FBOFW: Pissing
Dalubwika
at our local paper, News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.), wrote this yesterday (Sunday;
02-23)
in his weekly column.
--Chris
Original URL: http://www.tribnet.com/news/local/story/2666338p-2707470c.html
Rest easy, readers, no crude words mar family comic strip
DAVID ZEECK; The News Tribune
Never underestimate the sharp-eyed readers of The News Tribune.
On Feb. 5, they outdid themselves. There, in the final panel of the
comic strip "For Better or for Worse," they found a crude word. Mind
you it wasn't readily apparent; it was written at the bottom of a
poster tacked to the wall in the college dorm room of Elizabeth, a
character in the strip.
At the bottom of the poster, if you had the eyesight of an eagle or a
magnifying glass at hand, you could read the word "pissing." It seemed
to be part of an Internet address.
Two or three readers said they could read the word. I could not. We
searched the Net, but couldn't come up with anything. But I also had a
hard time believing Lynn Johnston, the cartoonist and a thoughtful,
gentle soul (judging by her work), could have deliberately added it.
I finally wrote the incident off as a meaningless addition to the
poster. These were the same people, I decided, who in college played
the Beatles song "I Am the Walrus" backward and heard a voice say
"Paul is dead" (or was it "I'm So Tired" from the White Album?)
Then, two weeks later, reader Alice Kidd wrote, asking why someone
would do this. (Alice confirmed the word by using a magnifying glass.)
I took her question as a reportorial challenge.
Here's the answer, from an e-mail from Lynn Johnston's office. The
word on the poster is Nipissing. As in Lake Nipissing in Ontario. As
in Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario. Nipissing is a real
college where the fictional character Elizabeth goes to school. The
school's Web address is www.nipissingu.ca.
"Nipissing is such a common native word in our neck of the woods that
we had never considered that it even contained that word," Johnston,
who lives in Ontario, said in the e-mail explanation. "It was quite a
surprise and chuckle! We would feel the same if we saw a poster with,
for example, Massachusetts - and only the questionable part of the
word showed."
The school is small and prides itself on treating students
individually, hence the slogan: At Nipissing, We See You. "We See You"
was the slogan on the poster in the comic strip, just above the Web
address.
Thanks for asking, Alice.
ronniecat
"Dalubwika" <dalu...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030224043725...@mb-mc.aol.com...
> At the bottom of the poster, if you had the eyesight of an eagle or a
> magnifying glass at hand, you could read the word "pissing."
<snip>
> Then, two weeks later, reader Alice Kidd wrote, asking why someone
> would do this. (Alice confirmed the word by using a magnifying glass.)
It's kind of hard to believe that people who follow the strip so little that
they don't know the oft-mentioned name of Elizabeth's university would put
so much effort into reading a word within it! To quote my Uncle Enoch, "Some
folks just goes looking for trouble."
> "Nipissing is such a common native word in our neck of the woods that
> we had never considered that it even contained that word," Johnston,
> who lives in Ontario, said in the e-mail explanation.
It also helps that the word is pronounced "Nippa-SING", not "Ni-PISsing",
which adds to the cognitive distance between the two for folks who've heard
it all their lives.
> We would feel the same if we saw a poster with,
> for example, Massachusetts - and only the questionable part of the
> word showed."
Now here she had me stumped for quite a while. "Chu?" I asked myself. "Sach?
Setts? Massachu?"
I assume she actually means "Massa"?
Amusing article - thanks.
ronnie
--
"I'd like to be in a vast chicken-wing conspiracy." - Satchel, "Get Fuzzy"
~ address altered to foil spambots * remove my collar to reply ~
~mon pied a terre virtuel * http://www.ronniecat.com ~
Russell Gold
"ronniecat" <ronn...@mycollar.hotmail.com> wrote:
> "Dalubwika" <dalu...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:20030224043725...@mb-mc.aol.com...
> > We would feel the same if we saw a poster with,
> > for example, Massachusetts - and only the questionable part of the
> > word showed."
>
> Now here she had me stumped for quite a while. "Chu?" I asked myself. "Sach?
> Setts? Massachu?"
> I assume she actually means "Massa"?
Try the 2nd-4th letters of the word...
--
Russell Gold
russ...@acm.org
http://www.httpunit.org
Paul L. Madarasz
<ronn...@mycollar.hotmail.com> wrote, perhaps among other things:
>
>"Dalubwika" <dalu...@aol.com> wrote in message
>news:20030224043725...@mb-mc.aol.com...
>
>> At the bottom of the poster, if you had the eyesight of an eagle or a
>> magnifying glass at hand, you could read the word "pissing."
><snip>
>> Then, two weeks later, reader Alice Kidd wrote, asking why someone
>> would do this. (Alice confirmed the word by using a magnifying glass.)
>
>It's kind of hard to believe that people who follow the strip so little that
>they don't know the oft-mentioned name of Elizabeth's university would put
>so much effort into reading a word within it! To quote my Uncle Enoch, "Some
>folks just goes looking for trouble."
>
>> "Nipissing is such a common native word in our neck of the woods that
>> we had never considered that it even contained that word," Johnston,
>> who lives in Ontario, said in the e-mail explanation.
>
>It also helps that the word is pronounced "Nippa-SING", not "Ni-PISsing",
>which adds to the cognitive distance between the two for folks who've heard
>it all their lives.
>
>> We would feel the same if we saw a poster with,
>> for example, Massachusetts - and only the questionable part of the
>> word showed."
>
>Now here she had me stumped for quite a while. "Chu?" I asked myself. "Sach?
