Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for June 10, 2012

  1. Obedient
    Basqueian  almost 12 years ago

    Cause it might be a tuna cactus sandwich. Duh

     •  Reply
  2. Missing large
    kittenpah  almost 12 years ago

    After being oiled up and cooked in a can, they needed to clarify what it was you were smearing on your bread.

     •  Reply
  3. Stewiebrian
    pouncingtiger  almost 12 years ago

    I’m with Bob on this one.

     •  Reply
  4. Capture
    BRI-NO-MITE!! Premium Member almost 12 years ago

    I wondered that myself. I also wonder why people say eyesight, but they don’t say ear hearing.

     •  Reply
  5. Zoso1
    Arianne  almost 12 years ago

    Because if we couldn’t rhyme tuna fish with favorite dish, where would that leave beginning piano students? With only crunchy flakes and ice cream? I don’t think so.

     •  Reply
  6. Camera1 016
    keenanthelibrarian  almost 12 years ago

    “Daddy, what colour is the air?”

     •  Reply
  7. Cat7
    rockngolfer  almost 12 years ago

    Toona is the only thing better than cheezburgers.

     •  Reply
  8. Croparcs070707
    rayannina  almost 12 years ago

    Actually, I think I might know this one. Before about WW2, tuna was considered a “trash fish,” unsuitable for human consumption. (It was only when it was marketed in canned form — using the euphemism “chicken of the sea” — that it became socially acceptable to eat.) A lot of people, not used at the time to eating tuna, didn’t immediately know what it was, so it would often be marketed as “tuna fish.” And the usage stuck.

    We’ll be back with more “Taking the Comics Too Literally,” right after this …

     •  Reply
  9. Cat29
    x_Tech  almost 12 years ago

    Daddy, what’s in Hot Dogs?

     •  Reply
  10. Dscf2358 icon ii
    revisages  almost 12 years ago

    wasn’t it turn on, tuna in, and drop out?

     •  Reply
  11. Imga0225 2
    hildigunnurr Premium Member almost 12 years ago

    what’s wrong with the true answer Joe. Repeat after me: I Don’t Know. ;)

     •  Reply
  12. Possum
    OldPossum  almost 12 years ago

    I’ve always wondered why Americans call them “tuna fish” sandwiches. Here in Oz it’s just a “tuna sandwich”.

     •  Reply
  13. Missing large
    stripseeker  almost 12 years ago

    @revisagesTimothy Leary really had something there. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Lots of good input this A.M.,but the question still remains one of life’s great mysteries.

     •  Reply
  14. Andy
    Sandfan  almost 12 years ago

    I’ve seen references in Brit novels to “fish paste” sandwiches, and I’ve always wondered if that referred to tuna fish.

     •  Reply
  15. Donald duck2
    gmu328  almost 12 years ago

    I would love to have a kid like that doing play on words … and the color of air is as fathomable as the sound of a tree falling in a forest when no one is around

     •  Reply
  16. Missing large
    CoBass  almost 12 years ago

    “Because you can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish.”

     •  Reply
  17. Missing large
    JohnHerbison  almost 12 years ago

    I suppose JFK was grateful that he wasn’t visiting Frankfurt.

     •  Reply
  18. Missing large
    AMarsh1  almost 12 years ago

    THAT’S why you didn’t have kids? So the umbrella in your pink drink had nothing to do with it, huh?

     •  Reply
  19. Missing large
    puddleglum1066  almost 12 years ago

    All these comments and nobody so far has brought up the question of why we call it an “ATM machine,” when “ATM” stands for “Automatic Teller MACHINE”?

     •  Reply
  20. Missing large
    jackdohany  almost 12 years ago

    And why does Bob look so much like Richard?

    Nixon, that is.

     •  Reply
  21. Missing large
    tnazar  almost 12 years ago

    Danae is a significant percentage of bright young girls. I taught in the 5th and 6th grade and had several Danae’s. Her name is that of a minor goddess – appropriate.

     •  Reply
  22. Missing large
    daphilli  almost 12 years ago

    Daddy, why do we eat chickens but not puppies?

