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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 3:42am | IP Logged | 1
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Do you have any recollection of why the UNCANNY adjective was added to
the title of X-MEN?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 10:20am | IP Logged | 2
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Nope.
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Michael Penn
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Joined: 12 April 2006
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 12:15pm | IP Logged | 3
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Right there at the beginning, first page of GIANT-SIZE #1 (1975), but didn't get put into the title until #114 of the regular series. Hmph.
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Vinny Valenti
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Joined: 17 April 2004
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 12:39pm | IP Logged | 4
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The word does amuse me - the "un" implies an inverse, but I've never heard of something being called "canny" before!
Edited by Vinny Valenti on 11 September 2025 at 12:40pm
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John Byrne
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 12:43pm | IP Logged | 5
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Something "canny" would be comprehensible. So something "un" would...not be.If you're familiar with the Scottish phrase "D'ye ken?" for "Do you understand?", "ken" and "canny" have a common root. Or so I'm told.
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Michael Penn
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 1:15pm | IP Logged | 6
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I've encountered "canny" mostly as an adjective describing my fellow attorneys -- a canny lawyer, i.e., shrewd.
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Mark Haslett
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Joined: 19 April 2004
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 1:41pm | IP Logged | 7
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"The Un-shrewd X-Men"!
Looking into the etymology, "canny" comes from "can" or "know how". It seems that "uncanny" was coined to mean "dangerous" as opposed to "canny" being skilful, prudent and lucky.
So the "un" is to emphasize a kind of dark shrewdness as opposed to the more pious shrewdness implied by being "canny".
It is indeed considered of Scots origin.
Edited by Mark Haslett on 11 September 2025 at 1:43pm
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Brian ONeill
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Joined: 04 July 2024
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 6:29pm | IP Logged | 8
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'The "Not-Within-The-Scope-Of-Imagination" Powerful Mutant Team!'
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Peter Martin
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Joined: 17 March 2008
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 7:51pm | IP Logged | 9
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I knew several Geordies who would often use canny -- and in their usage it just meant something was agreeable or good.
eg. "She's a canny lass." or "We're going out on the toon. Are you coming?" "Aye, sounds canny."
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Matt Hawes
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Joined: 16 April 2004
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 10:03pm | IP Logged | 10
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I guess someone at Marvel decided the title needed an adjective to fit in with "Invincible," "Incredible," "Mighty," "Amazing," "Spectacular," and such? Avengers had the tag, "Earths Mightiest Heroes," but then the X-Men originally were tagged "The Strangest Super-Heroes of All," later changed to "The Strangest Teens of All."
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Wallace Sellars
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Joined: 01 May 2004
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| Posted: 11 September 2025 at 10:52pm | IP Logged | 11
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I wish the team had remained "The Strangest Teens of All."
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Peter Hicks
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Joined: 30 April 2004
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| Posted: 12 September 2025 at 1:25am | IP Logged | 12
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There is a little town in Ontario that has a sign as you enter town :
DRIVE CANNY!
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