>Setts? Massachu?"
>I assume she actually means "Massa"?
Having lived there for ~two years, 30 years ago:
"I don't give two shits
For Massachusetts."
(Actually, living on Cape Cod was quite pleasant. Cheap lobsters made
up for the fact that I was in the Air Force at the time.)
--
Paul L. Madarasz
Tucson, Baja Arizona
"How 'bout cuttin' that rebop?"
-- S. Kowalski
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Mark Jackson
> (Actually, living on Cape Cod was quite pleasant. Cheap lobsters made
> up for the fact that I was in the Air Force at the time.)
The lobsters in the Air Force,
They say they're mighty fine
One jumped off the table
And started marking time
Oh, I don't want no more of Air Force life
Gee, Mom, I want to go
(But they won't let me go!)
Gee, Mom, I want to go home.
--
Mark Jackson - http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~mjackson
(who has been known to vacation in south Wellfleet)
Paul L. Madarasz
Jackson) wrote, perhaps among other things:
>Paul L. Madarasz <pl...@dakotacom.net> writes:
>
>> (Actually, living on Cape Cod was quite pleasant. Cheap lobsters made
>> up for the fact that I was in the Air Force at the time.)
>
> The lobsters in the Air Force,
> They say they're mighty fine
> One jumped off the table
> And started marking time
> Oh, I don't want no more of Air Force life
> Gee, Mom, I want to go
> (But they won't let me go!)
> Gee, Mom, I want to go home.
Thank you, Alan Alda :-)
ronniecat
"Russell Gold" <russ...@acm.org> wrote in message
news:russgold-33A6B8...@news.covad.net...
"ASS"?
Aww. That's just disappointing.
ronnie
--
"Dude, do you not think I can see you? I can totally see you."
- Rob, Get Fuzzy
Michael Kieras
:
: "Russell Gold" <russ...@acm.org> wrote in message
: news:russgold-33A6B8...@news.covad.net...
: > In article <F0p6a.1458$OD6.2...@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>,
: > "ronniecat" <ronn...@mycollar.hotmail.com> wrote:
:
: > > I assume she actually means "Massa"?
: >
: > Try the 2nd-4th letters of the word...
:
: "ASS"?
:
: Aww. That's just disappointing.
Now why would anyone be upset about a donkey?
No, no, no, the questionable part of "Massachusetts" is "Mass."
Some think its presence is a sneak attempt to load government
documents with religious dogma, while ironically others think
it's a sneak attempt at secular indoctrination with scientific
terms.
We're all in an uproar about it over here, let me tell ya...
--
nn ,-==. "
(Oo) _`. .""
\/._>.__)'~-"
Dr. Rev. Chuck, M.D. P.A.
>
> Here's the answer, from an e-mail from Lynn Johnston's office. The
> word on the poster is Nipissing. As in Lake Nipissing in Ontario. As
> in Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario. Nipissing is a real
> college where the fictional character Elizabeth goes to school. The
> school's Web address is www.nipissingu.ca.
>
> "Nipissing is such a common native word in our neck of the woods that
> we had never considered that it even contained that word," Johnston,
> who lives in Ontario, said in the e-mail explanation. "It was quite a
> surprise and chuckle! We would feel the same if we saw a poster with,
> for example, Massachusetts - and only the questionable part of the
> word showed."
>
> The school is small and prides itself on treating students
> individually, hence the slogan: At Nipissing, We See You. "We See You"
> was the slogan on the poster in the comic strip, just above the Web
> address.
>
> Thanks for asking, Alice.
One of the great rarities from the 60s is a BEAUTIFUL Kelly Mouse-style,
silkscreen on foil, Bob Dylan poster with "Mr. Tambourine Man" splashed
across the background. So beautiful that you don't immediately notice
how Mr. Zimmerman's head partially blocks the song title, making it
read "Mr. urine Man." Not sure how many survive, but doubtless, they
must be fetching a well above average price.
Dalubwika
>how Mr. Zimmerman's head partially blocks the song title, making it
>read "Mr. urine Man." Not sure how many survive, but doubtless, they
>must be fetching a well above
Haha. :)
--Chris
Jim Strain
> Dalubwika wrote in part:
>
> One of the great rarities from the 60s is a BEAUTIFUL Kelly Mouse-style,
> silkscreen on foil, Bob Dylan poster with "Mr. Tambourine Man" splashed
> across the background. So beautiful that you don't immediately notice
> how Mr. Zimmerman's head partially blocks the song title, making it
> read "Mr. urine Man." Not sure how many survive, but doubtless, they
> must be fetching a well above average price.
Well, at least among a certain, -- umm -- specialized segment of his fan base.
. . . jim strain in san diego.
Jim Ellwanger
P.A. <cdub@_REMOVETHIS_erols.com> wrote:
> One of the great rarities from the 60s is a BEAUTIFUL Kelly Mouse-style,
> silkscreen on foil, Bob Dylan poster with "Mr. Tambourine Man" splashed
> across the background. So beautiful that you don't immediately notice
> how Mr. Zimmerman's head partially blocks the song title, making it
> read "Mr. urine Man." Not sure how many survive, but doubtless, they
> must be fetching a well above average price.
They Might Be Giants have a lyric based on an unfortunately hyphenated
line break in "Mr. Tambourine Man": "It's samba time for Tambo and
weep day for Urine Man."
--
Jim Ellwanger <trai...@mindspring.com>
<http://trainman1.home.mindspring.com> welcomes you daily.
"The days turn into nights; at night, you hear the trains."