Jan 30th – Mimi & Eunice: A Penny

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Mimi & Eunice featuring a common expression in English. 

Comic Breakdown

“Penny for your thoughts?” – Eunice to Mimi

“One lousy penny? What kind of incentive is that?!  I don’t think without proper compensation!”

– Mimi to Eunice

What is going on?

Eunice would like to know what Mimi is thinking.  Mimi takes Eunice’s expression too literally.  Mimi believes her thoughts are worth more than 1 cent (a penny). 

She will not tell Eunice what is on her mind (what she is thinking) without more money (proper compensation).

Penny for your thoughts?

The phrase, “penny for your thoughts?”, is a common way for people to ask others who are in deep thought what they are thinking.  The expression is meant to lighten the mood when one is very serious or worried.

Penny for your thoughts? = What are you thinking?/Tell me what you are thinking?  

You do not actually pay anyone any money when you use this expression.  The phrase is meant to show concern and that your ideas and worries are just as important as anyone else’s.

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

Jan 28th – Hi & Lois: to spring

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Hi & Lois featuring the figurative use of the word spring.  

Comic Breakdown

Hi and Lois are sleeping and dreaming of a vacation in a warm place.

“Were you dreaming what I was dreaming?” – Hi to Lois

“Probably.” – Lois

“Why can’t our dreams ever come true?” – Hi to Lois

“They can…if we’re willing to spring for a winter vacation.” – Lois to Hi

What is going on?

It is the middle of winter and they both want to get away from the cold weather.  They can take a vacation to a nice warm place if they are willing to pay for winter vacation.

Winter Vacation

Taking a winter vacation does not mean to take a holiday to a cold place.  A winter vacation is a trip you take in the winter.  It could be to anywhere; cold or warm.  All it means is that one takes a vacation during the winter season. 

The meaning of spring

Spring has several meanings.

1.The season that takes place between the months of March to May (noun/adjective)

2.to move or jump suddenly (up or forward) (verb)

3.a metal or plastic device/tool that is bouncy (noun)

The expression “to spring”

The saying “to spring” means to go for something.  Lois says that they can have a vacation in winter if they will go for the idea of it. 

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

Jan 26th – Family Circus: Scream and Screen

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Family Circus featuring an example of a malapropism.   Malapropisms are words that are similar in sound and spelling but do not share a meaning.

Comic Breakdown

“It’s called a scream door ’cause that’s where they scream at us to come in for dinner.” 

– Dolly to Jeffy

What is going on?

Dolly thinks the door is called a scream door because that is where her parents shout at her and her brothers when it is time to come inside to eat.

Dolly has misheard the name of the door.  The door is called a “screen door” and not a “scream door”.  This is an example of a malapropism.  Screen and scream sound very similar but do not mean the same thing.

Scream: This means to shout in excitement or if you are scared.

Screen: A screen is a fixed panel or area.  It is used to divide (separate) something or to block something but still allows one to see through it like a window.  A screen can be made out of plastic, glass or even out of a metal mesh. 

Why the screen door is called a screen door? 

A screen door is a door in which the top half or the entire door is made out of glass or a see through metal mesh.

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

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

Jan 24th – Mimi & Eunice: The meaning of civil

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Mimi & Eunice featuring the different meanings of the world civil. 

To read more about Mimi & Eunice, click here.

Comic Breakdown

Mimi runs with a knife in a scary way towards Eunice

“You promised to be civil!” – Eunice to Mimi

“I am being civil!” – Mimi to Eunice

Mimi starts running again at Eunice

“You didn’t specify which civilization!” – Mimi to Eunice

What is going on?

Mimi is being very scary and rough with Eunice.  Eunice had asked Mimi to be nice and polite.  She asked Mimi to do this when she asked Mimi to be “civil”.

Telling someone to be “civil” comes from the idea of telling someone to act like they are civilized.  This means to behave with good manners and to follow social norms. 

