explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2736: Only Serifs

2023-02-11T06:53:55Z

172.69.33.19: /* Transcript */ language?

{{comic
| number = 2736
| date = February 10, 2023
| title = Only Serifs
| image = only_serifs_2x.png
| imagesize = 246x112px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = If you ever want to get beaten up by a bunch of graphic designers, try removing the serifs from Times New Roman and adding them to Comic Sans.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SHERIFF - explain the comic more, what is the text? Do NOT delete this tag until Friday, May 9th, 2023..}}

See {{w|serif}} and {{w|sans-serif}} on Wikipedia. Serifs are ticks put at the ends of lines that make up letters, like the "feet" put at the bottom of an A, as well as at the peak (the first 3 ticks shown in the comic). Some fonts use them, as visual decoration, and are called Serif fonts, some do not and are called Sans Serif fonts ("sans" being French for "without"). Randall is suggesting a font using ''only'' these accent pieces and skipping the "body" of the letters entirely.

As for the title text, {{w|Times New Roman}} is a widely available and recognizeable typeface with serifs, widely regarded as the most commonly used. {{w|Comic Sans}} is a sans-serif typeface (that’s what the “Sans” in the name refers to) designed to look like childish handwriting. Many graphic designers {{w|Comic_Sans#Opposition|dislike Comic Sans}} due to a history of amateurs using it in contexts where its informal style is inappropriate, simply in order to use a font that looks different than the standards of Times and Arial and similar. Defenders claim that it is easier for dyslexics to read, but that is true of sans-serif fonts in general. Thus adding serifs to Comic Sans would remove its only redeeming feature.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[The capital and lowercase forms of the first four letters of the alphabet are written on handwriting paper in a font only consisting of serifs between three gray horizontal lines. Underneath the panel there are two lines of text (in a sans-serif font)]
:AaBbCcDd

:Instead of serif or sans-serif,
:my new font is '''''only''''' serifs.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Language]]

2722: Etymonline

2023-01-14T09:04:09Z

172.69.33.19: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2722
| date = January 9, 2023
| title = Etymonline
| image = etymonline_2x.png
| imagesize = 458x280px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTE TO FUTURE ETYMONLINGUISTS: Our best guess is that 'blimp' is onomatopoeia. The 'B-Limp' thing is a folk etymology.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ETYMONLINGUIST - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic depicts an entry from a dictionary written in the far future (at least the year 2384 based on the textual reference). The entry gives the definition of the word "etymonline" and makes it clear that this word has simply supplanted the word "{{w|etymology}}" in the intervening centuries.

It references the internet service known as [https://www.etymonline.com/ Etymonline], or the Online Etymology Dictionary, and implies that Etymonline as a source became synonymous with the concept of etymology.

The caption to the comic states that it is ironic that the popularity of Etymonline eventually caused the loss of the word "etymology" from English.

Perhaps Etymonline grew into such a comprehensive and reputable source that it deserved the all-encompassing identification with the concept of etymology (through {{w|metonymy}}); or it simply gained such ubiquity and market dominance that it became, to all intents and purposes, the only service people used to meet their etymological needs and popular usage abandoned the original term in favor of the name for the tool associated with learning a word's origin.

All we know is that the brief etymology given in the entry cites "modification" of a more archaic English form (the one we are familiar with), without any mention of the digital resource. This is a mild failure on the part of the dictionary entry, since the suffix "online" should at least have been noted as the modifier resulting in the current form. Perhaps a discussion of the specific internet service was not relevant in the entry, or the very concept of "online" has been so superseded by whatever its successors or usurpers might have become that it was lost to common, or indeed academic, knowledge.

The entry about etymonline uses, as an example of the use of the word, a quote regarding the etymology (etymonline) for the word {{w|Blimp}}. This example is a quote from a book from the year 2384 called ''Jovian Blimps: a History'', dating the definition entry as being from some time after that work was published. It also states that, by that year, the word blimp no longer refers to a kind of airship still used on Earth (at the actual time of this comic's release) but instead to "Sky-cities" floating in the atmosphere of {{w|Jupiter}}. Although it is still known that Blimp was ''once'' used for Earth airships, while presuming that the reader is overwhelmingly aware of the Jovian examples.