     •  Reply
  23. Galapagos tortoise 3r
    PShaw0423  almost 12 years ago

    “Thank goodness Danae is a comic strip character and not indicative of a normal child. Nobody would want kids.” Danae is arguably a genius, that’s all…she’s no more of a psychopath than most children, only more creative at it. :) She’d be a parenting chore at tiems, but never boring..And “normal”? To paraphrase Deepak Chopra, what we call normal may only be the mediocrity of the average. Pfui on that.

     •  Reply
  24. Missing large
    dabugger  almost 12 years ago

    that is just what kids are created for: to ask the hard questions; and when they do not receive an answer we are really in trouble………so what is it like in your family?

     •  Reply
  25. Cat7
    rockngolfer  almost 12 years ago

    Wikipedia mentions the cactus, too.Funny what you can learn here at Gocomics.

     •  Reply
  26. Beaufaceshot
    js305  almost 12 years ago

    Add this question to the long list that includes:

    “Why are the Braille instructions on the drive up ATM machines?”

     •  Reply
  27. Pirate63
    Linguist  almost 12 years ago

    Children! The reason God invented the cocktail lounge and neighborhood tavern.

     •  Reply
  28. Djpowratroelounge120x119
    cdharding  almost 12 years ago

    The Wikipedia Tuna (disambiguation) page provides some hints – there actually is a kind of cactus called a tuna (genus opuntia) as well as the name in Māori of the New Zealand Longfin eel and shortfin eel. So qualifying the name of the fish of the family Scombridae with Fish has a rationale for it’s use.

     •  Reply
  29. Boris badenov
    bbadenov  almost 12 years ago

    I’ve always said that you can tune-a-piano but you can’t tuna fish.

     •  Reply
  30. Missing large
    prrdh  almost 12 years ago

    Could be Danae came across this: s3.amazonaws.com/giles/tuna_mammal_sandwich.pdf

     •  Reply
  31. Missing large
    prrdh  almost 12 years ago

    If it were a dolphin sandwich, you would have to specify which kind you were talking about.

    Actually, “tuna sandwich” (without the ‘fish’) makes someone (ike me who has a really dirty mind think of something that maybe Danae isn’t ready for an explanation of.

     •  Reply
  32. Outfit 003
    VirginiaCityLady  almost 12 years ago

    Five grandkids later and the questions haven’t changed. The only difference is now the Q’s are tweets, emails or texts.

     •  Reply
  33. Birthcontrol
    Dtroutma  almost 12 years ago

    We just call it “tuna”, ‘cause “tuna dioxin”, or “Petro-tuna” is pretty friggin’ depressing.

     •  Reply
  34. 11 06 126
    Varnes  almost 12 years ago

    E_tech, “What’s in hot dogs?” Isn’t it snakes and snails and puppy dog tails?

    Dogsniff, it IS Smokey Bear…….the the isn’t supposed to be their……It was a real bear, that was found in a fire. It was nicknamed “Smokey”

     •  Reply
  35. 11 06 126
    Varnes  almost 12 years ago

    My take: It should be “canned tuna.” and it should be “The Keeping Hot Water Hot Thingy…”

     •  Reply
  36. Siberian tigers 22
    Hunter7  almost 12 years ago

    Avocado oil is from avocados. Olive oil from olives. Walnut oil from walnuts. Aaaannnd…… Baby oil is from……….?

     •  Reply
  37. Yellow pig small
    bmonk  almost 12 years ago

    I’m thinking we say tuna fish, so we don’t get tuna guitar?

     •  Reply
  38. Naturalhairmecartoon
    Nicole ♫ ⊱✿ ◕‿◕✿⊰♫ Premium Member almost 12 years ago

    That is actually one of my biggest pet peeves. I have when people say, “tuna fish”. I’ve always just referred to it as “tuna”. We don’t say “salmon fish” or “talapia fish”.

     •  Reply
  39. Bull shirt archie
    underwriter  almost 12 years ago

    But it isn’t always “tuna fish” – there’s the Fisherman’s Quartet, comprising 1st tuna, 2nd tuna, barracuda and bass, who used to get together on Friday nights and sing scales (just for the halibut).

