explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3247: Particle Census

2026-05-18T19:24:12Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3247
| date = May 18, 2026
| title = Particle Census
| image = particle_census_2x.png
| imagesize = 651x272px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Remember, your answers to the physics census are confidential; we will not be issuing Pauli exclusion principle citations.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created at an UNCERTAIN TIME. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic references the {{w|Heisenberg uncertainty principle}} of quantum mechanics. Put simply, it states that we can't know both the position and momentum of a particle -- the more accurately we know one, the less we know the other. [[Megan]] says they're taking a census of the positions of all particles in the universe, so they'll be known precisely; therefore, all their momenta will be unknowable. And by the time we use the census results we won't know where any of the particles are, we'll just know where they were at the instant their positions were recorded by the census.

In the United States, the Constitution mandates that a population census of people living in all the states be taken every ten years. This is primarily for the purpose of apportioning representatives to Congress, but it has come to be used for many other demographic purposes. There's no legal requirement for a decenial physics census; if physicists want to do this, it's their own decision. However, it's not really possible to measure the positions of ''all'' particles in the universe.{{cn}}

The title text refers to the {{w|Pauli exclusion principle}}. This states that no two {{w|fermions}} can occupy the same quantum state. As the results of the census are confidential, physics officials will not use it to determine if any particles are violating it and issuing citations. This confuses physical laws, which describe how the universe works, with societal laws, which state what is allowed or required by the government.

==Trivia==
When this comic was uploaded the normal sized image [https://web.archive.org/web/20260518185623/https://xkcd.com/3247/ was incorrectly 2x size].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[First Panel. Megan is standing at a lectern, presumably talking to an audience.]

:Megan: Remember, Tuesday is the decennial particle census.

:Megan: Physicists will be recording the location of all particles in the universe.

:[Second Panel. Zooms out to show the stage Megan is on]

:Megan: Of course, this will cause their momenta to become indeterminite, so please plan for some disruption.

:[Third Panel. An audience member pipes up from off-panel.]

:Audience member: Wait, disruption? Where will my particles go?

:Megan: No one can say, but you'll know ''exactly'' where they were.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3247: Particle Census

2026-05-18T19:14:35Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3247
| date = May 18, 2026
| title = Particle Census
| image = particle_census_2x.png
| imagesize = 651x272px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Remember, your answers to the physics census are confidential; we will not be issuing Pauli exclusion principle citations.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created at an UNCERTAIN TIME. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic references the {{w|Heisenberg uncertainty principle}} of quantum mechanics. Put simply, it states that we can't know both the position and momentum of a particle -- the more accurately we know one, the less we know the other. [[Megan]] says they're taking a census of the positions of all particles in the universe, so they'll be known precisely; therefore, all their momenta will be unknowable. And by the time we use the census results we won't know where any of the particles are, we'll just know where they were at the instant their positions were recorded by the census.

It's not really possible to measure the positions of ''all'' particles in the universe.{{cn}}

In the United States, the Constitution mandates that a census of people living in all the states be taken every ten years. This is primarily for the purpose of apportioning representatives to Congress, but it has come to be used for many demographic purposes.

==Trivia==
When this comic was uploaded the normal sized image [https://web.archive.org/web/20260518185623/https://xkcd.com/3247/ was incorrectly 2x size].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[First Panel. Megan is standing at a lectern, presumably talking to an audience.]

:Megan: Remember, Tuesday is the decennial particle census.

:Megan: Physicists will be recording the location of all particles in the universe.

:[Second Panel. Zooms out to show the stage Megan is on]

:Megan: Of course, this will cause their momenta to become indeterminite, so please plan for some disruption.

:[Third Panel. An audience member pipes up from off-panel.]

:Audience member: Wait, disruption? Where will my particles go?

:Megan: No one can say, but you'll know ''exactly'' where they were.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3247: Particle Census

2026-05-18T19:09:35Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

3247: Particle Census

2026-05-18T19:08:07Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

3247: Particle Census

2026-05-18T19:03:41Z

Barmar: /* Transcript */

3247: Particle Census

2026-05-18T19:02:23Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

Talk:3245: Results Age

2026-05-14T14:07:15Z

Barmar:

oh god these are uncomfortably accurate...though sometimes the post age is the next time rung down. i hit an issue recently which sent me to mozilla forum posts from 2008, migrated twice, where the people having the problem seem to have stopped caring about it a decade ago - '''[[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]]''' ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 18:43, 13 May 2026 (UTC)

Man, I’m not even 24 ''years old'' [[Special:Contributions/2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:803D:CE4C:ED8:DED4|2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:803D:CE4C:ED8:DED4]] 18:45, 13 May 2026 (UTC)
:Can we block this IP address? [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:33, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

I guess once we finish the table in the explanation we can convert that to a similar table in the transcript, rather than doing them independently. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:13, 13 May 2026 (UTC)
:No. [[explain xkcd:Editor FAQ#What is the format of the transcript section?|Tables do not belong in the Transcript.]] It serves a different purpose. And it'll just be the text that's there, so would be far simpler (and more likely to be 'finished' any time soon) than the Explanation table which will get tweaked to add or clarify explanatory descriptions.
:You ''could'' copy an Explanation table (having the comic text, in various rows and columns) to the Transcript then 'de-Table' it (remove the table-formatting) and 'en-Transcript' what remains (add the ":[This bit looks like..]" stuff). But that's not much less effort than rewriting such a relatively small comic's from scratch.
:It can also go the other way, though... Someone gets the Transcript done, and then ''from that'' the base text of the Table is 'en-Tabled'. It'd depend on who visits the newly-created Comic page and what they decide to concentrate on to start up the otherwise blank page that the BOT put together. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:56, 13 May 2026 (UTC)
::I added the content of the table to the transcript based on the format of [[3120: Geologic Periods]] which also has a table. --[[Special:Contributions/208.59.176.206|208.59.176.206]] 00:49, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

I will add an explanation of an edge case [[User:SomebodyElse|SomebodyElse]] ([[User talk:SomebodyElse|talk]]) 19:40, 13 May 2026 (UTC)

If it's negative time old you are in a Tardis. If it's sqrt(-1) time old, give me some of whatever it is you are smoking. [[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 22:02, 13 May 2026 (UTC)
:''Which'' sqrt(-1)? If it's imaginary i then you're in weird territory, but if it's quaternionic i, j, or k, you can interpret that as a spacelike separation, so it just means that you've found someone with an FTL drive i.e. the flowchart arrow also goes to TARDIS.[[Special:Contributions/185.146.232.73|185.146.232.73]] 10:03, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

Yeah it's even better when there's no god damn results at all.[[User:RG|RG]] ([[User talk:RG|talk]]) 00:29, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

What about when the post is more than 13 years old and you see that the post is from yourself, you had just forgotten about it? [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 01:52, 14 May 2026 (UTC)
:Same vibe as googling early warning signs of alheizmers for the first time but all the links are purple.[[User:RG|RG]] ([[User talk:RG|talk]]) 02:08, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

I once discovered a scanned magazine article from 1999 or so that briefly mentioned how to use a hidden Mathematica feature that a) still existed more than 20 years later and b) was in fact directly applicable to my problem. Sometimes things do work out![[Special:Contributions/185.146.232.73|185.146.232.73]] 10:03, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

I actually made my first table on this one! It took a lot of trial-and-error. [[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]] ([[User talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]) 11:10, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

What's wrong with this is that the first search result is irrelevant, since it will just tell OP to use Google because the question has been asked before. --[[Special:Contributions/80.187.113.212|80.187.113.212]] 13:07, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

The Internet is not over 50 years old. The Internet as we know it came online at the beginning of 2023, when Arpanet switched from the old NCP protocol to TCP/IP. So I changed that explanation to "over forty years old". Although as far as modern users are concerned, anything prior to the WWW is mostly irrelevant. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:07, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

3245: Results Age

2026-05-14T14:00:53Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3245
| date = May 13, 2026
| title = Results Age
| image = results_age_2x.png
| imagesize = 478x669px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Please, we need your help. Our research suggests you're the last living descendant of the person who knew how to format this config file.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created BY AN INTERNET GRANDPA. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic shows how likely it is that a bug reported will be fixed, based on the age of some past post that matches your search for details of the problem.

