Well, I learned something...
Thanks to those pilots with the patience to explain what was going on. I'll refrain in future from cursing (silently) those pilots that seem to want to loosen my fillings.
Interesting about the 747-400. More than once I've been woken by CC, "Sir, we're at the gate, will you be leaving us?" though that might have more to do with pure exhaustion than a smooth landing.