Are we running a test pattern tonight

English translation: (everyone's at his place instead of at work).

02:57 May 31, 2007

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama

English term or phrase: Are we running a test pattern tonight

This is from Full House, an American sitcom.

DANNY
Thank you. Hello everybody. This is so nice. All my friends from the station are here. Are we running a test pattern tonight?
(Guests laugh)
Caroline! Hi....

Danny works on television. His friends, who live with him and his three daughers, invited about a dozen of his other friends for a suprise birthday party.

What's he saying in that sentence, and why is it funny?

Thanks.

Mikhail Kropotov KudoZ activity Questions: 408 (none open) Answers: 5215 Germany
Local time: 18:45

Selected answer:(everyone's at his place instead of at work).

Explanation:
As all his colleagues from the TV station are at his surprise party (and not working at the station), he's concerned that there's no one there to manage the programming, etc.

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Note added at 5 mins (2007-05-31 03:02:56 GMT)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_card
Test card From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A test card, also known as a test pattern in North America, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no programme is being broadcast (often at startup and closedown).

Image also available.

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Note added at 10 mins (2007-05-31 03:07:42 GMT)
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Sorry, Mikhail, in case that wasn't clear enough -
He's joking that if everyone from the TV station is around at his place for the party, then they must be running the test pattern (test card) because there's no one left at work to screen the regular programs.
Haven't seen one of these test patterns in years, btw,
Perhaps a remnant from the 80's/90's??

Selected response from:

KathyT
Australia
Local time: 02:45

Grading comment

Yeah, the show is old. Thanks a lot, you were perfectly clear :)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

3 +4

(everyone's at his place instead of at work).

KathyT

Answers

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

are we running a test pattern tonight

(everyone's at his place instead of at work).

KathyT
Australia
Local time: 02:45
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24

Grading comment

Yeah, the show is old. Thanks a lot, you were perfectly clear :)

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