A table is shown below of the explanations of each table row:
{| class="wikitable"
!Age of post !! Explanation given !! Full Explanation
|-
|2 hours ago || A service outage. Not very long to fix - Just wait. ||The recentness of the information implies that it has just happened, and other people have noticed it and started to post about the issue. Large-scale problems like a service outage are obvious priorities, and will (hopefully!) be fixed quickly.
|-
|5 days ago || A new update just broke something big. High chance to be fixed, but you might have to wait for a patch || Similar to before, a large breakage would be very high priority to be fixed. However, as it's been five days since reporting it, the bug is likely taking a while to be found, so - as pointed out in the comic - you could have to wait a bit longer for this one to be resolved.
|-
|3 months ago ||A new product isn't working for some users. Decent chance of finding a solution in replies || This problem is clearly not considered a priority for a fix by the creators, judging by how long it's been there. It possibly isn't an issue affecting everyone, or even a large proportion of users. However, people are innovative, and someone may well have found their own fix, patch or kludge to get around the product limitations.
|-
|2 years ago||You've run into an edge case. Low chance to be fixed, but the replies could help with troubleshooting||An edge case is a rare situation that the developers did not think to account for, usually causing a logic error, where the program works, but outputs something unexpected which might cause an error down the line. Very few people will suffer from this precise problem, which may mean that it's not considered worth the effort to apply a fix. The developers or other users may have encountered similar issues on this or similar software, and noting how they solved ''those'' problems might lead you towards how to solve your own.
|-
|13 years ago||You're the only one with this problem. Very Low chance to be fixed, and the post is likely irrelevant||A post of this age likely predates the software you're using, or at least the current version of it. It's probably a coincidental match to your search query, and doesn't actually relate to the problem you've encountered. Since no-one else has posted about this issue or anything similar within a recent timeframe, it's likely that you're the first person (or at least, one of very few people) to have come across it.
|-
|24 years ago||Oh god how is the Internet so old. Maybe whoever posted the message's children can help you out. || This is another comic where Randall [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|makes people feel old]], in this case by pointing out that the Internet is very old, and people posting comments in the early period of the Internet have now had time to have kids who have reached an age where they are themselves posting. It is also (presumably) rare enough to be a [[979: Wisdom of the Ancients|DenverCoder9 situation]], and 13 years is longer than the time in that comic, so 13 years might be such a situation too.
The Internet is, in fact, over forty years old — significantly older than this notional post. The World Wide Web (to many, synonymous with the Internet) hails from the early 1990s, and Google (one of the more commonly used search engines, through which this error search might have been made) started working in the late 1990s. The biggest surprise might be that some information found on a web-page in 2002 (and still relevant to your search) survives on some still live web server (or as an archive of that original information on some successor site). For example, anything hosted on a {{w|GeoCities}} site would have normally been made inaccessible in 2014.
|-
|Title text||Please, we need your help. Our research suggests you're the last living descendant of the person who knew how to format this config file.||The title text appears to be a conversation taking place in a distant future with the descendant of an ancient internet post. The 'last living descendant' is a common trope in fiction where arcane knowledge is passed down through a family line (often on the previous generation's deathbed). The suggestion is that the solution to the user's issue is a closely guarded secret that has had to be kept safe in this way.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:Implications of the age of the posts you see when you Google an error message

:[A search engine prompt field is shown, containing part of an error code message (beginning with E-21 & what looks like a 9 & 3 next to it). Below this are search results shown as obscured text, except for a the phrase '3 years ago' in the first heading. This is expanded into an ellipse that obscures the rest of the search field.]
:[A table, with 3 columns, labelled "Age of post", "What it means", and "Probability of a fix"]

:[Row 1: Age of post:] 2 hours ago
:[What it means:] There's an infrastructure outage
:[Probability of a fix:] Very high -- just wait

:[Row 2: Age of post:] 5 days ago
:[What it means:] A recent update broke something big
:[Probability of a fix:] High, but you might have to wait for a patch

:[Row 3: Age of post:] 3 months ago
:[What it means:] A new product isn't working for some users
:[Probability of a fix:] Decent chance of a solution in the replies

:[Row 4: Age of post:] 2 years ago
:[What it means:] You've run into an edge case
:[Probability of a fix:] Low, but maybe the replies can help with troubleshooting

:[Row 5: Age of post:] 13 years ago
:[What it means:] You're the only person with this problem
:[Probability of a fix:] Very low -- post is likely not relevant

:[Row 6: Age of post:] 24 years ago
:[What it means:] Oh God how is the Internet this old
:[Probability of a fix:] Maybe whoever posted this message has kids who can help you

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Internet]]

Talk:3245: Results Age

2026-05-13T19:13:13Z

Barmar:

3245: Results Age

2026-05-13T19:10:46Z

Barmar: /* Transcript */

3243: Crystal Gazing

2026-05-08T19:07:04Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3243
| date = May 8, 2026
| title = Crystal Gazing
| image = crystal_gazing_2x.png
| imagesize = 281x397px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Beyond that lies a vale of fire through which my vision cannot penetrate' is the kind of fun thing geologists, heliophysicists, and early universe cosmologists have a lot of opportunities to say.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created over 4.54 billion nanoseconds ago. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

A geologist dressed up as a wizard announces - in archaic language befitting his costume - that he has determined the {{w|age of the Earth}} by analyzing {{w|zircon}}. Zircon is a crystal with the formula ZrSiO4. During its formation it can incorporate uranium instead of zirconium in its crystal lattice, but cannot incorporate lead. The uranium then decays (via several intermediates) into lead. Thus a sufficiently old zircon crystal will contain some lead, allowing geologists to calculate its age. This method is especially reliable since uranium-238 decays into lead-208 with a half-life of 4.5 billion years, while uranium-235 decays into lead-207 with a half-life of 0.7 billion years, allowing geologists to determine the age even if some lead was lost from the crystal.

A prophet of doom is someone who predicts impending disasters, especially the end of the world. The joke in the caption is that someone who can determine when the world begain is just doing this in reverse, and that's what geochronologists are doing when they calculate the age of the Earth.

The title text points out, in similar flowery language, that many areas of physical sciences are limited in how far back they can describe the world or universe. {{w|Geologists}} are limited by the age of the Earth (and maybe even to some time after that, as we have little evidence of its original molten form), {{w|heliophysicists}} can't determine the early nature of the Sun, and early universe {{w|cosmologists}} don't know what was happening during and before the {{w|big bang}}.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[A character in wizard garb with long beard and hair talks to Cueball. To the left of the wizard is a chart with two lines intersecting.]

:Wizard: By gazing into my crystals of zircon, I have divined the date of the hour of fire marking the limit of this world's existence.
:Wizard: 4.54 billion years ago, the beginning was nigh!

:[Caption below comic:]
:Geochronologists are just reverse prophets of doom.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:3243: Crystal Gazing

2026-05-08T19:06:11Z

Barmar:

F1RST P0ST!!--[[Special:Contributions/158.123.138.25|158.123.138.25]] 17:52, 8 May 2026 (UTC)

Why is it "vale of fire" instead of "veil of fire"? [[Special:Contributions/174.20.245.60|174.20.245.60]] 18:06, 8 May 2026 (UTC)
:"vale" is a poetic term for a valley. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:06, 8 May 2026 (UTC)

3243: Crystal Gazing

2026-05-08T19:04:32Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3243
| date = May 8, 2026
| title = Crystal Gazing
| image = crystal_gazing_2x.png
| imagesize = 281x397px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Beyond that lies a vale of fire through which my vision cannot penetrate' is the kind of fun thing geologists, heliophysicists, and early universe cosmologists have a lot of opportunities to say.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created over 4.54 billion nanoseconds ago. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

A geologist dressed up as a wizard announces - in archaic language befitting his costume - that he has determined the {{w|age of the Earth}} by analyzing {{w|zircon}}. Zircon is a crystal with the formula ZrSiO4. During its formation it can incorporate uranium instead of zirconium in its crystal lattice, but cannot incorporate lead. The uranium then decays (via several intermediates) into lead. Thus a sufficiently old zircon crystal will contain some lead, allowing geologists to calculate its age. This method is especially reliable since uranium-238 decays into lead-208 with a half-life of 4.5 billion years, while uranium-235 decays into lead-207 with a half-life of 0.7 billion years, allowing geologists to determine the age even if some lead was lost from the crystal.

A prophet of doom is someone who predicts impending disasters, especially the end of the world. The joke in the caption is that someone who can determine when the world begain is just doing this in reverse, and that's what geochronologists are doing when they calculate the age of the Earth.

The title text points out that many areas of physical sciences are limited in how far back they can describe the world or universe. {{w|Geologists}} are limited by the age of the Earth (and maybe even to some time after that, as we have little evidence of its original molten form), {{w|heliophysicists}} can't determine the early nature of the Sun, and early universe {{w|cosmologists}} don't know what was happening during and before the {{w|big bang}}.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[A character in wizard garb with long beard and hair talks to Cueball. To the left of the wizard is a chart with two lines intersecting.]

:Wizard: By gazing into my crystals of zircon, I have divined the date of the hour of fire marking the limit of this world's existence.
:Wizard: 4.54 billion years ago, the beginning was nigh!

