Reading comments is entertaining and informative here today. I first thought it was odd he is a ‘K’ and then maybe a flat pan-ninny if I were to word play an observation. Thanks all!
@Number Six“Flats” makes more sense. Why do we call them apartments, when they are all stuck together? Do Flats have just one floor, as opposed to a two story, like some of our condos?
I’ve known quite a few classrooms to adopt a Flat Stanley for the school year. Throughout the months, whenever a child is going on a trip, they may request to take Stanley. They take pictures and typically write a little about where they went. The pics and paragraphs are posted all year and put in a book when the year is over. It can get very competitive!
Here in California a lot of people seem to use the words “flat” and “apartment” more or less interchangeably.
Many also use a few other UK terms and spellings that were not prevalent when I was growing up in the Midwest…. like “films” or “theatre” (the latter referring to the art, but not the building.)
It might stem from the popularity of British television and movies that started some 40 years ago…
As for me, I lived overseas, had both English and American friends (still do, I guess) and do English crosswords…I’m so confused that I stare at certain words till neither spelling looks right.
apparently in the books, he started out a normal kid but was flattened by a falling bulletin board.He was OK, just flat…[And…er… two dimensional jreckard, though that was funny :) ] and had adventures like being mailed in an envelope.
That’s why schools and other groups adopted the idea and created their own “Flat Stanleys” … some life size.
In the book he was eventually made 3 dimensional again with an air pump.
Some years ago I drew a caricature of myself waving goodbye, and cut it out, as a bon voyage card for a friend….she took it on her cruise, and took pictures, so I could be there…I guess I’ve been a Flat Susan!
A few years later there was a traveling gnome that had been stolen from someone’s garden…. very funny….and then Expedia “borrowed” that concept.
As far as I know, “apartment” or “apartments” originally meant one’s own separate quarters inside a dwelling….one room, a suite, anywhere to withdraw, or be apart, from the others…“the Queen’s apartments” in the castle…or…. “the master retired alone to his apartment, leaving the servants to clear up..”
Totally off the subject of this strip, I have to say, our local SUBWAY is GREAT! The food is fresh, the people who work there are so NICE AND FRIENDLY, and when you come in there, they know what sub or flatbread you want. I LOVE our local Subway!
And I don’t know Stanley, must have been after my kids were older. I read them Margaret Wise Brown books, like “Goodnight Moon”, the “Runaway Bunny”, “The Quiet Noisy Book”, etc. And they liked “Clifford” and the “Goosebumps” series when they could read on their own.
BRI-NO-MITE!! Premium Member over 11 years ago
No, Flat Stanley.
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 11 years ago
Thanks Briatollah! I’ve read a lot of children’s books…. cos I like them, ok, you guys?…. but I’d never heard of Flat Stanley.
Then all I had to do was google Subway to see whether they served flatbread….they do….
You can learn so much trying to figure out Brevity! LOL
Now…. why does Stanley stand on a block in his pictures?
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 11 years ago
prof — no, I’d already googled it, and it’s a children’s book series.
That’s why I said what I did… but I didn’t read one of the books…. just read about them and saw some illustrations.
After he got flattened, perhaps he needed a base to stand up…. and maybe someone familiar with the books, like Briatollah, knows the answer.
V-Beast over 11 years ago
No, squash.
Jonni over 11 years ago
Reading comments is entertaining and informative here today. I first thought it was odd he is a ‘K’ and then maybe a flat pan-ninny if I were to word play an observation. Thanks all!
J Short over 11 years ago
He had a relationship with the Pillsbury Dough Boy that was well rounded.
DanReynolds over 11 years ago
He doesn’t wanted flat bread. He want’s SLICED.
imbaldeagle over 11 years ago
One word – begins with “K”
jmcx4 over 11 years ago
@Number Six“Flats” makes more sense. Why do we call them apartments, when they are all stuck together? Do Flats have just one floor, as opposed to a two story, like some of our condos?
chambers_quad over 11 years ago
Flat Stanley is a kids book. In it he gets flatened and then his family mails him on trips. He’s standing on the box he was packaged in.
MissScarlet Premium Member over 11 years ago
I’ve known quite a few classrooms to adopt a Flat Stanley for the school year. Throughout the months, whenever a child is going on a trip, they may request to take Stanley. They take pictures and typically write a little about where they went. The pics and paragraphs are posted all year and put in a book when the year is over. It can get very competitive!
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 11 years ago
Here in California a lot of people seem to use the words “flat” and “apartment” more or less interchangeably.
Many also use a few other UK terms and spellings that were not prevalent when I was growing up in the Midwest…. like “films” or “theatre” (the latter referring to the art, but not the building.)
It might stem from the popularity of British television and movies that started some 40 years ago…
As for me, I lived overseas, had both English and American friends (still do, I guess) and do English crosswords…I’m so confused that I stare at certain words till neither spelling looks right.
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 11 years ago
I was reading about Flat Stanley….
apparently in the books, he started out a normal kid but was flattened by a falling bulletin board.He was OK, just flat…[And…er… two dimensional jreckard, though that was funny :) ] and had adventures like being mailed in an envelope.
That’s why schools and other groups adopted the idea and created their own “Flat Stanleys” … some life size.
In the book he was eventually made 3 dimensional again with an air pump.
Some years ago I drew a caricature of myself waving goodbye, and cut it out, as a bon voyage card for a friend….she took it on her cruise, and took pictures, so I could be there…I guess I’ve been a Flat Susan!
A few years later there was a traveling gnome that had been stolen from someone’s garden…. very funny….and then Expedia “borrowed” that concept.
Travel by proxy for us armchair adventurers.
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 11 years ago
And Briatollah….me too.
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 11 years ago
And just in case I haven’t posted enough already…
As far as I know, “apartment” or “apartments” originally meant one’s own separate quarters inside a dwelling….one room, a suite, anywhere to withdraw, or be apart, from the others…“the Queen’s apartments” in the castle…or…. “the master retired alone to his apartment, leaving the servants to clear up..”
madmarge over 11 years ago
Other books in the series are:Stanley and the Magic LampStanley in SpaceStanley’s Christmas AdventureInvisible Stanleyand,Stanley, Flat Again!
Dry and Dusty Premium Member over 11 years ago
Totally off the subject of this strip, I have to say, our local SUBWAY is GREAT! The food is fresh, the people who work there are so NICE AND FRIENDLY, and when you come in there, they know what sub or flatbread you want. I LOVE our local Subway!
And I don’t know Stanley, must have been after my kids were older. I read them Margaret Wise Brown books, like “Goodnight Moon”, the “Runaway Bunny”, “The Quiet Noisy Book”, etc. And they liked “Clifford” and the “Goosebumps” series when they could read on their own.
Ian hargest over 11 years ago
I’d forgotten all about Flat Stanley! That was one of my favourite books!