Nov 3rd: Hi & Lois – Running a Temperature

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Hi & Lois featuring baby Trixie. 

COMIC BREAKDOWN

“Uh oh, Trixie, you may be running a temperature.” – Lois (Mother)

“That’s impossible!  I can’t even walk yet.”  – Trixie thinking to herself

Running a temperature?  What does it have to do with walking?

The expression “running a temperature” does not literally have anything to do with the action of running or walking.  It means that someone has or is developing a fever. 

A fever is when one has a higher than average body temperature.  This means that Trixie is getting sick and her temperature is higher than normal. 

Because Trixie is a baby she takes the meaning of “running a temperature” to be literal and is therefore confused as to what her mother is saying.  Trixie understands that she is sick but does not realize her mother just used a popular expression to describe when one is sick with a high temperature, a fever. 

Today’s images are from here and here.

Oct 31st: Peanuts & Trick or Treating

Happy Halloween everyone!

Today, October 31^st, is the holiday of Halloween!  Halloween is popularly celebrated in Canada and the United States and many other countries around the world.

Today’s comic is Peanuts featuring Sally Brown.

COMIC BREAKDOWN

“I forgot the words” – Sally Brown thinking to herself

What words did Sally Brown forget? 

On Halloween night, children go Trick or Treating.  Sally Brown forgot to say, “trick or treat”.

What is Trick or Treating?  Why is Sally Brown dressed up like a witch? 

Children dress up on Halloween, often as witches and ghosts and other scary creatures, and go around their neighbourhood at night to get free candy and other treats.  It is called Trick or Treating.  The ritual is you knock on the doors of your neighbours and you shout, “trick or treat!”

The idea is if you do not give the Trick or Treaters a treat (candy or something delicious to eat) they will give you a trick (something not so nice) instead.

This comic is also funny from a cultural perspective because many young children do forget the words, “trick or treat”, when they go Trick or Treating.

The Origins of Trick or Treating on Halloween

The traditions of Halloween and Trick or Treating are based on old Christian and pagan (non-Christian) beliefs.  People used to dress up as scary creatures because they hoped this would scare away evil spirits who roamed the Earth on Halloween.  Also, people left treats and other food offerings for the spirits in hopes that the spirits would leave them alone. 

In modern times, the tradition of Halloween has evolved into one of fun and candy for children.

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

Oct 30th: Hi & Lois - The Trick in Trick or Treating

Hello Everyone!

Today’s comic is Hi & Lois with a Halloween theme!  Halloween is tomorrow. 

“Trick or trick, Mr.Wavering.” – Ditto

“Ditto, Halloween is a month away.” – Mr. Wavering

Comic Breakdown

For anyone unfamiliar with Halloween traditions and the holiday of Halloween here is a brief explanation. 

When is Halloween?

Halloween takes place on the last day of October, the 31^st, every year.

What is Trick or Treating?

Trick or Treating is when children and teenagers dress up in a costume and go around their neighbourhood for candy.  The kids knock on the door and shout, “trick or treat!”

The people in the houses then reward the Trick or Treat goers, known as Trick or Treaters, with candy.  Usually children get chocolate, chips, and hard candy. 

The idea behind getting a trick or a treat is based on old pagan and Christian beliefs about Halloween.  People used to dress up as evil spirits, which is why scary costumes are popular, to scare off evil spirits who roam the Earth on Halloween.  People also left foods and other tasty treats as offerings to please the evil spirits.  By giving the evil spirits a treat they will not give you a trick. 

In conclusion, Ditto is trying to trick his way to treats.  

Ditto has come a month early, the last day of September, for Trick or Treat.  His neighbour tells him that Halloween is next month, October 31^st.  Mr.Wavering is too smart to be tricked into giving Ditto a treat in September. 

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

Oct 29th: Peanuts & the Great Pumpkin

Hello Everyone!

Today’s comic is in the spirit of Halloween featuring Sally Brown and Linus from the Peanuts.

Comic Breakdown

“This is what I believe…I believe that the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch on Halloween night and flies through the air bringing with him toys for all the children of the world!” 

– Linus

“That’s what I believe…what do you think? – Linus asking Sally Brown

“I think you have very nice eyes, and you are completely out of your mind!” – Sally Brown to Linus

What is Linus talking about?

All children in the United States of America and Canada know that the tradition on Halloween night is to dress up and go out Trick or Treating for candy.  Or if you do not Trick or Treat many people will still dress up and go to a party to dance and play games with friends.

This comic is funny because Linus celebrates and believes in a Halloween tradition that no one else believes in.  He has also mixed up or misunderstood his holidays.  Linus has mixed up the Great Pumpkin, an imaginary holiday figure that gives gifts to all the children of the world, with Santa Claus!

While the other children go Trick or Treating Linus sits and waits at the Pumpkin Patch dutifully the way that other children wait dutifully for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. 

In conclusion, this comic is funny because it shows how important one’s beliefs are even if others do not believe in you.  Sally Brown really likes Linus but she does not believe his beliefs about the Great Pumpkin. Also, it shows how easy it is to mix up one belief with another; in this case Halloween with Christmas.