     •  Reply
  40. Missing large
    vwdualnomand  almost 12 years ago

    sorry that you have girl problems son…i got 99 problems, but the b**** ain’t one.

     •  Reply
  41. Large pelley 2014
    zehnkatzen  almost 12 years ago

    It’s like Mitch Hedberg said: You know how they call corn on the cob “corn on the cob”, right? But that’s how it comes out of the ground, man. They should call that “corn”. They should call every other version “corn off the cob”. It’s not like if you cut off my arm, you would call my arm “Mitch”; but then reattach it and call it “Mitch all together”.

     •  Reply
  42. Missing large
    Tomcom45  almost 12 years ago

    And then there’s balsa wood.

     •  Reply
  43. Missing large
    orz  almost 12 years ago

    Good point, though.

     •  Reply
  44. Thing
    Grumpy-DC  almost 12 years ago

    … to distinguish from tuna piano.

     •  Reply
  45. Missing large
    seablood  almost 12 years ago

    FINAL ANSWER; "Tuna’ COMES FROM THE ‘tunnel shaped net used to catch them. So Tuna and Tunnel are related——isn’t that fascinating!!

     •  Reply
  46. Me kindergarten  2
    finnygirl Premium Member almost 12 years ago

    …looking at a can of “Chicken of the Sea” tuna, and actually asking; “Is this Chicken, or Fish?” Seriously, it’s on you-tube somewhere-——————————————————————————-As I recall, that was Jessica Simpson. :-)

     •  Reply
  47. Capture
    BRI-NO-MITE!! Premium Member almost 12 years ago

    We call ATMs “Jones Tellers”, because you can withdraw money late at night, when you’re “jonesing”.

     •  Reply
  48. Avatars dragons 166097
    luvcmx  almost 12 years ago

    I love this comic strip comic.

     •  Reply
  49. Missing large
    hippogriff  almost 12 years ago

    John Herbison: Or Vienna.

    ffaphilli: Puppies? Now you just hush.

     •  Reply
  50. 11 06 126
    Varnes  almost 12 years ago

    For some reason I’ve been known to say Ready Teller….No, nobody knows what I mean, and I have no idea where I got it from……

     •  Reply
  51. Aj icon60
    Dr_Fogg  almost 12 years ago

    You can tune a piano, but you can’t tune a fish… or is that tuna fish.

     •  Reply
  52. Aj icon60
    Dr_Fogg  almost 12 years ago

    Say good night Gracie…

     •  Reply
  53. Cat7
    rockngolfer  almost 12 years ago

    Thou hast eyes to see but seeist not.And I am an atheisthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpG_mk_9uuI

     •  Reply
  54. 76d61a1e 24f8 4715 9907 6808c455736a
    neatslob Premium Member almost 12 years ago

    Why does a speaker ask “Can everyone hear me?” Those who can’t aren’t going to know he asked.

     •  Reply
  55. J money
    Joseph Krois  almost 12 years ago

    Prob’ly goes back to when the “fish” in a tuna fish sandwich wasn’t all tuna… Dig? “What’s in the net?” “Who gives a f@#k?”

     •  Reply
  56. Missing large
    hippogriff  almost 12 years ago

    neatslob: Yet that question often gets a comment from the back of, “I can’t hear you”, indicating the question works. There is a difference in volume (among other things) between hearing a voice, and in comprehending what is said.

     •  Reply
  57. Chucky head
    rcdrake  almost 12 years ago

    You can tune a piano but you can’t tuna fish

     •  Reply
  58. 2020 superhero smaller
    chemgal  almost 12 years ago

    Kids totally ask questions like this in real life. My son asked if three kids in one birth are triplets, 4 are quadruplets, etc., then why aren’t two kids in one birth doublets? After I got done laughing, I totally agreed. I keep pointing out to him that the English language has a lot of goofy things in it. I expect I’ll have to keep repeating tha.

     •  Reply
  59. Missing large
    warriorwaynorth  almost 12 years ago

    great reference Simpsonfan2, you sound like Skinner

     •  Reply
  60. Missing large
    fcbill  almost 12 years ago

    I have a friend that uses the term “hamburger meat”. Different? Probably not.

     •  Reply
Sign in to comment

More From Non Sequitur