The title text plays with this (replacing "etymologist" with the derived term "etymonlinguist"). Following on from the fictional citation's assertion that the origin for those historic airships being called Blimps is unknown, we get a comment from some present-day scholar (directed to the author of the futuristic entry) clarifying what they know about the etymology of the word "blimp". It references two theories of the etymology: that it is simply onomatopoeia; or that it was constructed from the phrase "Type B - Limp". It rejects the latter as a folk etymology, i.e. a back-formation, consistent with {{wiktionary|blimp|the explanation}} on Wiktionary and the {{w|Blimp#Etymology|Etymology section}} on the Blimp article upon Wikipedia. It is interesting to note that the current [https://www.etymonline.com/word/blimp Etymonline entry] only lists the B-Limp origin and does not mention onomatopoeia at all, though it does at least acknowledge that the origin is "obscure".

Already, a day after the release of this comic, the words mentioned in here trended on Etymonline, see more in the [[#Trivia|trivia section]] below.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[A picture of a dictionary definition that is askew in the frame to imply that it is printed or written on physical paper rather than a digital resource.]

:'''etymonline''' (n) et・y・mon・line /,ɛt.əmɒn'lain/ The history and derivation of a word. Altered form of English ''etymology'', from Old French ''ethimologie'', from Latin ''etymologia''. Quotation: "Before it came to refer to Jupiter's sky-cities, the term 'blimp' was used for 20th century Earth airships, but its etymonline before that is unknown." –''Jovian Blimps: A History'' (2384)

:[Caption below comic:]
:Ironically, the popularity of Etymonline eventually caused the loss of the word "etymology" from English.

==Trivia==
*Already the day after this comic was released the words Blimp and Etymology was among the top trending word at the top of Etymonline.
**On day two, 2023-01-11, Blimp was the top trending word with Etymolgy in third place.
**Neither of these words was in the top six of trending words on the day the comic was released [https://web.archive.org/web/20230109202315/https://www.etymonline.com/ 2023-01-09].
**Here an example screenshot of the Etymonline page 2023-01-11:
[[File:2722 Etymonline - trending word.png]]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Airships]]

2716: Game Night Ordering

2022-12-26T23:57:56Z

172.69.33.19: /* Explanation */ grammar

{{comic
| number = 2716
| date = December 26, 2022
| title = Game Night Ordering
| image = game_night_ordering_2x.png
| imagesize = 293x471px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = One good trick, if you get called on a fake service, is to build a working version of it and mention it again the next week.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BORED FOOD.NET DRIVER BETWEEN DELIVERIES. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is poking fun at the proliferation of apps and internet services such as for [https://builtin.com/consumer-tech/food-delivery-companies food delivery] and [https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/banking/best-ways-to-send-money money transfer]. The characters are discussing which to use during an evening of tabletop gaming. The group has a running competition to see who can mention the most fake apps and services without being called out.

[[Cueball]] mentions three food delivery services, {{w|Grubhub}}, {{w|DoorDash}}, and Food.net, and [[Ponytail]] asks him to reimburse her using {{w|Venmo}}, {{w|PayPal}}, or Yahoo Cash. Cueball expresses skepticism about Yahoo Cash, after which Ponytail admits it's a fake service and is thus obligated to pay for Cueball's meal. Food.net, which Cueball mentioned without being called out, is not a real service; https://food.net exists but is "not available for use," and is not related to food.

Based on Ponytail's offer, if someone is correctly called out then they apparently must pay for the player who caught them, but what happens when a player isn't caught (e.g. when Cueball mentioned Food.net) isn't clear. The rules might be similar to variants of the card game sometimes known as "{{w|Cheat (game)|Cheat}}," in which a successful bluff merely allows play to continue on until someone is caught bluffing or incorrectly accuses another player.

The title text offers a tip for winning the competition after being called out for mentioning a fake service: building a working version of it and then mentioning it again the next week.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Cueball, Megan, and Ponytail are sitting at a table to order food. Cueball is on his phone, and Ponytail, sitting opposite, on her laptop.]
:Cueball: What should we use to order? Grubhub? DoorDash? Food.net?
:Ponytail: I'll do Grubhub; you can send me money. Do you do Venmo? Paypal? Yahoo Cash?
:Cueball: Yahoo Cash HAS to be fake.
:Ponytail: Yes. Dang. I'll get your share.
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Our game night has an ongoing competition to see who can mention the most fake apps and services without getting called on it.

