Ha-ha wall • Hacker News Board

Re: Ha-ha wall

#21

Post by orpheline » Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 1:27 AM UTC

twic wrote: post #16

See also the 'Punic ditch'. I can't find a good description online ([1] is the most specific), but basically it's a fortification comprising a human-scale haha with the wall on the outward side, and the slope on the inward side. The idea is that attackers can cross it easily, by jumping down the wall, then charging up the slope, at which point you open fire on them, then when they turn to run way, they have to climb…

Punic refers to the people. Carthage was the name of their city, so they're also referred to as Carthaginians (see also: New Yorkers, Londoners, Dubliners, Parisians, etc.).

Re: Ha-ha wall

#22

Post by saagarjha » Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 1:40 AM UTC

buzzert wrote: post #20

Apple Park implements this as well to hide the fence (and the city of Cupertino) from the employees inside.

I’m not sure if I’d call the raised mound that surrounds the campus a ha-ha wall. It probably was built to hide everything outside but the mountains, though.

Re: Ha-ha wall

#23

Post by barrkel » Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 1:44 AM UTC

twic wrote: post #16

See also the 'Punic ditch'. I can't find a good description online ([1] is the most specific), but basically it's a fortification comprising a human-scale haha with the wall on the outward side, and the slope on the inward side. The idea is that attackers can cross it easily, by jumping down the wall, then charging up the slope, at which point you open fire on them, then when they turn to run way, they have to climb…

Punic derives from the same etymology as Phoenicians, Carthage was founded by Phoenicians.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/punicus

Basically, Latin version of Greek version of Phoenician.

Re: Ha-ha wall

#24

Post by jszymborski » Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 2:11 AM UTC

In Quebec, there's a town named Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! for similar reasons (as well as two Baie des Ha! Ha! and one Rivière Ha! Ha!).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Louis-du-Ha!_Ha!

Re: Ha-ha wall

#25

Post by m3kw9 » Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 2:20 AM UTC

I thought it’s named haha because so the person can still laugh at the intruder while they try.

Re: Ha-ha wall

#26

Post by dzamie » Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 2:23 AM UTC

hprotagonist wrote: post #2

And in Ankh Morpork, there's the hoho: A cunningly designed ditch like a Haha, only the Hoho is 50 feet deep. Has claimed three Palace gardeners. Also once trapped Dr. Cruces, then head of the Assassins' Guild.

Yep, and as mentioned in the article, there's also a he-he. A description is never given of it, but it's a safe assumption that it's a tiny haha, possibly only a couple inches high.

Interestingly, if this is accurate, it means that the front/backness of the vowel in hehe/haha/hoho correlates with its size.

Re: Ha-ha wall

#27

Post by dannyw » Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 2:24 AM UTC

twic wrote: post #16

See also the 'Punic ditch'. I can't find a good description online ([1] is the most specific), but basically it's a fortification comprising a human-scale haha with the wall on the outward side, and the slope on the inward side. The idea is that attackers can cross it easily, by jumping down the wall, then charging up the slope, at which point you open fire on them, then when they turn to run way, they have to climb…

The ancient world’s dark pattern.

Re: Ha-ha wall

#28

Post by happytoexplain » Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 2:24 AM UTC

m3kw9 wrote: post #25

I thought it’s named haha because so the person can still laugh at the intruder while they try.

This was precisely my assumption. I was surprised by the etymology.

Re: Ha-ha wall

#29

Post by stygiansonic » Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 2:29 AM UTC

twic wrote: post #16

See also the 'Punic ditch'. I can't find a good description online ([1] is the most specific), but basically it's a fortification comprising a human-scale haha with the wall on the outward side, and the slope on the inward side. The idea is that attackers can cross it easily, by jumping down the wall, then charging up the slope, at which point you open fire on them, then when they turn to run way, they have to climb…

Punic can also mean “treacherous”, presumably because of the Roman opinion of their adversary.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Punic

Re: Ha-ha wall

#30

Post by chinhodado » Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 2:31 AM UTC

twic wrote: post #16

See also the 'Punic ditch'. I can't find a good description online ([1] is the most specific), but basically it's a fortification comprising a human-scale haha with the wall on the outward side, and the slope on the inward side. The idea is that attackers can cross it easily, by jumping down the wall, then charging up the slope, at which point you open fire on them, then when they turn to run way, they have to climb…

I have a hard time understanding this. Do you have a simple drawing for this?