:[Caption below comic:]
:Geochronologists are just reverse prophets of doom.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-06T18:56:18Z

Barmar:

FIRST! also how has this not been explained? explain it!

And the award for turning the periodic table into Chutes and Ladders goes to... 18:18, 6 May 2026 (UTC)
:Actually, I was first, I just took a while explaining it.

Hey guys, don't forget to sign your comments with 4 tildes. 18:54, 6 May 2026 (UTC)
:Hmm, something seems to be wrong with the signature code. It's putting in the timestamp, but not the username. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 18:55, 6 May 2026 (UTC)
::And now the username is back! [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 18:56, 6 May 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-06T18:55:48Z

Barmar:

FIRST! also how has this not been explained? explain it!

And the award for turning the periodic table into Chutes and Ladders goes to... 18:18, 6 May 2026 (UTC)
:Actually, I was first, I just took a while explaining it.

Hey guys, don't forget to sign your comments with 4 tildes. 18:54, 6 May 2026 (UTC)
:Hmm, something seems to be wrong with the signature code. It's putting in the timestamp, but not the username. Barmar [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 18:55, 6 May 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-06T18:54:17Z

Barmar:

3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-06T18:51:41Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3242
| date = May 6, 2026
| title = Aperiodic Table
| image = aperiodic_table_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x464px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created APERIODICALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
The {{w|Periodic Table of the Elements}} is a diagram often used to show the properties of the elements that make up the world. Its structure represents several properties of the elements- for example, all elements in a single column will have similar chemical properties, and the elements increase in atomic mass when reading it left-to-right and top-to-bottom (like a book).

Randall spoofs this concept by creating a similar, but useless, diagram. The original table is "periodic" because it has consistent, repeating patterns that are represented by the horizontal position of the elements- Randall's table is "aperiodic", meaning it has no consistent, repeating patterns. The elements appear to be simply listed in order of their atomic mass, with the list doubling back on itself at seemingly arbitrary points. The diagram is not actually helpful, since it contains no information other than the atomic masses of each element, and it depicts this information in an unnecessarily unhelpful way.

Chemistry and the periodic table is a common theme on xkcd, with there being many comics featuring humorous variations and "fixes" of it, such as [[2639: Periodic Table Changes]] and [[2975: Classical Periodic Table]]

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The Aperiodic Table of the Elements

[Rectangles showing the atomic symbols and atomic numbers from H 1 through Og 118 are arranged in a serpentine chain. The color of each rectangle matches the the pattern of a standard periodic table. For example, the noble elements all have a red background.]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-06T18:50:44Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3242
| date = May 6, 2026
| title = Aperiodic Table
| image = aperiodic_table_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x464px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created PERIODICALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
The {{w|Periodic Table of the Elements}} is a diagram often used to show the properties of the elements that make up the world. Its structure represents several properties of the elements- for example, all elements in a single column will have similar chemical properties, and the elements increase in atomic mass when reading it left-to-right and top-to-bottom (like a book).

Randall spoofs this concept by creating a similar, but useless, diagram. The original table is "periodic" because it has consistent, repeating patterns that are represented by the horizontal position of the elements- Randall's table is "aperiodic", meaning it has no consistent, repeating patterns. The elements appear to be simply listed in order of their atomic mass, with the list doubling back on itself at seemingly arbitrary points. The diagram is not actually helpful, since it contains no information other than the atomic masses of each element, and it depicts this information in an unnecessarily unhelpful way.

Chemistry and the periodic table is a common theme on xkcd, with there being many comics featuring humorous variations and "fixes" of it, such as [[2639: Periodic Table Changes]] and [[2975: Classical Periodic Table]]

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The Aperiodic Table of the Elements

[Rectangles showing the atomic symbols and atomic numbers from H 1 through Og 118 are arranged in a serpentine chain. The color of each rectangle matches the the pattern of a standard periodic table. For example, the noble elements all have a red background.]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-06T18:49:22Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3242
| date = May 6, 2026
| title = Aperiodic Table
| image = aperiodic_table_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x464px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
The {{w|periodic table of the elements}} is a diagram showing the chemical elements that matter is made of. The rows and columns of the table represent common properties of the elements. The joke is that this table is arranged in a line of all the elements in order; instead of being periodic, or arranged by rows, it’s aperiodic, or not arranged in rows, and instead is just a line in order by {{w|atomic number}}. To fit in the same space as a normal periodic table, the sequence snakes back and forth and down the page.

Chemistry and the periodic table is a common theme on xkcd, with there being many comics featuring humorous variations and "fixes" of it, such as [[2639: Periodic Table Changes]] and [[2975: Classical Periodic Table]]

The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_table Periodic Table of the Elements] is a diagram often used to show the properties of the elements that make up the world. Its structure represents several properties of the elements- for example, all elements in a single column will have similar chemical properties, and the elements increase in atomic mass when reading it left-to-right and top-to-bottom (like a book).

Randall spoofs this concept by creating a similar, but useless, diagram. The original table is "periodic" because it has consistent, repeating patterns that are represented by the horizontal position of the elements- Randall's table is "aperiodic", meaning it has no consistent, repeating patterns. The elements appear to be simply listed in order of their atomic mass, with the list doubling back on itself at seemingly arbitrary points. The diagram is not actually helpful, since it contains no information other than the atomic masses of each element, and it depicts this information in an unnecessarily unhelpful way.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The Aperiodic Table of the Elements

[Rectangles showing the atomic symbols and atomic numbers from H 1 through Og 118 are arranged in a serpentine chain. The color of each rectangle matches the the pattern of a standard periodic table. For example, the noble elements all have a red background.]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-06T18:48:05Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

3241: Horizontal Stabilizers

2026-05-05T20:33:28Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3241
| date = May 5, 2026
| title = Horizontal Stabilizers
| image = horizontal_stabilizers_2x.png
| imagesize = 436x341px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It started as a mistake that everyone was afraid to admit to, and then it stuck because removing it 'looks silly.'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created HORIZONTALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The {{w|Stabilizer (aircraft)#Horizontal_stabilizers|horizonal stabilizer}} is a part of the tailplane which provides extra stability and control to the airplane.

This comic jokes that horizontal stabilizers, which are important (but not necessary, there are some aircraft that do not have tailplanes) are an accident and not entirely necessary. The original construction only had a tailplane with its small wings, but this wasn't big enough to be useful. Rather than rebuild from scratch, they just added the rest of the fuselage with its full-sized wings.

The title text takes this even further, because it states that people ignored this new part on airplanes that are unnecessary, a while later, when they decided to remove them (presumably to save weight) they noticed that the plane 'looked weird' and put them back on because it became normal to have them on planes. There are some {{w|tailless aircraft}}, and many people do consider them unusual looking.{{cn}}

Some aircraft, including the original {{w|Wright Flyer}}, have the horizontal stabilizers in the front rather than the tail section.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Cueball and Ponytail are standing in a field, looking at an airplane in the sky. Cueball is pointing at the airplane.]
:Cueball: What's with the little wings on the tails of the airplanes? Do they really need them?
:Ponytail: They're horizontal stabilizers. They serve a crucial aerodynamic role.

:[Hairy, Cueball, and Megan are standing in a room, with Hairy on the left of a small fuselage segment with small wings attached to the sides of it, while Cueball and Megan are standing on the right of it. Hairy has his arms raised.]
:Hairy: These wings you made are way too small! The plane is supposed to be much bigger!
:Cueball: Sorry! We'll start over.
:Hairy: No, there's no time. Just make it longer and put the bigger wings on the new section.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

Talk:3241: Horizontal Stabilizers

2026-05-05T20:30:13Z

Barmar:

Last Post^-1 [[Special:Contributions/163.116.129.114|163.116.129.114]] 19:56, 5 May 2026 (UTC)

Was this late or was it just me?--[[User:OceanLord|OceanLord]] ([[User talk:OceanLord|talk]]) 20:08, 5 May 2026 (UTC)
:Somewhat late. Yes. But it's all good. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:11, 5 May 2026 (UTC)
:Publishing times are not very consistent. Mid-afternoon Eastern Time is not unusual. There have been quite a few times when it didn't arrive until late night, and occasionally even after midnight. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:12, 5 May 2026 (UTC)
:About a day late from usual. [[Special:Contributions/47.248.235.170|47.248.235.170]] 20:20, 5 May 2026 (UTC)Pat
::Oh right, I didn't even realize it's Tuesday afternoon. So yes, very late. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:30, 5 May 2026 (UTC)

3241: Horizontal Stabilizers

2026-05-05T20:28:26Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3241
| date = May 5, 2026
| title = Horizontal Stabilizers
| image = horizontal_stabilizers_2x.png
| imagesize = 436x341px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It started as a mistake that everyone was afraid to admit to, and then it stuck because removing it 'looks silly.'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created HORIZONTALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The {{w|Stabilizer (aircraft)#Horizontal_stabilizers|horizonal stabilizer}} is a part of the tailplane which provides extra stability and control to the airplane.