{{comic discussion}}

2710: Hydropower Breakthrough

2022-12-15T05:39:44Z

172.69.33.19: /* Explanation */ on reflection, this is an error on the part of ChatGPT

{{comic
| number = 2710
| date = December 12, 2022
| title = Hydropower Breakthrough
| image = hydropower_breakthrough_2x.png
| imagesize = 261x303px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = A hydroelectric dam is also known as a heavy water reactor.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PRACTICAL WATER REACTOR. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In this comic, [[Beret Guy]] announces that their {{w|hydroelectric dam}} has reached "Q > 1" supposedly meaning that it is producing more water than is flowing into it. In reality, this would violate the physical law of conservation of mass. Over the lifetime of a dam, the volume of water that passes through the outflow gates will be less than the total volume of water in the catchment area due to evaporation, seepage, and other losses. To produce more water, matter would have to be created. While one audience member celebrates, another expresses concern.

The comic parodies {{w|fusion reactor}}s, a type of electrical generator that can use deuterium and tritium as inputs to produce helium and a large amount of power. However, maintaining a fusion reaction has historically been difficult, and fusion reactors often require more external power than they generate. In recent years, advances in fusion technology have increased the energy output of fusion reactors to more than the input. It is possible that this comic is a reference to the [https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/11/fusion-nuclear-energy-breakthrough/ announcement of the first Q > 1 fusion reaction at the US National Ignition Facility], which was scheduled for the day after the comic was released.

The symbol Q is used to refer to the {{w|fusion energy gain factor}}, the ratio of power generated by a fusion reactor to the energy used to maintain it. An energy source is only useful if it produces more power than it uses, so Q > 1 means the reactor is generating net energy. Q can also represent the flow rate of water through a hydroelectric dam, and in this case, a Q > 1 would not have significant meaning.

If only a short time period is considered, a dam can naturally release more water than is fed into it, especially during dry seasons or after a dam break. The title "breakthrough" could refer to this, but it would not be a cause for celebration. It is possible that Beret Guy's dam is using magic or new technology to violate conservation of mass and create water. It could also be powered by {{w|zero point energy}}, as Beret Guy has shown proficiency with this in [[1486: Vacuum]].

The title text further confuses the issue by introducing nuclear fission and equating the hydroelectric dam with a {{w|heavy water reactor}}, which is a type of nuclear fission reactor that uses deuterium oxide as a moderator. This is also a play on words, as the weight of water can be used to power a hydroelectric dam.

==Transcript==
:[Beret Guy is standing on a podium behind a lectern. He is gesturing with his hand, palm up, towards a poster hanging behind him. On it is a picture of a tall dam, with a lake behind, and water coming out at the foot of the dam in the valley on the other side. Two voices reacts to Beret Guy's statement from off-panel.]
:Beret Guy: We are pleased to announce that our hydroelectric dam has achieved Q>1, producing more water than we fed into it!
:Off-panel voice 1: Hooray!
:Off-panel voice 2: Wait.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Public speaking]]
[[Category:Physics]]

Talk:2710: Hydropower Breakthrough

2022-12-13T04:06:03Z

172.69.33.19:

ChatGPT sez:

:The comic depicts Beret Guy, a character known for his expertise in science and engineering, standing on a podium and announcing that their hydroelectric dam has achieved a level of efficiency greater than one, producing more water than was fed into it. This is cause for celebration, as it indicates that the dam is functioning properly and efficiently. However, the second off-panel voice raises a question, suggesting that there may be more to the situation than initially thought.

:The title text adds further information by revealing that a hydroelectric dam is also known as a heavy water reactor. This suggests that the dam may not be operating in the traditional way, but rather may be using a different type of technology, such as nuclear power, to produce the excess water. This could raise concerns about safety and the potential risks associated with this type of technology.

Meh. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.45|172.69.33.45]] 03:44, 13 December 2022 (UTC)

It *is* possible. All Beret Guy has to do is use the electricity to run air conditioners, which will have one side condensing water from the atmosphere, ergo more water coming out than went in. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 04:00, 13 December 2022 (UTC)

Considering that he phrases it "more water than we fed into it" in the past tense, it might just be that there's a leak in the dam.
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.19|172.69.33.19]] 04:06, 13 December 2022 (UTC) mraction

2452: Aviation Firsts

2021-04-20T01:49:36Z

172.69.33.19: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2452
| date = April 20, 2021
| title = Aviation Firsts
| image = aviation_firsts.png
| titletext = Mile High Club membership [✓] [ ] Discovery of parts of Amelia Earhart's skeleton [ ] [ ] Mid-flight incident that results in safe landing on the Hudson River [✓] [ ]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by D. B. COOPER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic lists milestones related to flight on different planets. They start out reasonable but get absurd.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2450: Post Vaccine Social Scheduling