Telling or asking someone to be civil is the same as telling them to act polite, calm, and respectful.  Mimi is not doing anything of this.  But she is still being civil.  How?

The word civil is the root word of the word civilization.

What do civil and civilization mean?

The word civil has a few definitions.  One definition defines civil as meaning “social order and organization.”

 The Roman Civilization

The word civil and civilization are related in meaning because the word civilization means a type of organized society and culture. 

Why is this comic funny?

Mimi has taken the word civil and used its meaning to her advantage.

Mimi has chosen to be civil in the civilization of her choosing.  Mimi has chosen to act like someone from a less gentle and more warrior based civilization.  Also, Mimi can do this because Eunice never said which form of civil she wanted Mimi to be.

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

Introducing Mimi & Eunice

Hello everyone!

A new comic that I am going to start featuring on this blog is Mimi & Eunice. 

Who are Mimi and Eunice?

Mimi and Eunice is an American comic that features issues that are about politics, love, money, and psychology.  The comic is drawn and written by Nina Paley and has been around since 2010.

Mimi has pointy ears and Eunice has floppy ears.

Today’s images are from here and here.

Jan 21st – The Peanuts & Irony Continued

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Peanuts featuring Lucy and the topic of irony.

To read more about irony, click here.

Comic Breakdown

“I make the world better!  I’m a positive force! – Lucy to Charlie Brown and Linus

What is going on?

Lucy is explaining she makes things better by helping others.   Her character loves to give advice.  She thinks she knows everything and can help everyone. 

What is irony?

Irony is when a situation is funny because things are the opposite of what is expected.

For example, someone is stranded (alone with no help) in the ocean and has no water to drink.

This is ironic because the person has no drinking water but is surrounded by water (water they cannot drink because it is full of salt).

Why is this ironic?

For Lucy to say that she is a “positive force” means she makes things better.  Why is this ironic?  Lucy is not usually a very nice person. 

For example, she does not treat her friends or family nicely.  Usually, she does not try to be mean but she says what she is thinking whether it is nice or mean.  She can easily make people feel bad by accident.

Lucy telling her brother Linus he is stupid.

Lucy is being ironic when she says she is a “positive force” (meaning a bringer of good things) because she does not bring good feelings to those around her.

The Peanuts character Lucy is a very honest and opinionated person.  That is why even though she thinks she is helping she usually makes people feel worse.  People do not see her as a positive (good) force.  That is why it is ironic for her to say she is a positive force.  Everyone else thinks her actions and words are a negative (bad) force.

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

Jan 19th – Charlie Brown & Picking

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Peanuts featuring Charlie Brown and the two meanings of the word picking.

Comic Breakdown

“Why’s everyone always pickin’ on me?” – Charlie Brown’s thoughts on how people treat him

What does pickin’ (picking) mean?

The word picking (from “to pick”) has two meanings.   One if literal (actual) and the other is figurative.

Literal Meaning: Picking means to touch and take/grab something

Ex) picking apples from a tree

Figurative Meaning: Picking means to give someone a bad or hard time.  A mean person (a bully) will pick on (go after) someone they think is weaker.  You can pick on someone physically or mentally.

Ex) calling someone mean names (mental)

Ex) acting like you will or actually hitting someone (physical)

Charlie Brown isn’t being treated nicely by Lucy.  She is picking on him.

What is going on?

The Peanut’s character Charlie Brown is a lovable loser.  He is an average child who is neither lucky nor talented.  He has friends but they do not always treat him well or with respect.  Some, such as Lucy, love to trick him. 

Other’s like to point out things that Charlie Brown could be better at.  Many of Charlie Brown’s friends make him feel bad by accident because they tell him the truth. 

Despite this, Charlie Brown always stays positive in the end.  This is why his character is so well loved.  He is forever hopeful.

To read more about Charlie Brown and his hard times, click here and here.

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