Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for January 20, 2019

Then what do you call me (and my brother) to the stepsisters’ children?

Explain to Shannon that she is Brad’s grandmother and let the hilarity ensue. Or not.

And don’t you forget it, Brad!

The husbands of my aunts have always been my uncles.

Since when is an aunt’s husband not an uncle? I have six aunts and six uncles. (A seventh uncle never married.)

Step-uncle? ;-)

In English the words “aunt” and “uncle” are used to refer to:

Your parents’ siblings

Their spouses

Close friends of your parents

Additionally, “niece” and “nephew” are used to refer to:

Your siblings’ children

Your spouse’s sibling’s children

Then there are the other related terms, like “brother-in-law” and “sister-in-law”:

Your spouse’s siblings

Your siblings’ spouses

Yes, Brad is Shannon’s uncle.

Yes, Brad is Shannon’s uncle by marriage.

One of my mother’s paternal uncles, Earl, married Amy, one of my dad’s sisters daughters. I called him Uncle Earl; but, since she was my first cousin, I called her, Amy. Besides unlike him, she didn’t have respect for me.

seems like the Evanses need a course in basic genealogy.

I have 3 uncles and 1 aunt who were all married and i call or 4 of them aunt and uncle.

One of Dad’s brothers, Orval, married Faye, one of Mom’s paternal aunts. I called them Uncle Orval and Aunt Faye. Dad’s other brother, Raymond, who was younger than both Dad and Orval didn’t marry someone who had “Willhoite” as a last name. He married Opal Gilliam. Uncle Raymond didn’t have any children of his own. But, he had lots of nieces and nephews whom he loved equal. Uncle Raymond was my favorite uncle. I got to work with him on his farm in the summer when I was 15. He treated me like I was his son.

I always called the spouses of my parents brothers and sisters, aunt and uncle.

I like what Brad said. Shannon likes him more than her real father.

One of my aunts would correct us if we pronounced it “ant.” She’d say “an ant is an insect, I’m your aunt.”

Shannon once again invades the snuggling couple. Toni’s initial expression is not that welcoming. Since it’s not their own kid – this should happen only occasionally. But it appears that it’s most of the time now. Since Jonah is an actor and not bad looking, I suspect he has a girl friend. If so, she should be willing to help out sometimes. I’m not in favor of Brad & Toni adopting Shannon and Jonah winding up free as a bird.

Uncle or not uncle? Maybe somebody should consult a lawyer to settle the matter!

My mother’s sister, Aunt Sharon is married to Uncle Tom. He has never been anything elseI.

I met Uncle Tom’s mother and father (only a few times only because I live across the country). I never called them by any certain name because we didn’t see them much but they were all in the family. Knowing Uncle Tom’s family made me feel closer to him.

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Primal scene coming up?

Yes, huh! Brad’s her uncle, by law. Yup. He is.

People became Uncles and Aunts and Cousins and Brothers and Sisters in my family, and were regarded as such, once they married in (or were related to the person our family member married, e. g., my wife’s cousins are now my cousins [in law], and they regard me as a cousin).

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On both my wife’s side and my side of the family, any ‘family friend" closer to parents’ age was regarded as “Uncle So and So”, or “Aunt So and So”. Anyone closer to our age was either a “cousin” (though we dropped the ‘title’ when calling/referring to them by first name) or a “brother” or “sister”, with "90% family rights and privileges, commensurate with the designation (‘relatively speaking’).

While technically not an Uncle, they are usually called Uncle anyway.

“I Like My Folks Scrambled”

“A Doctor Of Uncology”

“She Had Him Wear A ‘Kin Foil’ Hat”

“Relativity, Squared Away”

“The Man From N. O. T. – A. N. – U. N. C. L. E.”

“Brood Language”

“Bretheren You Like It, Or Not”

“Clan Do Attitude”

“They Caught Him, Accepting A Tribe”

or

“We Had A Niece Conversation!”

Even after my aunt’s (by blood) divorce, I still called her ex-husband “uncle”, and his second wife by her first name.

Note to Evans: “You blew it. Of course, Brad is the little monster’s uncle (by marriage). Basic familial relations.”Sheesh…

Brad is so right.

He looks like an uncle to me if only through marriage.

Uncle-by-marriage? Uncle-in-law? YIKES!

I don’t understand this joke. Of COURSE he’s her uncle since Brad and Toni are married. (Aren’t they?). If he were Shannon’s uncle by blood, then there would be some incest going on in that family! Sheesh!

“Lucky”

No, I would say that you were “blessed”.

Wow! What a large volume of good comments! Even though my first wife is dead, her family members still consider me part of the family. And the nieces and nephews still call me uncle.

Depends how you use the terms. Around here the uncle and aunt are the ones who are integrated into the family, and the blood relatives are defined as “fathers brother” or “mothers sister” etc. (direct translation, not precise translation :) ).

Nice one!

I would say, blessed, but then that’s just me…

Mine too

Some uncles are born that way. Some marry into the family. Some of them become male figures to emulate while others model what to avoid. You’re parents help with those decisions.