2021-04-15T05:31:10Z

172.69.33.19: R

That third line down in the cartoon, shouldn't the first 2 be a 1? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.116|198.41.238.116]] 02:56, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:Plus, should they really be going to a movie during their two weeks? [[User:NixillUmbreon|NixillUmbreon]] ([[User talk:NixillUmbreon|talk]]) 03:20, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:Third line down may have gotten a spoiled batch on their second shot (or could be lying, thereby creating errors the schedule), but it does look to me like a typo. NixellUmbreon correctly notes that Third Line also does ''not'' wait the requisite period after 2nd dose before going to a movie!
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 03:50, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
::Or perhaps they think that as soon as they've had their second shot, they're Good To Go? Not lying deliberately, but just plain old misinformed [[Special:Contributions/162.158.165.66|162.158.165.66]] 04:19, 15 April 2021 (UTC)

It seems unfair to attend any birthdays this year, considering how many could not be attended. Bobby gets a party but Susie doesn't? Hmm... Time is cruel.

Also, unrelated, but it's entirely possible that Lines 1, 2, 5, 7 & 8 are scheduling to gather on ''Line 3's'' birthday, while 3 isn't vaccinated yet.

''Edit:'' Also, also, what is a chungus? (I don't come to explainxkcd because I want to search random words on DuckDuckGo...)
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 03:50, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:according to dictionary.com, “Chungus is a meme featuring a chunky version of the cartoon character Bugs Bunny, typically captioned Big Chungus. It began as gaming joke that spread online as a slang term for anything ‘(adorably) chunky,’ similar to chonky.“ (which begs the question, what does that have to do with the explanation of this comic being written by a “big chungus”)[[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.233|162.158.62.233]] 04:18, 15 April 2021 (UTC)

Just wondering, how is Big Chungus related to this? Confuuusion [[User:Eelitee|Eelitee]] ([[User talk:Eelitee|talk]]) 04:29, 15 April 2021 (UTC)

Question as a European: Don't Americans use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which just needs 1 shot (in addition to those that need 2 shots)? Everyone in this chart gets a "2" shot (and in the case of the 3rd person even two "2" shots.) --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 05:03, 15 April 2021 (UTC)

I thought this comic was also about the CDC guidance even after getting vaccinated to stay in small groups, this, there is no group of > 4 people or so. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.143|172.69.35.143]] 05:17, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:Cabin and birthday are 5 people each. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 05:20, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:: Hmm, but by "Cabin" everyone has already been vaccinated. So should've they all be able to attend? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.19|172.69.33.19]] 05:31, 15 April 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2447: Hammer Incident

2021-04-08T02:09:14Z

172.69.33.19: /* Giant comic */ new section

[[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.153|162.158.187.153]] 02:04, 8 April 2021 (UTC)big

== Giant comic ==

Is it meant to be that size? Does the bad luck apply to trying to upload comics at reasonable sizes?

[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.19|172.69.33.19]] 02:09, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

1527: Humans

2020-11-03T07:16:40Z

172.69.33.19: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1527
| date = May 20, 2015
| title = Humans
| image = humans.png
| titletext = At this point, if we're going to keep insisting on portraying dinosaurs as featherless because it's "cooler", it's time to apply that same logic to art involving bald eagles.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic is set in the future, with two hovering robots discussing ancient history, in particular the clothing styles of kings and queens of the now extinct human species. It appears that robot archeologists have long ago unearthed remains from one or more human civilizations, providing evidence to build a concept of what humans must have looked, acted and even sounded like. Recently they must have discovered or determined new evidence, which presumably indicates the wearing of colorful clothing by human monarchs. Until this occurred they had very little if any reason to believe that any humans wore clothing. Noting the previous knowledge that some humans had metal rings around their heads, they have drawn the conclusion that these formed a separate species "Human Kings" and the crown is a natural outgrowth of the skeleton. Alternatively, the narrative of the fictional, horned ''Star Wars'' villain Darth Maul may have somehow survived into the era of robot film and misinterpreted as describing a human, though Maul's skin is red, not pink.

When {{w|dinosaur}} bones were first dug up, the idea that dinosaurs were scaly, reptilian-like creatures was developed with the information available at the time. In recent times, it's been discovered that most dinosaurs actually had {{w|Feathered dinosaur|feathers}}, and in well preserved specimens, often from the {{w|Jiufotang Formation}} in Northern China, feathers of various forms are clearly visible.

