For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for June 19, 2013

Hey howtheduck, thanks for writing my reply for me. It sounded wrong to me too. *{:o)

@howtheduck

If you went to a car dealership , you could perhaps use the expression ’ I want to trade my Chrysler in on a Caddy, would you not? That means the cost of the Chrysler could cover part of the cost of it and financing, the rest of the balance. IMHO, saying it the other way …‘trade for a caddy’… could indicate that the Chrysler would cover the complete cost of it.

I don’t think the expression is unique to Canada… But I could be wrong.

I think the awkwardness lies in that we (in the US, at least) use “trade in” as a noun when we say, “How much did you get for your trade in?” In which case, a Chevy trade in for a Caddy sounds perfectly normal and doesn’t imply an equal exchange. Merely, that you gave the dealer your car (plus cash or a financing agreement) for another car.

well, i have never heard that phrase before.

Perfectly normal mode of expression in my part of Oz.

I don’t think I’ve heard this expression since living in Canada. But I will ask around and see which expression most Canadians use.

Oh Farley!! :-o

Heaven forfend!

With what Farley eventually does in this strip, getting rid of him now would be very bad.

Hate to admit it, but I have kind of a good ear for language. “Traded in on a cat” sounds perfectly fine to me. I usually reside in St. Petersburg, which has a bubbly mixture of Southern, up-and-down the Eastern seaboard, African American, and what-have-you speakers. My daughter agrees.

. . . oh, and in the winter, plenty of Canadians.

want some bad news about cats?

Why is she twice as surprised as he is? (Two exclamation points)

My native dialect is electro-nerd, so my opinion on “on” as opposed to “for” (either will do here) is moot, a moot point, or one side of a moot point, depending on your definition of moot.(My wife is known to say that when I am asked the time, I explain how to make a clock)

I heard Garfield is just a couple of strips over and might be available.

My two dogs never rolled around in the dirt after getting bathed. I always towelled them down very well, afterwards, which they thoroughly enjoyed. The smaller one, however, had a habit of running away (not related to bathing) and coming back infected with mange. I would have preferred she rolled around in the dirt because mange takes weeks of medication to get rid of.

I once bathed and groomed an afghan hound, who wasn’t much into it – I hadn’t had her long – and after she was all brushed and combed and beautiful, I put a leash on her and took her out. We hadn’t been out five minutes before down went her shoulder, and she had her head and ears and shoulders covered in ugly green gunk … we’d walked under an avocado tree which had dropped a large avocado perhaps a couple of weeks before. It was just barely this side of being liquid.

So … back to the tub … lol!

No need to trade for cats – we had a couple of cats too!

“Trade in on” sounds perfectly natural to these Canadian ears. “Trade in for” just sounds awkward.

I must be the only person in the world whose dog doesn’t go out and find something gross and disgusting to roll around in as soon as she’s had a bath. She’s a very dainty little lady!!!!! ;-)

Farley saves April from drowning. A cat could not do that.

Cats aren’t clean…they’re just lightly coated in cat spit.

My cats go out most days and all 4 find the biggest sand/dust pile and roll in it. I just wait for them with wet paper towels when they come in. They do wash it all off eventually, but not nearly soon enough for me.

i never understood why she bathed the dogs outside. any pet owner knows that a dog’s bath ritual is, get bath, shake it off, roll around dirt and grass while damp. always take to a groomer, or use bath tub at home to bathe dog.