Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for July 06, 2019

Maybe Goat should have said abseiling.

It means Rat is rappellent

“Rappelling”? I’m as dumbfounded as Rat in the final panel.

rappel – descend a rock face or other near-vertical surface by using a doubled rope coiled around the body and fixed at a higher point.

Rat’s nose is bound to meet a new face.

Even knowing what rappelling means, it’s not clear why Rat is pausing in panel 3.

Did he not understand that he also has to come down?

Many years ago, I discovered that mice could climb string while cockroaches could not. Cockroaches could climb walls while mice could not. This explains why rat would be great at rappelling.

A “Sound Like” joke? Not so good in print.

As a goat he knows quite well about mountaineering.

If it requires explanation and work it is not funny.

Repelling alright

Looks like it’s a slow day at the office for Mr. Pastis – too much work trying to understand the deeper mystic meaning of today’s strip!

So that is what a lost Rat looks like ! ………. Croc Power !

Sounds about right!

Wouldn’t the joke make more sense if Goat had said “repelling”? Then the 3rd panel is when Rat realizes that Goat said “repelling” rather than “rappelling”. As is, it doesn’t make much sense.

So while Rat awaits his Lyft ride to the recreation center, stay tuned for another episode of “Rocky Rodent Road,”when we hear Rat wonder, ‘Maybe I should’ve started with the spelunking class.’

Heaven help me. I thought it was pretty funny.

I saw what you did there, Pastis

Don’t bring Rat down.

I’ve read every reply. Still don’t get it. I don’t think “repelling” vs “rappelling” is the key. And EVERYBODY knows what “rappelling” is, unless you are Norwegian or something. So it isn’t a dictionary look-up test. Perhaps we are part of a great experiment to see how many people write in and question what the heck the comic is about? Could that be Mr. Pastis’ goal?

This is what happens when Pastis refrains from beating a pun about the head and shoulders.

Since rock-climbing has nothing to do with rappelling or repelling, the attempted joke is off on the wrong foot (heh heh).

I took it as referring to the safety line often worn while rock-climbing. Goat is so sure that Rat will be bad at rock-climbing, he’s guaranteed to fall, so he’s actually going to be going rappelling.

As someone who has been told similar things, I would think Rat would be proud.

Rat IS “repelling”.

wait is that a joke about “repelling” or am I missing the point?

Sounds a bit like repelling. Rat just got it!!!

Don’t give up now, Rat!

Have to keep the words small and easy.

I came to see if there was something on the sidewalk, for me, the pronunciation of repelling isn’t all that close to rappelling, but that is probably what the joke is. This could give us a clue as to Pastis dialect of english.

…waaaaaaait…

It takes skills and technique to climb but all Rat has to do to descend is to let go and gravity will do the rest.

Repelling vs. rappelling is food for thought.

I reject rock-climbing. Deal with it.

Rock climbing is fun!