As this runs counter to the widespread and long-held image of dinosaurs as dramatic reptiles, the public has been reluctant to accept this new discovery, especially as the addition of feathers often conjures up the image of a giant chicken. (See [[1104: Feathers]]). Had it been discovered that dinosaurs were in fact covered with 6-inch long razor tipped spikes, people may have accepted this immediately as it conforms to the stereotype of dinosaurs as killing machines.

In the same way, the new information on kings and queens being covered in fabric runs counter to the movie inspired image that the robot on the right had about humans, picturing them as being pink warriors that could grow metal out of their heads. The head-metal image may have been inspired by the discovery of kings and queens buried or entombed with their crowns lying on top of their skulls - for example the [http://www.nature.com/news/the-last-medici-may-not-have-died-of-syphilis-after-all-1.12435 Electress Palatine Anna Maria de'Medici]. If the robot beings in this comic don't know enough about human anatomy, they may assume that the metal crown is a specialized part of the human skeleton.

Shown at least some evidence pointing to the truth - that humans typically wore clothing, and that a monarch's crown is only a symbol worn atop the head and not part of his or her body - the robot is predictably disappointed. Humans wearing clothing reduces them, in its opinion, to "big pillows," much like dinosaurs with feathers reduces them from primal beasts to "big chickens." Something made of cloth (or covered in it), at least in this robot's mind, cannot be a significant actor in history.

The robot fails to reason that, among other things, history was what it was, and its wanting things to have been a certain way does not make it so. In addition, just as the clothing-wearing human is more than a mere pillow, and would have held much fearsome power over the world, a feathered dinosaur is not necessarily merely a giant chicken, but is still a powerful killing machine.

The title text references our failure to change the popular image of dinosaurs to reflect the way they truthfully once were. [[Randall]] jokingly suggests that we should apply the same "featherless is cooler" logic to popular images of bald eagles ([[1211: Birds and Dinosaurs|since they are modern dinosaurs]]), and remove their feathers (only in depictions of them, presumably), leaving them entirely bald. He appears hopeful that such a direct comparison, using the national symbol of the US no less, would provoke the public to change its mind about how dinosaurs are viewed, since modern raptors (birds of prey) are typically viewed with awe and respect, and are not often associated with the "chicken" stereotype mentioned above.

==Transcript==
:[Two robots are hovering in mid-air in the comic; what appear to be their optical arrays are facing each other.]
:Robot 1: You know, new research suggests ancient human kings and queens were covered in colorful fabric.
:Robot 2: Ugh, I like '''movie''' humans more. Screaming pink warriors with metal crowns poking through the skin on their heads!
:Robot 2: Now they're, what, big pillows?
:Robot 2: Science ruins everything.

==Trivia==
It is worth noting that this comic was released a few weeks before the scheduled release of ''{{w|Jurassic World}}'', a reboot of the {{w|Jurassic Park}} movie franchise. This new movie, while supposedly aware of recent advances in dinosaur research, still depicts dinosaurs as giant lizards without feathers. It seems likely that the robot's comment about "pink humans" is targeted at this movie, especially given Randall's many earlier [[:Category:Jurassic Park|references to Jurassic Park]] and his [[:Category:Velociraptors|fear of velociraptors]].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Animals]]

2379: Probability Comparisons

2020-10-31T04:29:13Z

172.69.33.19: /* Transcript */ categories

{{comic
| number = 2379
| date = October 30, 2020
| title = Probability Comparisons
| image = probability_comparisons.png
| titletext = Call me, MAYBE.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by LEBRON JAMES THROWING BASKETBALLS AT A KEYBOARD. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is a list of probabilities for different events. Recurring themes include M&Ms, Scrabble, polyhedral dice, a white Christmas and basketball.

The probabilities are calculated from [https://xkcd.com/2379/sources/ these sources], as mentioned in the bottom left corner.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Odds
! Text
! Explanation
|-
| 0.01%
| You guess the last four digits of someone's {{w|Social Security Number}} on the first try
|
|-
| 0.1%
| Three randomly chosen people are all left-handed
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]

2379: Probability Comparisons

2020-10-31T04:28:33Z

172.69.33.19: date

2378: Fall Back

2020-10-29T01:17:31Z

172.69.33.19: /* Transcript */ category

{{comic
| number = 2378
| date = October 28, 2020
| title = Fall Back
| image = fall_back.png
| titletext = Doing great here in the sixth and hopefully final year of the 2016 election.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ANXIOUS AMERICAN. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Daylight Savings Time ends in the United States at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, and the elections are on the first Tuesday in November. In 2020, Nov. 1 is Sunday, so the shift from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time will happen two days before the election. This has the effect of making Sunday, Nov. 1 a ''25-hour'' day.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Politics]]