This comic jokes that horizontal stabilizers, which are important (but not necessary, there are some aircraft that do not have tailplanes) are an accident and not entirely necessary. The original construction only had a tailplane with its small wings, but this wasn't big enough to be useful. Rather than rebuild from scratch, they just added the rest of the fuselage with its full-sized wings.

The title text takes this even further, because it states that people ignored this new part on airplanes that are unecessary, a while later, when they decided to remove them (presumably to save weight) they noticed that the plane 'looked weird' and put them back on because it became normal to have them on planes.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Cueball and Ponytail are standing in a field, looking at an airplane in the sky. Cueball is pointing at the airplane.]
:Cueball: What's with the little wings on the tails of the airplanes? Do they really need them?
:Ponytail: They're horizontal stabilizers. They serve a crucial aerodynamic role.

:[Hairy, Cueball, and Megan are standing in a room, with Hairy on the left of a small fuselage segment with small wings attached to the sides of it, while Cueball and Megan are standing on the right of it. Hairy has his arms raised.]
:Hairy: These wings you made are way too small! The plane is supposed to be much bigger!
:Cueball: Sorry! We'll start over.
:Hairy: No, there's no time. Just make it longer and put the bigger wings on the new section.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3241: Horizontal Stabilizers

2026-05-05T20:15:04Z

Barmar: /* Transcript */

3241: Horizontal Stabilizers

2026-05-05T20:13:36Z

Barmar: /* Transcript */

Talk:3241: Horizontal Stabilizers

2026-05-05T20:12:22Z

Barmar:

Last Post^-1 [[Special:Contributions/163.116.129.114|163.116.129.114]] 19:56, 5 May 2026 (UTC)
Was this late or was it just me?--[[User:OceanLord|OceanLord]] ([[User talk:OceanLord|talk]]) 20:08, 5 May 2026 (UTC)
:Somewhat late. Yes. But it's all good. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:11, 5 May 2026 (UTC)
:Publishing times are not very consistent. Mid-afternoon Eastern Time is not unusual. There have been quite a few times when it didn't arrive until late night, and occasionally even after midnight. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:12, 5 May 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3240: Bottle

2026-05-01T19:19:29Z

Barmar:

First P0st! [[Special:Contributions/2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE|2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE]] 18:40, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

So... is the meniscus drawn correctly, given the difference in shape of the front vs the back of the bottle??? [[User:BorQhue del Sol|BorQhue del Sol]] ([[User talk:BorQhue del Sol|talk]]) 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

Left-hand threads on bottle. Why? --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 18:49, 1 May 2026 (UTC)
:I don't think those are threads on cap, they're wires around the cork. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:19, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

this transcript is a work of art. [[user:lett‪herebedarklight|raeb]] 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

Is part of the joke of the alt text the fact that he could easily fit into the bottle at his current age? [[Special:Contributions/24.244.70.174|24.244.70.174]] 18:58, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

If he sailed in when he was very young, does that mean the ship grew up with beret guy? [[User:Commercialegg|Commercialegg]] ([[User talk:Commercialegg|talk]]) 18:59, 1 May 2026 (UTC)
:That does seem to be what he's implying. When he sailed in, the boat must have been small enough to get through the bottleneck. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:15, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3240: Bottle

2026-05-01T19:19:09Z

Barmar:

First P0st! [[Special:Contributions/2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE|2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE]] 18:40, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

So... is the meniscus drawn correctly, given the difference in shape of the front vs the back of the bottle??? [[User:BorQhue del Sol|BorQhue del Sol]] ([[User talk:BorQhue del Sol|talk]]) 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

Left-hand threads on bottle. Why? --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 18:49, 1 May 2026 (UTC)
I don't think those are threads on cap, they're wires around the cork. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:19, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

this transcript is a work of art. [[user:lett‪herebedarklight|raeb]] 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

Is part of the joke of the alt text the fact that he could easily fit into the bottle at his current age? [[Special:Contributions/24.244.70.174|24.244.70.174]] 18:58, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

If he sailed in when he was very young, does that mean the ship grew up with beret guy? [[User:Commercialegg|Commercialegg]] ([[User talk:Commercialegg|talk]]) 18:59, 1 May 2026 (UTC)
:That does seem to be what he's implying. When he sailed in, the boat must have been small enough to get through the bottleneck. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:15, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

3240: Bottle

2026-05-01T19:17:00Z

Barmar: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 3240
| date = May 1, 2026
| title = Bottle
| image = bottle_2x.png
| imagesize = 581x235px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = "I know it seems impossible, but the trick is that I sailed in here when I was very young."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was bottled recently. Don't remove the cork too soon.}}
This comic shows a life sized ship in a bottle sailing along other sail boats in the sea. The humor comes from the surreality of the situation.

In this comic, [[Beret Guy]] is inside a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_bottle#Ship_in_a_bottle ship in a bottle]. A common question when one sees one is "how was it put inside the bottle", due to the small size of the opening in the bottle compared to the ship. The answer is that the ship was assembled within the bottle. The title text alludes to this, by saying that Beret Guy grew up inside the bottle to fit (however, this is nonsensical, as he could likely fit into the bottle anyway).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[Three small single-masted sailboats are shown, all sailing towards the right. On the left, Cueball and Megan are in one boat; Cueball is near the stern, possibly holding the tiller, while Megan is aft of the mast. In the middle, Beret Guy is aft of the mast in a boat that's inside a giant bottle, with a cork plugging the bottleneck. On the right, Ponytail is sitting right behind of the mast of the third boat. All the boats are sitting on the water with ripples on the surface, but the water level in the bottle is lower than the rest.]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]

3240: Bottle

2026-05-01T19:16:44Z

Barmar: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 3240
| date = May 1, 2026
| title = Bottle
| image = bottle_2x.png
| imagesize = 581x235px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = "I know it seems impossible, but the trick is that I sailed in here when I was very young."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was bottled recently. Don't remove the cork too soon.}}
This comic shows a life sized ship in a bottle sailing along other sail boats in the sea. The humor comes from the surreality of the situation.

In this comic, [[Beret Guy]] is inside a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_bottle#Ship_in_a_bottle ship in a bottle]. A common question when one sees one is "how was it put inside the bottle", due to the small size of the opening in the bottle compared to the ship. The answer is that the ship was assembled within the bottle. The title text alludes to this, by saying that Beret Guy grew up inside the bottle to fit (however, this is nonsensical, as he could likely fit into the bottle anyway).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[Three small single-masted sailboats are shown, all sailing towards the right. On the left, Cueball and Megan are in one boat; Cueball is near the stern, possibly holding the tiller, while Megan is aft of the mast. In the middle, Beret Guy is aft of the mast in a boat that's inside a giant bottle, with a cork plugging the spout. On the right, Ponytail is sitting right behind of the mast of the third boat. All the boats are sitting on the water with ripples on the surface, but the water level in the bottle is lower than the rest.]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]

Talk:3240: Bottle

2026-05-01T19:15:02Z

Barmar:

First P0st! [[Special:Contributions/2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE|2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE]] 18:40, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

So... is the meniscus drawn correctly, given the difference in shape of the front vs the back of the bottle??? [[User:BorQhue del Sol|BorQhue del Sol]] ([[User talk:BorQhue del Sol|talk]]) 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

Left-hand threads on bottle. Why? --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 18:49, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

this transcript is a work of art. [[user:lett‪herebedarklight|raeb]] 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)
Is part of the joke of the alt text the fact that he could easily fit into the bottle at his current age? [[Special:Contributions/24.244.70.174|24.244.70.174]] 18:58, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

If he sailed in when he was very young, does that mean the ship grew up with beret guy? [[User:Commercialegg|Commercialegg]] ([[User talk:Commercialegg|talk]]) 18:59, 1 May 2026 (UTC)
:That does seem to be what he's implying. When he sailed in, the boat must have been small enough to get through the bottleneck. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:15, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

3240: Bottle

2026-05-01T19:13:14Z

Barmar: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 3240
| date = May 1, 2026
| title = Bottle
| image = bottle_2x.png
| imagesize = 581x235px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = "I know it seems impossible, but the trick is that I sailed in here when I was very young."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was bottled recently. Don't remove the cork too soon.}}
This comic shows a life sized ship in a bottle sailing along other sail boats in the sea. The humor comes from the surreality of the situation.

