Editing 2352: Synonym Date

{{comic
| number    = 2352
| date      = August 28, 2020
| title     = Synonym Date
| image     = synonym_date.png
| titletext = We need some grub to munch--I'll go slouch over to the kitchen.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Ponytail]] asks [[Hairy]] about [[Megan]], his date. Hairy mentions that she's a talented writer and seems cool, but when prompted by Ponytail, says Megan is into synonyms. Megan apparently enjoys unsettling Hairy with words. Ponytail thinks word games aren't too bad, and she would be right if it weren't for Megan's unsettling use of them.

In the next panel (labeled "Earlier..."), it's raining (or humid), and Hairy comes back in. Megan comments, "Ugh, it's so watery out. You must be clammy! Want to guzzle some tea?" replacing ''wet'' (or ''humid''), ''cold'' (or ''sweaty''), and ''drink'' with more suggestive, possibly-repulsive-sounding words. "Clammy" does technically refer to having damp skin, but it is usually used in the context of nervousness or illness, and "guzzle" suggests very rapid consumption, which is not a safe way of drinking hot tea, and is also considered rude when enjoying a meal with others, especially romantic interests. Continuing, she says, "Let me slough off this dress, and slither into something more comfortable," replacing ''take'' (or ''remove'', or ''disrobe'') and ''slip''. This last sentence of course strongly suggests snakes shedding their skin.  Serpentine ''movements'' are sometimes {{tvtropes|SnakesAreSexy|regarded as alluring and attractive}}, but people usually don't favorably compare their clothing to snakes' skin care.{{Citation needed}}

She further elaborates on this in the title text, saying "We need some grub to munch -- I'll go slouch over to the kitchen." By using the word "grub," she presumably means the slang term for basic food like the type served in pubs (which is often greasy fast-food, served in a dirty -- one might even say ''grubby'' -- environment), though it may also invoke the image of white insect larvae, like pale lumps of flesh squirming in a dark hole, while "slouching" has connotations of laziness or suspicious activity, rather than romance.

{{tvtropes|SesquipedalianLoquaciousness|Excessive use of uncommon words}} is a common trope in fiction, and also seen in real life. Usually, the speaker is trying to demonstrate their superior intelligence or knowledge. Megan, on the other hand, seeks to use a similar tactic to make listeners uncomfortable. The words she's using aren't especially complex or uncommon, and they're technically correct, but they've been selected to evoke disgust in the listener.
 
Strange synonyms were also the focus in [[1322: Winter]], and a similar concept was the joke in [[919: Tween Bromance]] (although in that strip, someone else was making Megan uncomfortable).

Randall has written many comic strips before about [[:Category:My Hobby|his (comical, fictional) hobbies]], but this is the first time he's written about someone else's hobby.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Hairy talking.]
:Ponytail: So, how is she?
:Hairy: Well...she's a talented writer. Seems very cool.
:Ponytail: ...but?
:Hairy: She's really into...synonyms.

:Ponytail: I don't understand.
:Hairy: Her hobby is finding the most unsettling possible words for any sentence.
:Ponytail: Word games? That doesn't sound too bad.
:Hairy: Well...

:[Caption above reads "Earlier..."]
:[Megan is wearing a dress and talking to Hairy, who is dripping wet.]
:Megan: Ugh, it's so watery out.
:Megan: You must be clammy! Want to guzzle some tea?

:[Hairy is now less wet and holding a cup of warm tea.]
:Megan: Let me slough off this dress,
:Megan: and slither into something more comfortable.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Language]]