2378: Fall Back

2020-10-29T01:15:51Z

172.69.33.19: Date

2376: Curbside

2020-10-24T19:36:59Z

172.69.33.19: /* Explanation */ fix again

{{comic
| number = 2376
| date = October 24, 2020
| title = Curbside
| image = curbside.png
| titletext = The state has had so many contact tracers disappear into that shop that they've had to start a contact tracer tracing program.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ANGRY GHOST. Could use some elaboration; explain title text. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Beret Guy]] is making contact with {{tvtropes|TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday|a shop that sells cursed items, only to vanish when the customer tries to return the product}}. He has previously mentioned doing most of his shopping (including groceries) at such locations in [[1772: Startup Opportunity]], and visited one (possibly the same one) several months earlier in [[2332: Cursed Chair]]. That visit ended with him trying to stop the COVID-19 pandemic by destroying the cursed chair, but evidently he either failed to destroy the chair or found that doing so didn't halt the pandemic.

After confirming that he has the right number, Beret Guy asks if the cursed store does curbside pickup, as he intends to place an order for bread and a cursed amulet, but does not wish to go inside during the pandemic. Many grocery stores have started offering such services, allowing a customer to place an order over the phone or online, then receive it outside the store, thus minimizing the interaction with store staff or other customers. Closed spaces are understood to pose a greater risk of contagion than the outdoors, where wind and sun can mitigate airborne viral particles.

The store's contact replies that no, they do not offer curbside pickup, but tries to assure Beret Guy that all employees at the location wear masks. (They might be wearing [[2367: Masks|haunted Halloween masks]].) When Beret Guy expresses disappointment at the revelation, complaining about the stuffy air of the shop, the contact advises him to consider the virus as part of the curses that come with their products. An angered Beret Guy promptly proclaims that he will ''not'' be doing business with the location if they are going to showcase such an attitude towards the pandemic. It's unclear how he will find another store with similar unusual characteristics, although it [[1772: Startup Opportunity|has been mentioned]] that there is an entire industry of these stores.

Beret Guy mentions that he wants to buy an amulet in order to 'do battle with ghosts', which is not an ordinary thing to do{{Citation needed}} given that most people cannot interact directly with ghosts. Perhaps he has a ghost-fighting weapon that he has also bought from the shop, although a more likely explanation (given Beret Guy's peculiarity) seems that he is somehow able to engage in martial combat with them. A common argument for how ghosts can exist is that they are in another dimension; given that Beret Guy has extra dimensions in his bones ([[2310: Great Attractor]]), he might appear as a skeleton warrior in the ghosts' dimension. Thus, being able to battle ghosts would be one of the many [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers of Beret Guy]].

The title text explains that due to the more lax precautions in the store, enough people have gotten COVID there that {{w|Contact tracing|contact tracer}}s were sent to trace contacts. However, because the store is haunted/possessed, all the contact tracers have disappeared, leading the state to create a tracing program to find the missing contact tracers. The joke here is that the contact tracers must now be traced by another tracing program.

==Transcript==

:[Beret Guy talking on a cell phone. The response from the person on the phone is in a jagged bubble.]
:Beret Guy: Hi, is this the shop that sells cursed items but when you try to return them the shop is gone?
:Phone: Yes, how can I help you?

:[A frameless panel. Beret Guy still talking on the phone]
:Beret Guy: Do you do curbside pickup? I wanted to buy a cursed amulet that angers ghosts, and some groceries.
:Phone: No, but it's okay, we wear masks.

:[Zoomed in on other side of Beret Guy's face]
:Beret Guy: So you can't bring stuff out?
:Phone: I'm afraid not.
:Beret Guy: But it's so stuffy in there!

:[The callee's response is on the top of the panel. Beret Guy is now holding his phone in front of him, ready to end the call.]
:Phone: Why not think of the virus as part of the amulet's curse?
:Beret Guy: '''''Excuse me!?''''' I'm trying to buy some bread and do battle with ghosts, not endanger my family and friends in a pandemic!
:Beret Guy: I will take my business '''''elsewhere.'''''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:COVID-19]]

2376: Curbside

2020-10-24T19:36:44Z

172.69.33.19: /* Explanation */ fix

{{comic
| number = 2376
| date = October 24, 2020
| title = Curbside
| image = curbside.png
| titletext = The state has had so many contact tracers disappear into that shop that they've had to start a contact tracer tracing program.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ANGRY GHOST. Could use some elaboration; explain title text. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Beret Guy]] is making contact with {{tvtropes|TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday|a shop that sells cursed items, only to vanish when the customer tries to return the product}}. He has previously mentioned doing most of his shopping (including groceries) at such locations in [[1772: Startup Opportunity]], and visited one (possibly the same one) several months earlier in [[2332: Cursed Chair]]. That visit ended with him trying to stop the COVID-19 pandemic by destroying the cursed chair, but evidently he either failed to destroy the chair or found that doing so didn't halt the pandemic.

