Talk:1650: Baby

2016-03-02T13:10:03Z

TheHolgi: Smalltalk

In second sentence, it says bobble instead of bubble. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.252.233|162.158.252.233]] 10:08, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

"Good job getting it outside" ... Talking to people about their baby is basically something like talking with collector about his hobby you don't share. Well ... at least they can't show you two things looking exactly same and talk about how they differ. Unless they have twins. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:35, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
:the pressures of a new baby are such that it's very tempting just to stay inside and deal with them. having to gather up all the stuff you think is essential to take them outside and then actually do it is absolutely a big deal. if you see people with a newborn, congratulate them, they'll appreciate it. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.153.29|162.158.153.29]] 13:06, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

Say something creepy, maybe they'll keep the baby away from you... [[User:Seipas|Seipas]] ([[User talk:Seipas|talk]]) 11:48, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

How about introducing a category "Small talk"? Containing e.g., [[222]], [[1640]] (I didn't do an exhaustive search) --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.240|198.41.242.240]] 12:43, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
:Could be interesting. Would that then also include all those where two people walk together, or should it specifically be when it is a subject like the weather he cannot find out to discuss like people expect? (There is also one like that with the weather... [[1324: Weather]] ) But it is difficult to search for this I think? If anyone care to list anyone they can think of here it would be interesting. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:48, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
:I would find that appealing. The focus should be the socially awkward smalltalk, like just lately [[1643]] --[[User:TheHolgi|TheHolgi]] ([[User talk:TheHolgi|talk]]) 13:10, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

in answer to the question posed in the title text, you can't generalise about children. but it's mostly true that they alternate between putting on weight and using that weight to get taller. so they'll get chubbier and chubbier and then suddenly lose the weight and get tall and thin. or, if they don't eat, they stay small. or, if you feed them sugary crap, they stay fat. but not necessarily. each one is different. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.153.29|162.158.153.29]] 13:06, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

1650: Baby

2016-03-02T12:43:29Z

TheHolgi: /* Table */

{{comic
| number = 1650
| date = March 2, 2016
| title = Baby
| image = baby.png
| titletext = Does it get taller first and then widen, or does it reach full width before getting taller, or alternate, or what?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|First edit adding table. No real explanation yet...}}
Cueball (representing [[Randall]]) is uncomfortable about talking with couples who have just had a baby, as he never knows what to say. He has many strange thoughts and/or reasonable questions, that you just do not mention in front of happy parents showing off their precious baby for the first time. (See [[#Table|the table]] below for his thoughts.)

===Table===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Cueballs thoughts
|-
! scope="col" | Sentense
! scope="col" | Explanation
|-
| Wow, it's getting so big! Unlike most babies, which stay the same size forever.
| The first part of the sentence is quite a normal response, if it is not the first time the person sees the baby. But the second part is something Cueball adds in his head, because newborn babies are supposed to grow fast, and it would be strange/bad if the baby had not grown considerably if it had been some month since last time.
|-
| Hi! I'm talking to a baby!
| People often talk to the baby, rather than the parents. This makes no sense for Cueball, as the baby doesn't understand him. Should he mention this?
|-
| What brand is it?
| Usually it may be OK to ask what sex the baby is. The normal question would be ''Is it a boy or a girl.'' Those are the two "{{w|brands}}" a baby comes in.
|-
| Wow, definitely much smaller than a regular person!
| As all babies are... Typically a real response would be ''Wow, they are so small''.
|-
| You sure did make that.
|
|-
| ★★★★☆ great baby.
| It is custom to praise parents for their lovely baby, but do not ever rate it with stars! In [[1608: Hoverboard]] Megan [http://xkcd.com/1608/1019:-1073+s.png rates a sea], something also not usually done. (At least she gives less stars than Cueball does for the baby). According to [[1098: Star Ratings]] this means the baby is OK.
|-
| It doesn't really look like you since you're not a baby.
| A common comment is ''He totally looks like you''. What people mean is that they can see features in the face (he has his fathers nose but his mothers eyes). But of course given that the parents are adults they of course no longer look like a baby. Often it could be speculated that people just say this because they wish to see the similarities and to please the parents (hopefully).
|-
| So do they learn words one at a time alphabetically or can you pick the order or what?
| Here Cueball displays interest in the process of learning to speak a language as a baby. Very interesting subject, but since this is a very small baby not something first time parents for instance would have thought about yet. Learning one word at a time seems reasonable, but the last two suggestions that they learn alphabetically or in a specific order the parents chooses is plain silly.
|-
| I hope it does a good job.
| A baby actually does nothing that can be described as a ''job'', so this statement is not meaningful.
If it were about the future of the baby, it would be a socially very inadequate comment to care only about the possible usefulness of the baby, than to anticipate the joy of the parents about the child's person.
|-
| Title text: Does it get taller first and then widen, or does it reach full width before getting taller, or alternate, or what?
|
|}

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing in front of a family consisting a Cueball-like guy holding a newborn baby, with spiky hair, in a blanket and Megan. Cueball is thinking lots of thoughts about what to say to the couple upon seeing their baby for the first time. There is thus a huge thinking bubble in the top of the panel above the characters. Everything in this bubble has been crossed out like taking a pencil and drawing lines on top of the text, but it can still be read. After using all this time thinking, Cueball finally decides what to say, only to immediately regret this as can be seen in a small thought bubble below his spoken line, which is between the huge and the small bubble.]
:Cueball (thoughts that are crossed out): 
::Wow, it's getting so big! Unlike most babies, which stay the same size forever.
::Hi! I'm talking to a baby!
::What brand is it?
::Wow, definitely much smaller than a regular person!
::You sure did make that.
::★★★★☆ great baby.
::It doesn't really look like you since you're not a baby.
::So do they learn words one at a time alphabetically or can you pick the order or what?
::I hope it does a good job.
:Cueball: Wow, that's a really cool baby!
:Cueball (thinking): Dammit.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I can never figure out what to say about babies.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]

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Talk:1650: Baby

1650: Baby