Apr 17th – Family Circus: Bump & Bunk

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Family Circus featuring a malapropism.  A malapropism is when two words that sound similar and have a similar spelling (but do not share a meaning) are mixed up with one another.

To read about other malapropisms, click here, here, here, here, and here.

Comic Breakdown

“That’s why it’s called a bump bed.” – Billy explaining the name of a two level bed to Jeffy.

What is going on?

Jeffy has bumped his head on the top bed of the bunk bed.  The bottom of the top bed is like a low ceiling for the lower bed. 

Billy has mixed up “bump” and “bunk” and believes that the bed is called a bump bed.  It is actually called a bunk bed.

What is a bunk bed?

A bunk bed is a bed frame in which two or more beds are stacked on top of one another.  Two level bunk beds are the most common.  Bunk beds are used to save room.   

Bunk beds were very popular in North America during the 1980s.

Bump and Bunk

The word “bump” means to hit something or to be hit by something by accident.  A bump could be gentle or forceful.  When you bump something on your head, a roundish lump usually develops which is also called a bump.

The word “bunk” has two meanings.  As a noun it means a platform to rest on and as a verb it means to sleep.

Billy believes that the name of their two level bed is called a “bump” bed.   It is not an uncommon mistake for children to think that bunk beds are called bump beds because many people, not just children, who are on the lower level do bump their heads when they get up too quickly.

Many people just refer to bunk beds by its shortened name, “bunk”.

Today’s images are here, here, here, here, and here.