Three generations ago in my family a brother and sister married a brother and sister from another family. Not unusual in small communities. Their children are “double cousins”, having the same blood relatives on both sides of the family.

At least she didn’t call him “Bwad”.

Toni may be right, may be wrong, but Brad is absolutely, positively, 100% correct.

What a sad world Greg lives in if spouses of blood relatives aren’t considered family. I have more Aunts and Uncles and Cousins than I can count due to my parent’s and their close friends allowing all of us kids to call all of them Aunt & Uncle. It gave us a large extended loving family and as adults many of us are still connected, thanks to our parents’ use of those titles. I’ve done the same with my friends too, and am blessed with wonderful Nieces and Nephews galore! Brad is lucky, but he is also most definitely an UNCLE!

“No Shannon. Bob’s your Uncle.” – Toni

And Brad is indeed “Lucky.” He’s lucky he’s not Gunther.

Or Tiffany, for that matter……, :(

Brad is uncle-by-marriage. In my day, our parents’ cousins were treated as aunts and uncles and their significant others were treated likewise. It made it easier for us little guys to know how to address these giants in the family like our parents.

Tony doesn’t understand how family linage works

We always called them aunt and uncle. I thought everybody did. Still call them that even after the divorce.

Um, Brad would be her Uncle now. Indeed. Where did Toni go to school?

Yes, Shannon, Brad is your uncle by marriage. Duh!

Of course he’s Uncle Brad. Literally, according to law, the dictionary, etc. Stupid. The sentiment that he’s lucky is sweet, but the rest is stupid and incorrect

That’s dumb, they are married, Brad IS her uncle.

Actually, he is her uncle-in-law.

Brad is both lucky and he is also Shannon’s Uncle. Greg needs to correct this!

Mathteacher678, you are correct. Brad is her uncle.

According to Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary, an “uncle” refers to “the brother of one’s father or mother” or to “the husband of one’s aunt”. So, Brad is definitely Shannon’s uncle!

….verrryyy lucky!!! ;o)

I believe the phrase is “Bob’s your Uncle” so that leaves Brad out.tough break, Brad.

Toni’s answer goes against everything I know.

Your aunts married spouse is your uncle. Even if you add by marriage, still your aunts husband.

What would he be if not an Uncle by marriage??

He’s uncle brad

Mine too.

Yes, Shannon. Brad is your uncle. Traditionally, the husband of your dad’s sister is your uncle.

The main thing to me is that Brad feels lucky to have Shannon in his life too. That is good for all involved.

Yes, Brad is her uncle.

Yeah, he messed up. My uncles were all er, uncles. The punchline is great, but it was a stretch to get there! Oh, well. Time to move on. Brad IS lucky, any way you look at it. THey all are.

I’m 69 years old and I never knew my bio-father. I never knew my bio-uncle. In 2017 I first met my bio-cousins and their mother. Immediately she became my Aunt, even though my bio-uncle had been deceased for many years. Of course she is my Aunt, she was my Uncle’s wife!

Uncle-in-law?

True that, but well said Brad!

Huh? I thought spouses of aunts and uncles became our uncles and aunts? No one can tell me otherwise.

Sorry Mr Evans but I think most people would consider you got this wrong. My aunt’s husbands have always been my uncles and my Uncle’s wife would be my aunt.

Technical term would be Uncle-in-law. Same type of terminology as Brother-in-law.

Yes…he is your uncle!

Bob’s your uncle!?

What? Yes it does! Officially it’s an Uncle-in-law.

Yes, he is her uncle

So if he’s not her uncle then Luann definitely isn’t her aunt, which means she should be charging a lot more for babysitting the kid. As-is, Jonah’s getting a helluva deal on free childcare.

I know this has been said over a hundred times already, but of COURSE he’s her Uncle. Who would argue with that??

no more shannon

Yes he is. On both counts.

According to Webster’s, Your uncle or aunt can either be by blood or by marriage. Yes, Brad is Shannon’s uncle.

I have the feeling Greg Evans may have written this on purpose, to count the comments and see how many people actually read his comic.

I consider myself extremely lucky that my wife’s late brothers boys (now all adults), and her sister’s son call me, and consider me Uncle Dave. That means the world to me even though through the laws of lineage I am not technically their uncle. They did that because we always ran our family like that, so even now all the kids take the cousin relationship very seriously. I was an only child, raised by a grandmother (some of you long time readers know a little about that, when I have shared it) so having a family means everything to me. It was love and the atmosphere that created that, which is the way it is with Brad. Shannon should always consider him Uncle Brad. Her family is a bit broken, but the glue is Brad and Toni. Uncle Bwad is cool too, until she gets a bit older. And hilarity is ensuing somewhere here BrdShtt (lol).

Hmmm….. Must be different in that universe.

I like to think of myself as everyone’s fun Uncle. You know the one that encourages those exhilarating activities where you are likely to get injured or maybe even killed.

Just call him Aunt-Man.

Exercising? Oh I’m sure Brad gives Toni a great workout every night!

yes he is (her uncle) and lucky.