In this comic, [[Beret Guy]] is inside a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_bottle#Ship_in_a_bottle ship in a bottle]. A common question when one sees one is "how was it put inside the bottle", due to the small size of the opening in the bottle compared to the ship. The answer is that the ship was assembled within the bottle. The title text alludes to this, by saying that Beret Guy grew up inside the bottle to fit (however, this is nonsensical, as he could likely fit into the bottle anyway).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[Three small single-masted sailboats are shown, all sailing towards the right. On the left, Cueball and Megan are in one boat; Cueball is near the stern, possibly holding the tiller, while Megan is aft of the mast. In the middle, Beret Guy is aft of the mast in a boat that's inside a giant bottle, with a cork plugging the spout. On the right, Ponytail is sitting right behind of the mast of the third boat. All the boats are sitting on the water with ripples on the surface. Due to diffraction, the waster level behind the bottle appears to be lower than the rest.]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

Talk:3239: Simple Machines

2026-04-29T16:53:51Z

Barmar:

Woah, I'm first! ---[[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]], [[Talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]. 17:43, 29/04/26

Is Randall referring to any specific tools made by those companies when he says "lever and inclined plane" and "wheel-and-axles"? wheel-and-axles describes anything from a toy wagon to an automobile. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:53, 29 April 2026 (UTC)

3239: Simple Machines

2026-04-29T16:51:42Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3239
| date = April 29, 2026
| title = Simple Machines
| image = simple_machines_2x.png
| imagesize = 250x255px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's hard to decide which simple machine system to invest in. DeWalt makes a great lever and inclined plane, but I hear Milwaukee's wheel-and-axles are really good.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
There are a lot of simple tools used to give a mechanical advantage in various things. The 6 most common ones are a {{w|lever}}, {{w|wheel and axle}}, {{w|pulley}}, {{w|inclined plane}}, {{w|wedge}} & {{w|screw}}. Additionally, often for various purposes all-in-one implements are made with all the features - a notable example being the classic {{w|Swiss Army Knife}}. This comic combines them, sudgesting the existance of an all-in-one instrument with all 6 simple tools, which is a concept not existing in real life{{citation needed}}.

Having one of these "all-in-one" devices does not mean it does everything you can do with different combinations -- the choice of components and how they interact is important for the function of a particular device.

The title text is a joke about what brands to choose. Milwaukee and DeWalt are two common tool companies.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
[a tool is shown, with a hook attached to string, going arounf a round object before linking up to a handle, which in turn links to the object. There is also a pointy end to the tool, and a corkscrew on the other end.]

[Caption below comic:]
I can finally stop buying simple machines now that I got an all-in-one tool with all six of them.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3239: Simple Machines

2026-04-29T16:51:17Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3239
| date = April 29, 2026
| title = Simple Machines
| image = simple_machines_2x.png
| imagesize = 250x255px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's hard to decide which simple machine system to invest in. DeWalt makes a great lever and inclined plane, but I hear Milwaukee's wheel-and-axles are really good.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
There are a lot of simple tools used to give a mechanical advantage in various things. The 6 most common ones are a {{w|lever}}, {{w|wheel and axle}}, {{w|pulley}}, {{w|inclined plane}}, {{w|wedge}} & {{w|screw}}. Additionally, often for various implements all-in-one implements are made with all the features - a notable example being the classic {{w|Swiss Army Knife}}. This comic combines them, sudgesting the existance of an all-in-one instrument with all 6 simple tools, which is a concept not existing in real life{{citation needed}}.

Having one of these "all-in-one" devices does not mean it does everything you can do with different combinations -- the choice of components and how they interact is important for the function of a particular device.

The title text is a joke about what brands to choose. Milwaukee and DeWalt are two common tool companies.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
[a tool is shown, with a hook attached to string, going arounf a round object before linking up to a handle, which in turn links to the object. There is also a pointy end to the tool, and a corkscrew on the other end.]

[Caption below comic:]
I can finally stop buying simple machines now that I got an all-in-one tool with all six of them.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3239: Simple Machines

2026-04-29T16:50:44Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3239
| date = April 29, 2026
| title = Simple Machines
| image = simple_machines_2x.png
| imagesize = 250x255px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's hard to decide which simple machine system to invest in. DeWalt makes a great lever and inclined plane, but I hear Milwaukee's wheel-and-axles are really good.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
There are a lot of simple tools used to give a mechanical advantage in various things. The 6 most common ones are a {{w|lever}}, {{w|wheel and axle}}, {{w|pulley}}, {{w|inclined plane}}, {{w|wedge}} & {{w|screw}}. Additionally, often for various implements all-in-one implements are made with all the feutures-A notable example being the classic {{w|Swiss Army Knife}}. This comic combines them, sudgesting the existance of an all-in-one instrument with all 6 simple tools, which is a concept not existing in real life{{citation needed}}.

Having one of these "all-in-one" devices does not mean it does everything you can do with different combinations -- the choice of components and how they interact is important for the function of a particular device.

The title text is a joke about what brands to choose. Milwaukee and DeWalt are two common tool companies.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
[a tool is shown, with a hook attached to string, going arounf a round object before linking up to a handle, which in turn links to the object. There is also a pointy end to the tool, and a corkscrew on the other end.]

[Caption below comic:]
I can finally stop buying simple machines now that I got an all-in-one tool with all six of them.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3239: Simple Machines

2026-04-29T16:46:05Z

Barmar: /* Transcript */

3239: Simple Machines

2026-04-29T16:45:25Z

Barmar: /* Transcript */

3239: Simple Machines

2026-04-29T16:44:11Z

Barmar: /* Transcript */

Talk:3238: Soniferous Aether

2026-04-28T14:36:19Z

Barmar:

Dunno how, but I managed to get to an XKCD comic within the first like 5 minutes of it's upload. Went ahead and added a really bare bones explanation. People funnier and smarter than me can take it from there. [[User:RG|RG]] ([[User talk:RG|talk]]) 04:24, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

managed to get to the xkcd comic before this page was even made somehow so yeah. --[[User:Utdtutyabthsc|Utdtutyabthsc]] ([[User talk:Utdtutyabthsc|talk]]) 04:49, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

ah, i have a script which polls for the new comic pages on comic days and sends a webhook to alert me as well as sending a request to another program of mine to index the new page, so i fairly often find that the wiki page has been made by the bot but is completely empty when i get to it--or on rare occasions the webhook triggers before the xkcd.com/<number> url can embed, apparently; i guess the comic metadata JSON gets filled in before the image is, or something like that? (the webhook triggers sending a message to discord with the link, which embeds 99% of the time) - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 05:03, 28 April 2026 (UTC)
:You can also just subscribe to the xkcd.com RSS feed, which is what I do. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:36, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

"...however the Tu-144 and Concord'''é'''..." - why the rogue accent? Was the author's reasoning that, as a French word, it is ''de rigueur'' (see what I did there) for it to include accents? As errors go, it's acute one... [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 05:21, 28 April 2026 (UTC)
: The rogue accent has been removed with the speed of sound. But what about that supersonic DC-8. --[[User:Coconut Galaxy|Coconut Galaxy]] ([[User talk:Coconut Galaxy|talk]]) 05:26, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

"Nowadays this property is explained by wave–particle duality, which says that light can act as both a particle and a wave. " Remove. The constancy of the speed of light has nothing to do with quantum mechanics. The observation that the speed of light is independent of the observer's motion was actually the basis on which the theory of relativity was built. Meaning that it's not "explained" by anything at all, it's just the universe we live in. [[Special:Contributions/2A02:1810:84A6:3000:F877:7D1:CD53:FE41|2A02:1810:84A6:3000:F877:7D1:CD53:FE41]] 10:45, 28 April 2026 (UTC)
: I think that's somewhat my fault - I expanded the sentence in the middle of that paragraph to try to make the link to the comic content clearer, but in doing so made the last sentence more confusing. I think it was referring to light travelling through a vacuum (see first sentence), rather than to the speed of light. Have attempted to fix. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:08, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

should someone make a category for reinventing things from first principles? I've seen that theme a lot, so it would make sense, right? --[[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]] ([[User talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]) 13:16, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

The funniest bit is that physics problems often ignore air resistance, so physicists may have forgotten that it exists and therefore need to 'discover' it from other phenomenon such as sound propogation... [[Special:Contributions/73.229.34.32|73.229.34.32]] 13:04, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

Wouldn't riding along side a sound wave mean moving at the speed of sound? Which is where the pressure is highest from overlapping sound waves (aka. the sound barrier), where moving just a slight bit faster would outrun the sound waves and relieve most of that pressure, although it would do nothing to stop the increased air resistance at higher speeds.