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

Note: The Great Pumpkin is an imaginary holiday figure that only exists in the world of Peanuts. Also, the only person that believes in the Great Pumpkin is Linus.  The Great Pumpkin is not an actual imaginary Halloween figure but because of the popularity of Charlie Brown and Peanuts the imaginary figure has gained recognition in the last few decades. 

Oct.27th: Family Circus & Trick or Treating

Hello Everyone!

Today’s comic is Family Circus with a Halloween theme!  Halloween is this coming Friday.

“This would get me lots of candy ‘cause I’d look really hungry.” – Billy

Comic Breakdown

For anyone unfamiliar with Halloween, which includes ESL and people that are not from North America, this comic might be hard to understand.

What is Halloween?

The name Halloween comes from All Hallows’ Eve which was originally a Catholic holiday to celebrate saints.  Originally people dressed up as ghosts, witches and other scary creatures as a way to scare off evil spirits.  People also left out food, the treats, hoping that this would satisfy the spirits.  The food was meant to keep the spirits from raiding homes and villages.  Over time the traditions and beliefs of this holiday changed.  Today Halloween is a non-religious holiday for everyone. 

A popular activity for children on Halloween (October 31^st every year) is to dress up like monsters and other scary creatures and to go Trick or Treating. 

What is Trick or Treating?

Trick or Treating is when children and teenagers dress up in a costume and go around their neighbourhood for candy.  The kids knock on the door and shout, “trick or treat!”. 

The people in the houses then reward the Trick or Treat goers, known as Trick or Treaters, with candy.  Usually children get chocolate, chips, and hard candy. 

In conclusion, Billy hopes that by dressing up as a skeleton people will give him extra candy and treats on Halloween because he thinks that the costume will make people think he is skinny and in need of more food. 

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

Oct.25th: The Peanuts - Autumn & Sucker

Hello Everyone!

Today’s comic is Peanuts featuring Charlie Brown and Linus.

The current season in North America (which is part of the Northern Hemisphere) is Autumn! 

Note: In North American English, Autumn also goes by the name Fall. 

A fun Autumn activity for children is to jump into piles of raked leaves. 

Could there be anything better than jumping happily into a pile of leaves?  How about playing in leaves and eating candy?  Maybe?  Maybe not? 

Comic Breakdown

“Never jump into a pile of leaves holding a wet sucker.” – Linus

What is a “sucker”?

The word “sucker” is another name for a lollipop.  The words sucker and lollipop are synonyms.

The word sucker has a few meanings.  It can be another name for a lollipop.  A lollipop is a piece of hard candy on a stick.

The word “sucker” is also a slang that means someone that is a fool or easily tricked.  

The word “sucker” is also used to refer to a “baby sucker” which is another word for pacifier or soother.  Literally a baby sucks on it.

The word “sucker” is also a homograph. 

What is a homograph? 

A homograph is a word that shares the same spelling as another word but mean different things.  For example, the word “sucker” has three meanings.

Some words that are homographs besides being written the same way are also pronounced the same way.  For other homographs, they share the same spelling but are pronounced differently. 

What is the lesson of this comic?

In conclusion, Linus has learned the hard way that you can have your candy and you can jump into a nice pile of leaves but you cannot do both at the same time.  Why? Because dry leaves will stick to wet candy. 

Therefore, if you try to jump into a pile of leaves with a sucker (lollipop) you will be a sucker.

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

Oct.19th: Family Circus & Turkey

Hello Everyone!

Today’s comic is Family Circus. 

Comic Breakdown

“I know there’s a country called “Turkey”…I wonder if there’s one called ‘chicken?” – Billy

What does Turkey and Chicken have to do with geography?

The country Turkey and the bird turkey are homonyms.  Homonyms are words that are spelled the same and sound the same but have different meanings.

This is turkey the food.  It is a bird.

This is Turkey the country.  Turkey is located in the Middle East.  Geographically the country is in both Europe and Asia.

Where does the name Turkey come from?

The modern day country of Turkey (official name is the Republic of Turkey) was called the Ottoman Empire before the 1920s.  However, the name Turkey itself comes from Old French, Turquie.  Old French got the name Turquie from Latin, Turchia.  The Ottoman Empire was already known unofficially as Turkey (written as Turkye in Middle English) or the Turkish Empire by the Europeans since the Middle Ages. 

Why does the bird, turkey, share a name with the country Turkey?

Most people are familiar with turkey as a North American holiday food.  It is most commonly eaten at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.  The turkey is a bird native to North America.  When Europeans first came to the Americas they identified the turkey incorrectly as a guineafowl bird.  Another name for guineafowl is turkey fowl.  The turkey fowl bird came from Turkey which is where the name turkey comes from.

The official scientific name of the bird, turkey, is Meleagris gallopavo.  In other languages, the turkey bird goes by different names that are completely different from the country name.

French

Turkey the country: Turquie                  Turkey the bird: Dindon

Spanish

Turkey the country: Turquía                  Turkey the bird: Pavo

German

Turkey the country: Türkei                     Turkey the bird: Truthühner

In conclusion, this comic is funny because it shows how many people including native English speakers, children and those unfamiliar with geography, become confused when they learn that there is a place called Turkey because most people think turkey is a bird you eat. 

This is why the character of Billy thinks that if turkey is the name of both a country and bird than there might also be a place named Chicken. 

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