Au Contraire it does make Brad her uncle.

For Toni, Greg and others who have trouble with the concept, try simple English:

https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle

The difference between an uncle by blood and one by marriage is that the latter relationship may technically be dissolved by death or marriage break-up, but that technicality is widely ignored.

I think Evans wrote this strip just to see if he could set the record for most comments ever posted by readers.

technically he IS her uncle by marriage

Boy, I’ll say he’s lucky.

I’d love to see Tiffany with Ann in a head lock while Ann is yelling “Uncle!!!”

My parents had us call every one way older them us. Aunt and Uncle.. Since she was the only child and it gave us a family…. Still miss them…

English doesn’t have alot of words to describe the nuances between family relations. Which sucks. I think it’s just a play on the weirdness that is the English language. Because – be honest – if you hear a friend call someone an Uncle and you DON"T know the family relationships – do you automatically think this guy is a brother to one of your friend’s parents?? (OK, maybe I was a weird little kid – but I found the same word meaning two different things based on context of knowledge of the relationships (when no one TOLD you the actual sibling relationships) to be super confusing – especially when the adult conversation wasn’t being all that nice about someone. Were they bad mouthing their sibling who they were suppose to love (little kids are constantly reminded they are suppose to be NICE to their siblings) or bad mouthing someone who “married” into the family so it’s ok?? (Which of those is worse??)

Two comments, assuming Toni and Brad just aren’t teasing her: 1) Clearly, Evans isn’t from the South;2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle

Incorrect. Brad is her uncle by marriage.

Awwwwwww..Shannon is too cute! And Toni and Brad just fantastic.

Of course Brad is Shannon’s uncle, if “only” by marriage.

Just because Brad is her uncle by marriage rather than by genetic lineage does not make him not her uncle. He is simply her legal uncle rather than her genetic one.

Now, there are societies where tracing relationships is more complex than here due to many more terms for different relationships, but that’s not the topic…

What kind of family did Evans have? Poor guy, he got shortchanged!

When I referred to or addressed my uncles and aunts by marriage as “Uncle _____” or “Aunt ____” – It was out of respect and love, even though I knew we weren’t “blood relatives” and that technically I wasn’t their nephew.

From Greg, posted over on the Facebook Page:

"Dear Readers,Many of you spotted the typo in the Sunday XXX LUANN strip: I wrote “uncle” when it should have been “chunky.” Hm. Not buying that? Ok, In Fiji, uncles are defined differently; this trip is for my 4 readers there. No? Ok, here it is: “Uncle Brad” anagrams to “Cradle Bun” which is code for…. Oh, forget it. The truth? Gray Matter Splatter."

-Greg

so there you have it from the Horse’s mouth, so-to-speak.

Point for Brad, or as some may say, “Good answer!”

…And ‘snuggle-time’ continues! ;)

Greg, I think you dropped the ball on this one

Since Toni is the blood relative (Aunt Toni) the formal term for Uncle Brad is “Uncle In-Law”. Though who really pays attention to that? Lol Soooo, yes Brad is indeed Uncle Brad.

I thought everyone knew: Bob’s Your Uncle.

Um, yes, Brad is Shannon’s uncle, even if by marriage.

Brad DeGroot might be his name but his initials should be B. S.

tomorrow: Back to Les and Gunther, The Oddest Couple? Or is it more of the Travails of Tiffany ? Stay tooned!!!

He is her uncle, what’s going on here?

So, Greg rather sheepishly acknowledged his error, over on that social networking site that shall not be named. Of course Brad is Shannon’s uncle, like it or not. “Mostly not” would be my attitude, but we do not get to choose our relatives….

My favorite one of the last two weeks……

Of course Brad is her uncle. The husband of your aunt is your uncle. It is not just through blood. Good grief, Evanses. And the editors let this slip? Quality control?

He sure as heck is her Uncke by virtue of his marriage to her Aunt!

Brad is your uncle. If you want to get technical and don’t particularly like your ‘uncle’, he is your uncle by marriage of uncle-in-law. If you like him, he is your uncle.

Uncle by marriage, otherwise known as your uncle.

Toni is wrong!

There’s two kinds of relationships, blood and marriage. The dictionary says “uncle” is the brother of one’s father or mother or the husband of one’s aunt.

This was cute but I don’t get the joke. Brad IS her uncle since he’s married to Toni so I don’t know. Regardless though, this was cute

How is he not her uncle?

I agree with math teacher. Brad is Shannon’s uncle by marriage.

YES, YES HE IS UNCLE BWAD!

This is so confusing, exactly why wouldn’t Brad be her uncle? He’s married to her aunt, that makes him her uncle!

Uhmm… yes he is. Who taught Toni Genealogy?

How is he not her uncle?

From the dictionary…

un·cle/ˈəNGk(ə)l/nounthe brother of one’s father or mother or the husband of one’s aunt.“he visited his uncle”

Why is he not her uncle???

umm what now??? so we are measuring family by blood only?…

Yes, your aunts spouses are your uncles, and you uncles spouses are your aunts. Where did this ’he’s not your uncle’ BS come from.