What do you think? Would it be possible to surf on top of sound waves? How about a new comic book character, Sound Wave Surfer? Not to be confused with Silver Surfer. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 14:35, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3237: Husband and Wife

2026-04-26T00:00:33Z

Barmar:

As a UKian, the most obvious reference here is Papa Lazarou in The League of Gentlemen. I assume that's not what Randall has in mind though (is LoG even a thing in the US?), and I have no idea what he might be thinking of. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:37, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
: Ah, you beat me to it. XKCD's been updating quite late in the day recently, so I thought I was safe not checking for a new strip until now - only to find that apparently it's been up for hours, and the ExplainXKCD comments have likewise. Yes, Papa Lazarou was my first thought. "You're my wife now!" :) [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 20:31, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
: Hello Dave! You want to buy some pegs [[Special:Contributions/2A02:C7C:AD6D:1900:643A:9B89:E674:2F22|2A02:C7C:AD6D:1900:643A:9B89:E674:2F22]] 17:42, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:It's in the title text: the movie "Borat". The title character's way of saying "my wife" became an earworm. Google it. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 15:43, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:: Ah - OK - don't think the title text was appearing when I was initially looking at it. Found it now. Doesn't mean anything to me. Papa Lazarou is still more salient, and ''much'' worse. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:46, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
: I immediately thought of Kimura-sensei from Azumanga Daioh. [[Special:Contributions/70.40.121.82|70.40.121.82]] 16:03, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
Out of curiosity, does anyone actually use 'my wife/husband'? I've never heard about it before. Is it an American thing or something? [[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]] ([[User talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]) 18:41, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:: In the UK it's more normal to use expressions such as "my better half" when talking about your spouse to somebody that doesn't know them, other than in that role [[Special:Contributions/2A02:C7C:AD6D:1900:643A:9B89:E674:2F22|2A02:C7C:AD6D:1900:643A:9B89:E674:2F22]] 17:45, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:::"My better half" can be said with genuine feeling or sarcasm, either way. Then there's "my other half", "(him/her) indoors", occasionally "my spouse", "my partner" (downplays the possibility of there being an actual full marriage/similar), "the first Mrs Surname" (usually for men who think it's funny to joke about a long-time relationship maybe ending one day), "the latest Mrs Surname" (for those, again, as well as any who have gone through that at least once), and "Mr" versions of those last two (on occasions). Also "the old man" (or lady/girl/lass, etc, to suit) and other regional variations. Rhyming slang versions include "the Trouble" (and Strife, ie. 'wife'), "pot" (and pan, 'old man'), even "Danger" (mouse, 'spouse') etc... [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 19:48, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
::::You forgot SWMBO, "She Who Must Be Obeyed" - from an old Edgar Rice Burroughs story, I believe (Edit: I was wrong. It's H. Rider Haggard.), and popularised by Rumpole the defence lawyer in the books/TV show. [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 20:31, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:: To me (an American), the phrases "my husband" and "my wife" are so common and ordinary that I'm surprised to hear someone say they've never heard them before. Out of curiosity, where is it that people ''don't'' say things like "I went to that restaurant with my wife once," and what do they say instead (assuming that the person being spoken to doesn't know the wife's name)? --[[Special:Contributions/2601:404:C300:8040:7A4A:8D8C:3378:DA33|2601:404:C300:8040:7A4A:8D8C:3378:DA33]] 19:35, 24 April 2026 (UTC)

Where does it say Megan is concerned with "My" because it's possessive? I think she's just commenting on how fancy and formal it sounds. Also, I don't see how the comic age plays into anything. I do think there is definitely a nod to the ghost in #1108 though. [[Special:Contributions/170.187.32.34|170.187.32.34]] 17:50, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:I agree, it doesn't seem to be related to the possessive pronoun, but with the title "husband", which is deeply rooted in how traditional heteronormative families are constructed.
:I also strongly doubt this is what concerns Megan. To me it's just the connotations to traditional, since outdated, family values that worries her. (This is probably why in the UK people appear to have stopped using the term, which must be an old thing as my parents who emigrated in the 80s also do it.)
Randall is a young pup. When someone says "my wife", the first thing I thought of wasn't Borat; it was Henny Youngman. [[Special:Contributions/136.226.20.200|136.226.20.200]] 19:33, 24 April 2026 (UTC)
:When I hear the phrase "my wife" I always end up finishing it with "Morgan Fairchild ... whom I've slept with" [[Special:Contributions/66.212.184.170|66.212.184.170]] 20:05, 24 April 2026 (UTC)'
There are a few questions about usage. Just to clarify, most (many?) Americans say "''My wife, Alice is... She likes... Alice does....''" Americans tend to say "my wife" *once* in a conversation to make the listener familiar with the relationship. I've known very few people who *never* use the spouse's name, but who consistently say "''My wife is... she likes... My wife does...''". The last person I heard doing it was a xennial from South Africa, maybe 20 years ago. That feels extremely possessive and insecure to me, particularly given that I was friends with his wife. Still, I think the comic is only commenting on one-off usage, not this insecure, possessive usage. I haven't heard any slang for "spouse" ("better half", "ball and chain") from anyone born after 1960. [[Special:Contributions/84.233.216.250|84.233.216.250]] 23:10, 24 April 2026 (UTC)

Am I in the minority? When referring to spouses, especially the 1st time, I usually say "[your|my|their|the] [Mrs|Mr]" as a noun, not including any surname @ all. Avoids this whole thing neatly, while being utterly clear & a bit ''(intentionally)'' corny. --[[User:TPS|TPS]] ([[User talk:TPS|talk]]) 03:39, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
: Did you mean "not including any ''given'' name" (first name)? "Mr." and "Mrs. are normally followed by the surname (family name). [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.28|191.101.157.28]] 19:20, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
: Whoops, never mind. I re-read your post. [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.28|191.101.157.28]] 19:23, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
I was just around a bunch of colleagues (in America) in social settings (meals, driving around) and "my wife"/"my husband" was used frequently. Not necessarily only once per person per conversation. Though we often *did* throw in the spouses' names in too, for variety. On the question whether Megan was concerned about the possessive or the formality of "husband", it's definitely the latter. Complaining about the supposed possessive is just being dense or juvenile about language. Using the phrase when you're recently married is awkward for almost everyone. [[User:Gvanrossum|Gvanrossum]] ([[User talk:Gvanrossum|talk]]) 03:55, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

And I feel unaccustomed to call my mom "Mom" while speaking to her [[User:Cream Starlight|Cream S.L.]] ([[User talk:Cream Starlight|talk]] / [[Special:Contributions/Cream_Starlight|contribs]]) 04:56, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

This comic is *very nice* [[Special:Contributions/99.10.82.184|99.10.82.184]] 05:06, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

In summary, it seems Randall is vastly overestimating how many people have seen and remember Borat. Really, the "most salient cultural reference"? --[[User:Coconut Galaxy|Coconut Galaxy]] ([[User talk:Coconut Galaxy|talk]]) 06:34, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
:Indeed, I've never seen Borat. (And being British, I always called my mother "mum".) {{unsigned ip|2a00:23cc:d248:8901:94bc:c8d7:48aa:c9cb|08:42, 25 April 2026}}
::Yeah, also British and never particularly a fan of such 'character comedy' (his Borat/Ali G/etc, Trigger Happy TV, even back to Beadles About and its prank-type TV), though of course admire the chutzpah behind them (the whole "Cake drug" setup from Chris Morris/Brass Eye, the 'snail' using the zebra crossing, getting someone to ask an 'alien' if it would like some tea). So the specific Borat quote-reference passed me by (thank the non-existant pantheon of deities that explainxkcd was here to fill me in).
::My mum's also always been called "Mum" (well, since I stopped using "Mummy!", that is), too. "Husband"s can also be "hubbie"s (not sure that the obvious counterpart of "wifey" gets so much use, but then that isn't a vocal contraction, perhaps "the missis" (however you'd spell it) is the more used direct return-term by said hubbie), as in "your hubbie, my hubbie, their hubbie, all our hubbies...".
::: Re: ''And being British, I always called my mother "mum".'', I was reading a novel that took place in Birmingham, England, (IIRC) and was surprised to see the characters refer to their mother as "mom". So I suppose "being British" is factually correct, but not explanatory. [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.97|191.101.157.97]] 22:14, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
::Having "my" imply ownership, as suggested, is not particularly well founded, considering "my slave" (definite ownership, of the target referred to) and "my master (definite ownership, ''by '' the target referred to) but between there's everything else ("my replacement", "my opponent", "my ex", "my most distantly known relative") between where it's a matter of mere association, at best.
::If I have any insight into the popular use of "husband" and "wife", it's just that marriage isn't what it used to be. Both the potential transience of such partnerships (though many aren't, those for whom it is might repeat the transience with someone else later, upping the perceived occurances) and the rising tendency of 'mere' co-habiting (at least for a while ...I've been to weddings where the couple's kids take part as page-boys/girls, ring-bearers, etc) makes marriage neither the solid default option nor an easily assumed relationship (it used, at one point, to be that the more common variation was "Yes, lovely couple, I know them well... Of ''course'' they are both married, just not to each other...")
::It seems to imply a earlier-age formality (like the comic says). If a woman talks of "my wife" or a man talks of "my husband", it's to me not really more a shock to hear ''that'' than just have a heteronormative relationship pressed home accordingly. Maybe at most introduce "this is Jack... he's my husband..." or "my wife, Jill, will be along shortly/can't be here today" then refer to Jack/Jill by name only.
::The exception might be on TV, etc, by personalities, perhaps using "husband"/"wife" (then "they"ing them) in any statements they decide to avoid any greater detail (than their respective gender) being 'outed'. Even if said partner (and the doubly-ambiguous "partner" usage seems to be less, without any rise at all in the singly-ambiguous "spouse") is also a personality, likely already well known enough. Actually ''name-checking'' the partner (first name, never mind full name) is rare except for 'celebrity couples' who lean on that relationship consciously. And bear in mind that in such marital partnerships, likely both parties have retained their professional (if not legal) surnames, so Mr Abraham Smith is probably married to Mr/Mrs/implicitly-''Miss'' Betty Jones, and all the extra reverse combinations. David and Victoria Beckham is one exception, but then "Posh Spice" was not really going to hold as much kudos for her post-Spice pursuits. The ''other'' obvious David and Victoria (Mitchell and 'Coren Mitchell' neé Coren) did it by a sort of double barelling, in her case, which seems nust traditional enough but flexible enough to have worked well for them both.
::It's become rare to the point of near-extinction for the wife to have called herself "Mrs Arthur Brown", having only technically become "Amelia Brown (neé Green)". The most you hear of it is for those in the throws of considering such a marriage ("...if I play my cards right, I shall be Mrs Humphrey Basingstoke within the year!") or on the day of any such wedding itself. I don't think there's any real tendency to go any further than changing their surname (if they even do that!), nor much practical need to present themself (factually or as a 'front') as being a 'properly kept wife' for the purposes of mortgages or other business interests that at one time were tricky to maintain without such official marital 'sponsorship').
::...but how much of this is implicit to the comic's intended meaning is... debatable. ;) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.85|82.132.236.85]] 16:19, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