After confirming that he has the right number, Beret Guy asks if the cursed store does curbside pickup, as he intends to place an order for bread and a cursed amulet, but does not wish to go inside during the pandemic. Many grocery stores have started offering such services, allowing a customer to place an order over the phone or online, then receive it outside the store, thus minimizing the interaction with store staff or other customers. Closed spaces are understood to pose a greater risk of contagion than the outdoors, where wind and sun can mitigate airborne viral particles.

The store's contact replies that no, they do not offer curbside pickup, but tries to assure Beret Guy that all employees at the location wear masks. (They might be wearing [[2367: Masks|haunted Halloween masks]].) When Beret Guy expresses disappointment at the revelation, complaining about the stuffy air of the shop, the contact advises him to consider the virus as part of the curses that come with their products. An angered Beret Guy promptly proclaims that he will ''not'' be doing business with the location if they are going to showcase such an attitude towards the pandemic. It's unclear how he will find another store with similar unusual characteristics, although it [[1772: Startup Opportunity|has been mentioned]] that there is an entire industry of these stores.

Beret Guy mentions that he wants to buy an amulet in order to 'do battle with ghosts', which is not an ordinary thing to do{{Citation needed}} given that most people cannot interact directly with ghosts. Perhaps he has a ghost-fighting weapon that he has also bought from the shop, although a more likely explanation (given Beret Guy's peculiarity) seems that he is somehow able to engage in martial combat with them. A common argument for how ghosts can exist is that they are in another dimension; given that Beret Guy has extra dimensions in his bones ([[2310: Great Attractor]]), he might appear as a skeleton warrior in the ghosts' dimension. Thus, being able to battle ghosts would be one of the many [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers of Beret Guy]].

The title text explains that due to the more lax precautions in the store, enough people have gotten COVID there that {{w|Contact tracing
|contact tracer}}s were sent to trace contacts. However, because the store is haunted/possessed, all the contact tracers have disappeared, leading the state to create a tracing program to find the missing contact tracers. The joke here is that the contact tracers must now be traced by another tracing program.

==Transcript==

:[Beret Guy talking on a cell phone. The response from the person on the phone is in a jagged bubble.]
:Beret Guy: Hi, is this the shop that sells cursed items but when you try to return them the shop is gone?
:Phone: Yes, how can I help you?

:[A frameless panel. Beret Guy still talking on the phone]
:Beret Guy: Do you do curbside pickup? I wanted to buy a cursed amulet that angers ghosts, and some groceries.
:Phone: No, but it's okay, we wear masks.

:[Zoomed in on other side of Beret Guy's face]
:Beret Guy: So you can't bring stuff out?
:Phone: I'm afraid not.
:Beret Guy: But it's so stuffy in there!

:[The callee's response is on the top of the panel. Beret Guy is now holding his phone in front of him, ready to end the call.]
:Phone: Why not think of the virus as part of the amulet's curse?
:Beret Guy: '''''Excuse me!?''''' I'm trying to buy some bread and do battle with ghosts, not endanger my family and friends in a pandemic!
:Beret Guy: I will take my business '''''elsewhere.'''''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:COVID-19]]

2376: Curbside

2020-10-24T19:36:21Z

172.69.33.19: /* Explanation */ wlink

{{comic
| number = 2376
| date = October 24, 2020
| title = Curbside
| image = curbside.png
| titletext = The state has had so many contact tracers disappear into that shop that they've had to start a contact tracer tracing program.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ANGRY GHOST. Could use some elaboration; explain title text. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Beret Guy]] is making contact with {{tvtropes|TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday|a shop that sells cursed items, only to vanish when the customer tries to return the product}}. He has previously mentioned doing most of his shopping (including groceries) at such locations in [[1772: Startup Opportunity]], and visited one (possibly the same one) several months earlier in [[2332: Cursed Chair]]. That visit ended with him trying to stop the COVID-19 pandemic by destroying the cursed chair, but evidently he either failed to destroy the chair or found that doing so didn't halt the pandemic.

