Apr 29th – Family Circus: Raining Cats & Dogs

Hi everyone,

Today’s comic is Family Circus featuring a popular animal idiom.

Comic Breakdown

Wow!  It’s raining cats and dogs out there!” – Dad

“Goody!  I was hopin’ to get a new puppy!” – Jeffy

What is going on?

Jeffy has misunderstood the popular idiom (figurative expression), “It is raining cats and dogs”, by taking it literally.  He wants a new dog so he thinks it is a good thing.  When someone says that it is, “Raining cats and dogs”, it means that it is raining very heavily. 

Raining Cats & Dogs

The idiom, “Raining cats and dogs”, is a reference to when roofs were made out of straw and other forms of grass.  Cats and dogs would come falling into the house during heavy rain storms.

From the Middle Ages until the late 1800s, most roofs were made out of straw in Europe and North America.

Many rodents, such as mice and rats, lived on the straw roofs so cats and dogs were sent up to chase and get rid of them.  When it rained very heavily, the roofs often came down bringing the cats and dogs down into the house.  It literally rained cats and dogs.

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

Apr 25th – Garfield: Diet

Apr 25th – Garfield: Diet

Hi everyone,

Today’s comic is Garfield.

Comic Breakdown

“Wow!...I guess all that hard work paid off!  This is the best you’ve ever done on a diet!” 

– Jon to Garfield

“Thank you.” – Garfield’s thoughts to Jon

“Only gained a pound!” – Garfield’s thoughts

Diet

Diet means what one eats.  Being on a diet means you are on a special food plan that requires you to follow a set food guide.  This means eating certain foods or eating more or less of something.  For example, vegetarians are people that eat a diet that does not have any meat. 

Or people that are trying to lose weight will be on diet which means you have to eat healthier and eat less.

What is going on?

Garfield is a fat cat that eats too much.  He is a on a diet.  This means that he is eating less and eating healthier.  Being on a diet is usually meant to help one lose weight and to become healthier.  Garfield’s diet is helping him gain less weight.

Why is this funny?

Even though Garfield is on a diet he still gained weight.  You are supposed to lose weight on a diet, not gain weight, however for Garfield this is still an improvement.  Garfield only gained a pound on this diet.  He gained a lot more weight on his previous diets. 

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

Apr 21st – Mimi & Eunice: Outside of the Box

Hi everyone,

Today’s comic is Mimi & Eunice

Comic Breakdown

Mimi & Eunice sitting in a box

“It’s ok to think outside of the box.  But the rest of you should stay in the box” . – Mimi

Mimi & Eunice sitting in a box full of money

“That’s where the money is!” – Eunice

What is going on?

There is a popular saying for life and business, “Think/Thinking outside of the box.”  This means one should think differently and see things from more than one perspective.  This is a good thing.  The phrase comes from the 1970s. 

In business, this means you should look at things from different sides and that it is great to create something new and different.  Many successful people think differently from the average person.  This is a good thing however for most people thinking differently will not result in financial gain.

Mimi & Eunice are advising that most people should stay inside of the box for financial success.  This means doing what other people are doing rather than doing your own thing.  Doing your own thing can be great but for most people you will not get rich or make much if any more money by being different.

Having ideas and thinking differently is wonderful but very few of these ideas actually become a reality. Either the idea is not so good or profitable in reality or there is no market demand.   

It is good to dream but one must be realistic hence why most people will “think outside of the box” creatively but will realistically “stay in the box”.  Staying inside the box is a good choice for most people.

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

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.

Apr 14th – Garfield: Pop Out

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Garfield.

Comic Breakdown

“If people were meant to pop out of bed we’d all sleep in toasters.”
– Garfield’s thoughts on waking up

What is going on?

Garfield does not like to wake up early.  Mornings are hard for him.  His quote is referencing toasted bread that pops out of a toaster.   People are not pieces of toasted bread coming out of toasters.

When bread is toasted, it comes out of the toaster so quickly that the springing motion that makes the toast come up is like something suddenly popping out of nowhere.

The word “popping” means something that suddenly jumps out of something quickly.  It is usually a surprise when something pops out.

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

Apr 9th – Family Circus: Tooth Fairy

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Family Circus.

Comic Breakdown

“This is money.  You’ll start makin’ it when you start losin’ teeth.” – Dolly to PJ

What is going on?

Dolly is explaining to PJ that you get money when you lose a tooth.

The Tooth Fairy

The story told to children in many English countries is that they will get money from the Tooth Fairy when they lose their baby teeth and place it under their pillow.

In reality, children get money from their parents when they lose their teeth. 

Kids put their tooth under their pillow when they sleep and their parents will slip some money under the pillow and take the tooth.  The children are told that the Tooth Fairy has given them money for their teeth.

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

Apr 5th – Hi & Lois: Easter Sunday

Happy Easter Sunday everyone!

Today’s comic is Hi & Lois.

Comic Breakdown

“That was a lovely service, Reverend.” – Lois to the Reverend (Church Leader)

“Thank you.” – The Reverend

The Reverend speaks to the children, Dot and Ditto.

“Don’t you two look nice.  And I was very impressed by how quiet you were.” – The Reverend to the children

“Mom said, “No chocolate Easter eggs if you don’t keep your mouth shut in church.”” – Ditto telling the Reverend why they were quiet.

What is going on?

Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Jesus arose from the dead after three days.

In Western countries, many children celebrate Easter by eating chocolate in the shape of chocolate (Easter eggs) and other sweet candies and treats.

Why is this comic funny?

The children were only good (sat quietly during the extra-long church service) otherwise they would not get any Easter candy or chocolate. 

It is very embarrassing for the mother (Lois) that her son (Ditto) has told the true reason for his good behaviour was because of the promise of candy.

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

Apr 3rd – Hi & Lois: Calories

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Hi & Lois featuring Trixie.

Comic Breakdown

“I wonder if I gain weight when I suck my thumb.  My pinkie probably has fewer calories.”

 – Trixie’s thoughts on sucking her thumb

What is going on?

Trixie thinks that sucking her thumb is like sucking a lollipop (candy). 

This comic is funny because she does not realize sucking your thumb is not like sucking (eating) food so it does not matter what size your finger is.  She will not gain any weight from sucking her thumb (the biggest finger) or her pinkie (the smallest finger).

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

Apr 1st – Family Circus: April Fool’s Day

Happy April 1st everyone!

Today’s comic is Family Circus.

Comic Breakdown

“Is this a REAL snow or just an April Fool’s snow?” – Dolly to her brother P.J.

What is going on?

It is April 1st, spring time, and yet it is snowing like it is the middle of winter.   Snow in early spring is not uncommon in colder places.  However, snow in April is like a bad joke to many people.  Most people are upset or shocked when it does snow in April.

April Fool’s Day

April 1st is known as April Fool’s Day.  It is the tradition in many Western countries for people to play jokes and trick one another on this day.

The tradition of modern April Fool’s Day goes back to the 1700s.  It was originally known as All Fool’s Day.  Many cultures have celebrated a day similar to April Fool’s Day for centuries.

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