I think the possessive pronouns is unlikely to be the issue presented. In Hebrew, the very word "husband" means "owner of", and it's become quite common for young people to shun it for feministic reasons.
In English that's much less prevalent though, so it's probably just how marriage is sometimes seen as an outdated, oldish, formal concept (a family consisting of a "husband and wife" does negate other forms of families). [[Special:Contributions/62.56.234.252|62.56.234.252]] 09:03, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
: Do you mean "possessive adjectives" rather than "possessive pronouns"? Possessive adjectives precede a noun: "Alex is her husband"; possessive pronouns stand on their own ("the car is hers"). Possessive adjectives include "my", "your", and "their", while possessive pronouns include "mine", "yours", and "theirs". [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.28|191.101.157.28]] 19:20, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

Is this comic political or something? What's wrong with being called a wife? [[Special:Contributions/109.86.171.138|109.86.171.138]] 14:06, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

: No, it's a reference to usage in the film ''Borat''. [[Special:Contributions/191.101.157.28|191.101.157.28]] 19:23, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

The most salient cultural reference to "my wife" for me was uttered by Will Smith at the academy awards in 2022. But now I am going to suffer through Borat to hear Randall's meaning. Thanks? [[User:SeanNerd|SeanNerd]] ([[User talk:SeanNerd|talk]]) 14:22, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
:It wasn't really my cup of tea, but the film won many awards and is is on many lists of funniest movies of the 21st century. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 00:00, 26 April 2026 (UTC)

''Borat'' didn't come to mind at all. I saw that movie once, when it was in theaters, didn't like it, and never thought about it again until now. Although it's not "the most salient" cultural reference, the first thing that came to my mind with the phrase "my wife" was The Who's song, ''My Wife''. About a guy who gets drunk in a bar and spends the night in jail and is now afraid to go home because his wife will assume he's been cheating on her and will react with extreme violence. Not a funny topic, but John Entwistle's lyrics do make it into a humorous story. [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 16:32, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

Showing my age, I thought the "most salient cultural reference was the condescending tag line, "My Wife. I think I'll keep her!" from the Geritol commercial in the 1970s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lNfpQ_8tEw , referenced ironically in the 1990's Mary Chapin Carpenter song, "He thinks he'll keep her.").
[[Special:Contributions/2600:4040:5B41:7F00:D446:3D5D:F35D:E282|2600:4040:5B41:7F00:D446:3D5D:F35D:E282]]
:Not quite that long ago ('80s? '90s?) but "...and a fillet of fish for my wife" from a Mcdonalds ad is my equivalent of that, I think. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 18:29, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

3237: Husband and Wife

2026-04-24T16:09:14Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3237
| date = April 24, 2026
| title = Husband and Wife
| image = husband_and_wife_2x.png
| imagesize = 586x292px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Borat came out twenty years ago this year--closer to the breakup of the Soviet Union than to today--but it honestly feels like it's been even longer, somehow.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by MAH BAAT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are discussing the phrases that married couples use to refer to each other, traditionally "my husband" and "my wife". Megan thinks it sounds too traditional to refer to a spouse as a possession.

Cueball, on the other hand, isn't bothered as much by this implication than by the association with 2006 film {{w|Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan}}. Borat had a distinct, cringy way of saying [https://youtu.be/Zw16aew4Pt0?si=mNBimCaXJ5-5J5J3 "my wife"], which Cueball can't get out of his head when he uses the phrase.

Megan's concern may be a little overblown. "My" isn't only used to denote possession, it's also often used to refer to a close association. For instance, a student or employee may refer to "my school" or "my company", and people often say "my town" to refer to the place where they live.

On the other hand, Cueball has a serious problem -- it's hard to forget that {{w|earworm}}. The title text points out that the 20 years since the movie came out and publication of this comic is longer than the 15 years from the breakup of the Soviet Union and the movie (Kazakhstan was a former member of the USSR).

==Transcript==
Megan: I still feel a little weird saying the phrase “my husband”.

Megan: It makes me feel so traditional, like a Victorian gossip.

Cueball: Yeah, well, '''''my''''' plight isn’t much better.

Megan: What do you mean?

Cueball: What’s the most salient cultural reference for the phrase “my wife”?

Megan: Ughhhh, true.

Cueball: Even now, after two decades, when I speak of you I hear his voice, echoing through the halls of memory like a cringy ghost.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3237: Husband and Wife

2026-04-24T16:06:32Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3237
| date = April 24, 2026
| title = Husband and Wife
| image = husband_and_wife_2x.png
| imagesize = 586x292px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Borat came out twenty years ago this year--closer to the breakup of the Soviet Union than to today--but it honestly feels like it's been even longer, somehow.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by MAH BAAT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are discussing the phrases that married couples use to refer to each other, traditionally "my husband" and "my wife". Megan thinks it sounds too traditional to refer to a spouse as a possession.

Cueball, on the other hand, isn't bothered as much by this implication than by the association with 2006 film {{w|Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan}}. Borat had a distinct, cringy way of saying [https://youtu.be/Zw16aew4Pt0?si=mNBimCaXJ5-5J5J3 "my wife"], which Cueball can't get out of his head when he uses the phrase.

Megan's concern may be a little overblown. "My" isn't only used to denote possession, it's also often used to refer to a close association. For instance, a student or employee may refer to "my school" or "my company", and people often say "my town" to refer to the place where they live.

On the other hand, Cueball has a serious problem -- it's hard to forget that {{w|earworm}}.

==Transcript==
Megan: I still feel a little weird saying the phrase “my husband”.

Megan: It makes me feel so traditional, like a Victorian gossip.

Cueball: Yeah, well, '''''my''''' plight isn’t much better.

Megan: What do you mean?

Cueball: What’s the most salient cultural reference for the phrase “my wife”?

Megan: Ughhhh, true.

Cueball: Even now, after two decades, when I speak of you I hear his voice, echoing through the halls of memory like a cringy ghost.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3237: Husband and Wife

2026-04-24T16:05:31Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3237
| date = April 24, 2026
| title = Husband and Wife
| image = husband_and_wife_2x.png
| imagesize = 586x292px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Borat came out twenty years ago this year--closer to the breakup of the Soviet Union than to today--but it honestly feels like it's been even longer, somehow.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by MAH BAAT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are discussing the phrases that married couples use to refer to each other, traditionally "my husband" and "my wife". Megan thinks it sounds too traditional to refer to a spouse as a possession.

