Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for April 30, 2023

It’s a miracle, I tell you… a miracle!

I gather that nearly everyone on the Continent knows the Knuckles. I learned about it when I saw a German woman do it. But Americans don’t know it because we have that dam-ned jingle. I don’t know about the British. Anyone?

Arlo’s calendar has 30 days for February?

I can never remember the jingle, I’ve used the knuckle thing forever.

I learned to use knuckles in primary school in Australia. Still use them. Use them for the days of the months, too.

The British are Koooool and don’t need no bloody jingle!

When you can snatch the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave.

Thirty days hath September April June and November Thirty one have all the rest Except February and only February which has 28

Seems a lot simpler than knuckles

Learned the knuckle thing in late 50s.

I’m a knucklehead. Never heard this before. It’s cute

You mean “EXCLUDING”, yes?

I learned the knuckle bit but only on one hand. We reversed course for July and August on the same knuckle.

Never heard of the knuckle thing myself, we had the 30 days jingle thing here in my part of the Southern U.S.

Yes, we know the knuckle thing, but “30 days has September” works just as well without awkward hand games.

Did Julius and Augustus know this?

The problem with the jingle is that everyone seems to have learned a different version of it. The way I learned it, it included 28 days for February (not 30, like Arlo) and even 29 for leap years. Since February does NOT have 30 days, ever, why does Arlo make a point to say it does? I’m very confused and this is going to bother me all day.

“Thirty days after September, April, June and November. February has twenty-eight alone;All the rest have thirty-one,Excepting leap year: That’s the timeWhen February’s days are twenty-nine.”

This is from the best-selling Mother Goose book in history, by the great illustrator, Blanche Fisher Wright (1992). The Original Mother Goose. Philadelphia, PA: Running Press. (Original work published 1916 as The Real Mother Goose, published by Rand McNally)

30 days has September, all the rest I can’t remember

Thanks.

I learned to look at a calendar. Guess that is boring.

I didn’t know that, you learn something new each day.

You don’t need to switch hand, you hop on the same knuckle (July/August) then go backward

I thought Arlo was mansplaining, that everyone knew that. Then I read the responses to pschearer’s comment.

Now Arlo can explain why one parks in the driveway and drives through the parkway.

On one of their tv shows, where Costello was tossed in the clink for a month…. Abbott said “the poet said, ‘stone walls do not a prison make nor iron bars a cage’.” Costello said “and the judge said ‘thirty days hath September, April, June, and Lou Costello’.”

This is a thing?? I’ll be 60 this year and have never heard that one before. Wow.

My grandfather taught me the jingle (which I always have difficulty in remembering) and my mother taught me the knuckles. Now-a-days, I just remember which month has how many days, but if pressed, I revert to knuckle counting.

And now you know the real reason we switched to the year starting in January…

I just learned that a few years ago.

Was that supposed to say ’…excluding February…"?

Know both. Use neither. Do not care how many days in a month. Very adept at reading a calendar. Retired. Canadian.

The rhyme never worked for me. Couldn’t get past “half September” and the fact that it was not in order starting with January. I was taught the nickel method by one of my classmates in Highschool. At least I think it was that late in my schooling. But it was also someone I had been going to school with off and on since 3rd grade, and I have clearly shown that I have issues with memory. Thus the inability to remember the rhyme.

I always amaze my training classes with this one..

now that arlo has nothing left to tell her – is he leaving?

Grasshopper.

I am surpised Janis not know that.

77 years old and this is the first I have heard of this. An old dog learning a new trick! Thanks.

Poor Janis………

If you just learn the poem, you can keep your hands in your pockets

30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31 except February which is missing some.

“Including February.” Oh, Arlo.

YAY Julie and Pope Gregory.

So every other month has 31 days. Sorry Arlo, February doesn’t have 30.

So according to Arlo, February has 30 days?

Mom taught me that over 60 years ago.

The middle of the year is easy to remember if your name is JASON — July August September October November

Funny. I never learned any jingles or knuckles, just remember the info.

February doesn’t have 30 days. It only has 28 or 29 if it is a Leap Year.

I leaned this in 2nd grade. And never learned anything after that…

Nice to know….

I was taught to start with the index finger, go up and down starting with January. Get to the pinkie and turn around for August.

Q. What month has 28 days?

A. They all do.

POGO: Let’s see, what day is today? Thirty days hath November…

CHURCHY: Did Pogo say NO vember hath 30 days?

OWL: Well, hardly any vembers — some vembers got only a handful.

I learned it from Paul Kenneth Godwin in the ninth grade although you don’t have to switch fists, just go back to the beginning.

I just use one hand. When you get to July count it again as August and work your way back.

30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31 except February is what we were taught.

I’ve never heard that.

No knuckles here. Just the whole jingle, which few seem to know: Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; After February’s done, all the rest have thirty-one.

This makes Janis sound like an idiot, if she doesn’t know that February never has 30 days.