After confirming that he has the right number, Beret Guy asks if the cursed store does curbside pickup, as he intends to place an order for bread and a cursed amulet, but does not wish to go inside during the pandemic. Many grocery stores have started offering such services, allowing a customer to place an order over the phone or online, then receive it outside the store, thus minimizing the interaction with store staff or other customers. Closed spaces are understood to pose a greater risk of contagion than the outdoors, where wind and sun can mitigate airborne viral particles.

The store's contact replies that no, they do not offer curbside pickup, but tries to assure Beret Guy that all employees at the location wear masks. (They might be wearing [[2367: Masks|haunted Halloween masks]].) When Beret Guy expresses disappointment at the revelation, complaining about the stuffy air of the shop, the contact advises him to consider the virus as part of the curses that come with their products. An angered Beret Guy promptly proclaims that he will ''not'' be doing business with the location if they are going to showcase such an attitude towards the pandemic. It's unclear how he will find another store with similar unusual characteristics, although it [[1772: Startup Opportunity|has been mentioned]] that there is an entire industry of these stores.

Beret Guy mentions that he wants to buy an amulet in order to 'do battle with ghosts', which is not an ordinary thing to do{{Citation needed}} given that most people cannot interact directly with ghosts. Perhaps he has a ghost-fighting weapon that he has also bought from the shop, although a more likely explanation (given Beret Guy's peculiarity) seems that he is somehow able to engage in martial combat with them. A common argument for how ghosts can exist is that they are in another dimension; given that Beret Guy has extra dimensions in his bones ([[2310: Great Attractor]]), he might appear as a skeleton warrior in the ghosts' dimension. Thus, being able to battle ghosts would be one of the many [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers of Beret Guy]].

The title text explains that due to the more lax precautions in the store, enough people have gotten COVID there that {{w|contact tracer}}s were sent to trace contacts. However, because the store is haunted/possessed, all the contact tracers have disappeared, leading the state to create a tracing program to find the missing contact tracers. The joke here is that the contact tracers must now be traced by another tracing program.

==Transcript==

:[Beret Guy talking on a cell phone. The response from the person on the phone is in a jagged bubble.]
:Beret Guy: Hi, is this the shop that sells cursed items but when you try to return them the shop is gone?
:Phone: Yes, how can I help you?

:[A frameless panel. Beret Guy still talking on the phone]
:Beret Guy: Do you do curbside pickup? I wanted to buy a cursed amulet that angers ghosts, and some groceries.
:Phone: No, but it's okay, we wear masks.

:[Zoomed in on other side of Beret Guy's face]
:Beret Guy: So you can't bring stuff out?
:Phone: I'm afraid not.
:Beret Guy: But it's so stuffy in there!

:[The callee's response is on the top of the panel. Beret Guy is now holding his phone in front of him, ready to end the call.]
:Phone: Why not think of the virus as part of the amulet's curse?
:Beret Guy: '''''Excuse me!?''''' I'm trying to buy some bread and do battle with ghosts, not endanger my family and friends in a pandemic!
:Beret Guy: I will take my business '''''elsewhere.'''''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:COVID-19]]

Category:Screen Time

2020-10-20T01:28:21Z

172.69.33.19: brief, link to phones

These comics mention {{w|screen time}}, the amount of time that spent on a phone (or other device that has a screen).

[[Category:Phones]]

2374: 10,000 Hours

2020-10-20T01:26:06Z

172.69.33.19: date

{{comic
| number = 2374
| date = October 19, 2020
| title = 10,000 Hours
| image = 10000_hours.png
| titletext = I'm proud to announce that as of this year I've become a world-class expert at chewing.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created in 10,000 hours. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic references the somewhat common idea that one must do something for 10,000 hours to become an expert on it. in this comic, [[Cueball]]'s phone tells him that, assuming that idea is correct, he is now a master of several things, because the amount of time he spends on his phone.

The title text refers to the fact that people eat a lot{{Citation needed}}, up to around 2 hours a day. Because there are 365 days in a year, and at the time of this comic's publication, [[Randall]] is 36 years old, he has spent a large amount of time eating, well over 10,000 hours.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[Cueball is staring at his phone. A report is shown above his head]
If you buy into the "10,000 hours" thing, you are now a world-class expert

[Caption below comic]
My screen time reports have started trying to put a positive spin on things

==Trivia==
This comic was published 2 days after Randall's birthday, October 17<sup>th</sup>

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Screen Time]]