Dec 10th – Dilbert & the Two Meanings of Beat

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is a Dilbert featuring Pointy-Haired Boss and Webmistress Ming.  To learn more about the comic strip Dilbert, click here.

Comic Breakdown

“Ming, I think the internet might catch on.  I rushed over here so I could be the first to say it’s a new paradigm.  Did anyone beat me?  – Pointy-Haired Boss

“I wish someone would.” – Webmistress Ming

Time Context:  This comic of Dilbert is from the 1990s when the internet would have been a new thing to most people so Pointy-Haired Boss is amazed by it. 

What does paradigm mean?

The word “paradigm” means “an example” and it means one in a great way. 

To say something is a paradigm shift, such as the internet when it was new, is saying that something very important or great has occurred and that there will be a big change. 

Why is this comic funny?

Pointy-Haired Boss wants to know if anyone has “beaten” him to the idea of the internet.   Webmistress Ming wishes someone would “beat” him.  They are using the word “beat” in two different ways. 

Pointy-Haired Boss’s Beat – This definition of “beat” means if someone has been faster or better than him.  Another meaning for “to beat” is “to win”. 

So he wonders if someone else has already come up with the smart idea of using the internet.

Webmistress Ming’s Beat – This definition of “beat” means she literally wants someone to hit him. 

She is annoyed by her boss.  The job title of “webmistress” already means that she works with the internet so the idea of the internet being new and amazing is not a new one to her.  

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