Cueball, on the other hand, isn't bothered as much by this implication than by the association with 2006 film {{w|Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan}}. Borat had a distinct, cringy way of saying [https://youtu.be/Zw16aew4Pt0?si=mNBimCaXJ5-5J5J3 "my wife"], which Cueball can't get out of his head when he uses the phrase.

Megan's concern may be a little overblown. "My" isn't only used to denote possession, it's also often used to refer to a close association. For instance, a student or employee may refer to "my school" or "my company", and people often say "my town" to refer to the place where they live.

==Transcript==
Megan: I still feel a little weird saying the phrase “my husband”.

Megan: It makes me feel so traditional, like a Victorian gossip.

Cueball: Yeah, well, '''''my''''' plight isn’t much better.

Megan: What do you mean?

Cueball: What’s the most salient cultural reference for the phrase “my wife”?

Megan: Ughhhh, true.

Cueball: Even now, after two decades, when I speak of you I hear his voice, echoing through the halls of memory like a cringy ghost.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3237: Husband and Wife

2026-04-24T16:00:12Z

Barmar:

{{comic
| number = 3237
| date = April 24, 2026
| title = Husband and Wife
| image = husband_and_wife_2x.png
| imagesize = 586x292px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Borat came out twenty years ago this year--closer to the breakup of the Soviet Union than to today--but it honestly feels like it's been even longer, somehow.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by MAH BAAT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are discussing the phrases that married couples use to refer to each other, traditionally "my husband" and "my wife". Megan thinks it sounds too traditional to refer to a spouse as a possession.

Cueball, on the other hand, isn't bothered as much by this implication than by the association with 2006 film {{w|Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan}}. Borat had a distinct, cringy way of saying [https://youtu.be/Zw16aew4Pt0?si=mNBimCaXJ5-5J5J3 "my wife"], which Cueball can't get out of his head when he uses the phrase.

==Transcript==
Megan: I still feel a little weird saying the phrase “my husband”.

Megan: It makes me feel so traditional, like a Victorian gossip.

Cueball: Yeah, well, '''''my''''' plight isn’t much better.

Megan: What do you mean?

Cueball: What’s the most salient cultural reference for the phrase “my wife”?

Megan: Ughhhh, true.

Cueball: Even now, after two decades, when I speak of you I hear his voice, echoing through the halls of memory like a cringy ghost.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3237: Husband and Wife

2026-04-24T15:58:36Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3237
| date = April 24, 2026
| title = Husband and Wife
| image = husband_and_wife_2x.png
| imagesize = 586x292px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Borat came out twenty years ago this year--closer to the breakup of the Soviet Union than to today--but it honestly feels like it's been even longer, somehow.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by MAH BAAT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are discussing the phrases that married couples use to refer to each other, traditionally "my husband" and "my wife". Megan thinks it sounds too traditional to refer to a spouse as a possession.

Cueball, on the other hand, isn't bothered as much by this implication than by the association with 2006 film {{w|Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan}}. Borat had a distinct, cringy way of saying [https://youtu.be/Zw16aew4Pt0?si=mNBimCaXJ5-5J5J3 "my wife"], which Cueball can't get out of his head when he uses the phrase.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

Megan: I still feel a little weird saying the phrase “my husband”.

Megan: It makes me feel so traditional, like a Victorian gossip.

Cueball: Yeah, well, '''''my''''' plight isn’t much better.

Megan: What do you mean?

Cueball: What’s the most salient cultural reference for the phrase “my wife”?

Megan: Ughhhh, true.

Cueball: Even now, after two decades, when I speak of you I hear his voice, echoing through the halls of memory like a cringy ghost.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3237: Husband and Wife

2026-04-24T15:56:57Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3237
| date = April 24, 2026
| title = Husband and Wife
| image = husband_and_wife_2x.png
| imagesize = 586x292px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Borat came out twenty years ago this year--closer to the breakup of the Soviet Union than to today--but it honestly feels like it's been even longer, somehow.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by MAH BAAT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are discussing the phrases that married couples use to refer to each other, traditionally "my husband" and "my wife". Megan thinks it sounds too traditional to refer to a spouse as a possession.

Cueball, on the other hand, isn't bothered as much by this implication than by the association with 2006 film {{w|Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan}}. Borat had a distinct way of saying [https://youtu.be/Zw16aew4Pt0?si=mNBimCaXJ5-5J5J3 "my wife"], which Cueball can't get out of his head when he uses the phrase.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

Megan: I still feel a little weird saying the phrase “my husband”.

Megan: It makes me feel so traditional, like a Victorian gossip.

Cueball: Yeah, well, '''''my''''' plight isn’t much better.

Megan: What do you mean?

Cueball: What’s the most salient cultural reference for the phrase “my wife”?

Megan: Ughhhh, true.

Cueball: Even now, after two decades, when I speak of you I hear his voice, echoing through the halls of memory like a cringy ghost.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3237: Husband and Wife

2026-04-24T15:49:23Z

Barmar: /* Explanation */

Talk:3237: Husband and Wife

2026-04-24T15:43:26Z

Barmar:

Talk:3236: Border Message

2026-04-23T14:25:18Z

Barmar:

Wow, I got here early. [[Special:Contributions/47.152.141.142|47.152.141.142]] 21:11, 22 April 2026 (UTC)
: *salutations.* [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 21:39, 22 April 2026 (UTC)
The (sort of) Belgian village of Baarle-Hertog has numerous bizarre exclaves with neighbouring Netherlands, almost as complex as the borders in the cartoon. Some of the borders even pass through houses. https://maps.app.goo.gl/M5duocjEkJRQKedEA [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 22:22, 22 April 2026 (UTC)
:Baarle is divided into two, with ~-Nassau being Dutch (the Dutch royal family is Oranje-Nassau) and ~-Hertog is Belgian. Note that Baarle is a 2km² area with an extremely chaotic border, but that otherwise the Dutch-Belgian border is pretty normal relative to other European borders. [[User:IIVQ|IIVQ]] ([[User talk:IIVQ|talk]]) 05:15, 23 April 2026 (UTC)
:European states/counties/jurisdictions were often complex and non-contiguous with many enclaves and exclaves. Many of these complex situations have disappeared (e.g. in France through the creation of departements in 1790); but some persisted or still remain. See e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclaves_of_West_Berlin_in_East_Germany [[Special:Contributions/62.112.240.32|62.112.240.32]] 12:50, 23 April 2026 (UTC)

SMBC once had a similar idea to stop Gerrymandering: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2013-07-12 [[Special:Contributions/90.146.31.117|90.146.31.117]] 23:02, 22 April 2026 (UTC)

Gerrymandering was not my first thought when I saw this comic, maybe that part should be removed from the description? I don't see any real way that it connects to gerrymandering besides the fact that it talks about borders. [[User:Qoiuoiuoiu|Qoiuoiuoiu]] ([[User talk:Qoiuoiuoiu|talk]]) 01:56, 23 April 2026 (UTC)
: Maybe it was added after the vague link to that SMBC comic was found? [[Special:Contributions/110.145.224.178|110.145.224.178]] 03:22, 23 April 2026 (UTC)
:: For what it's worth, the comment about gerrymandering was added in the very first text to be put on that page (21:09, 22 April 2026). It's not merely because of borders; it's because of "borders that have been made extremely convoluted for artificial reasons unrelated to the factors that usually define such boundaries, such as geographical features, roads, latitude/longitude, or regular divisions". [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 03:38, 23 April 2026 (UTC)
:Even as a non-USian, the recent gerrymandering efforts immediately seemed like an obvious prompt for the idea of the comic to me, even if it doesn't specifically reference it. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:29, 23 April 2026 (UTC)
:I put it in my original explanation, before the comment (indeed, before any comments). It only came to mind because Virginia was in the news that day, so reporters were talking about weirdly-shaped districts. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but Randall may have known that the vote was taking place that day when he came up with the comic. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:25, 23 April 2026 (UTC)

I once spelled out words on openstreetmap. There were some hiking trails nearby from a data set that opened up and I could not put them all up in one session, so I spelled "To Do" (in the shape of the actual hiking trails) on Openstreetmap. [[User:IIVQ|IIVQ]] ([[User talk:IIVQ|talk]]) 05:15, 23 April 2026 (UTC)

Is there a category for US State comics? There seems to be a lot of them, and a category might make sence. If there isn't perhaps someone could make one? {{unsigned|GSLikesCats307|09:26, 23 April 2026 (UTC)}}
:There's [[:Category:US maps]], but that is really more specifically of the 'whole' US (give or take contiguousness/fictionalisation), whereas this is more just 'a map', not even necessarily a (theoretical) subset of the US (though the names given to either side of the border do have a more Leftpondian feel, having that 'settler vibe' to them). [[Special:Contributions/82.132.238.56|82.132.238.56]] 10:48, 23 April 2026 (UTC)