities in latin) than 
trying to give away the plot (or even hints) to her readers - this 
happens all the time in movies (eg in 'The Net', Angela is the 
heroine, and Devilin is the bad guy)

As for the Mirror of Erised - this is fairly obvious, and didnt need 
to be "driven home with the subtlety of a SledgeHammer" with Harry 
saying "Oh, I get it, you just read the writing backwards".

But, when there is an obscure anagram used - Tom Marvolo Riddle = I 
am Lord Voldemort - It is explained in the plot, (hands up who would 
have strayed across it if it hadn't been).

Again, I don't think that "Drooble's Best Blowing Gum" is an anagram 
of anything relevant. IMO (with emphasis on the *M*) I don't think 
that it's the way JK works. To me (and again this is *me*) it would 
be like her saying after all the books have been published - "Well, 
if you'd only taken the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, (and every other 
prime numbered letter) from book 3, moved from that letter to the 
next in the alphbet, then reversed their order, you would have found 
my secret message - 'McGonagall is the evil puppet master' - and you 
wouldn't have been shocked on the last page of book 7"

But... in the spirit of fairness, I am still looking for meaning in 
anagrams, and I have a big plate of humble pie ready to eat if I'm 
wrong.

Rubeud Hagrid = I Brushed a Rug  -  Hagrid wears a wig
Severus Snape = A Super Sevens   -  Snape plays Rugby
Lily Potter = Slain Levy         -  Death Toll :-(
Ron Weasley = One's Lawyer       -  Ron's future Career
Hermione Granger = Hear Me, Ginger Ron - So the ship is true
Harry Potter = Try Part Hero     -  Not the Full Hero?
Lord Voldemort = Odd Troll Mover -  He moonlights
Hogwarts School = Chaos Glows Thro - Now, if that's not a clue
Draco Malfoy = Lord of a YMCA     -  Enough Said

Cheers

Pickle Jimmy = Jim like my PC :-)