For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for July 17, 2014

Phil…you were supposed to bring the dip…they’re laughing at you because they consider this “something men always forget”

I’m as confused as Phil. What?

Hahahahaha! Guess you won’t “get it”, Phil, unless Georgia decides to let you in on the joke, which I don’t think Elly or she wants you to know! ;)

“Quickly, cover your ears! Such mysteries are not meant for the Ears of Men!”

. . . and a good thing, too!

“Dip” meant loveably foolish rather than outright “stupid”, I think. Originally, in the Mickey Mouse strip, Goofy was known as “Dippy Dog”. (That might also have been a play on the emerging popularity of the hot dog, of course.) Neither Elly nor Georgia (even in 1989) are old enough to remember that usage first-hand — neither is Lynn Johnston, and nor am I — but they may have heard of it.

last time I heard someone get called a dip, I was in High School…. In 1979!

Hilarious! Degrade your significant other to your friends!

These are all old strips so referring to Phil being a “dip” was a just a joke between Elly and Georgia. I remember “dip” being used as a derogatory against another person.

Glad to see the correct full spelling of “Bar-B-Q” Too many people spell it “barbeque” which is wrong.

According to dictionary.com, Random House is pretty loosey-goosey about “barbeque.” They seem to think it’s OK.

@Night-Gaunt49That’s pretty conclusive, then. Thanks. I’ve started reading this strip here, rather than on Lynn Johnston’s fborfw site, because it is available here about an hour earlier. I must start checking out Lynn’s notes again! I do miss them.

I always thought it was short for dipsh__t.

No one brought up dipsomaniac (note what he is holding), although gazperson came close, as objections to Dippy Dog brought the change to Goofy.

I once conned my then brother-in-law int standing next to a road sign warning of a DIP and took a photo…

Hey everybody, I see Mike & Deanna’s wedding made Carolyn Hax’s column today! http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/carolyn-hax-weighing-in-on-a-pseudo-wedding/2014/07/16/9d93914c-01fa-11e4-8572-4b1b969b6322_story.html

I remember that BC cartoon!

That marriage isn’t long for this world.

Tin Can Twidget: Prime lexicographic rule: In the first definition, never use the word itself or any variant thereof. If I had no concept of what the word meant, that definition would have been no help to me.

Get a life jacket Phil….that joke went over your head!