For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for October 22, 2020

Well, at leatht Elithabef told thomeone her conthern.

Uh oh, here comes the ‘why’ question.

No, Ms Edwards. Liz’s friends were creeps. They showed no compassion or did not approach her to inquire. They simply assumed Liz snubbed them. Nice friends she has.

Nah, I think they are creeps!

They no longer think Liz snubbed them. She spoke to them and they are making fun of her.

Well this is what you get for sucking your thumb at age 10

I think Miss Edwards nailed it perfectly!

I’ve never bought that excuse. That’s something my mother would say…either “curious”, or – my all-time favorite – “jealous”. I hated it when she’d pull those platitudes out when I’d try to explain to her that kids at school were picking on me. I had a lisp, and kids would call me “Sylvester the Cat” or “Cindy Brady” (what didn’t help was that, at the time, there were 6 kids in my family – 3 boys, 3 girls – and I was the youngest).

Thufferin’ thuccotash!

True, but that doesn’t help.

Lynn’s Comments:

This is where I used alliteration as a punch line. When writing a short story, I had to produce some daily “wit” even if there was nothing to hang it on. “I think they’re all creepth!!”—"I think they’re all curious." I tied up the 4 panels as best I could with these almost rhyming comments.

Seems a bit extreme to stop a thumb sucker. My experience is they all grow out of it without all that trama. How is Elizabeth going to explain the appliance to her friends without being teased even more?

When I was young when I saw someone my age with braces I was jealous, as my teeth were way crooked. But we couldn’t afford them. I finally got them as an adult.

Sylvester? Sufferin’ succotash

Yesth sthey is all creepths withsth no compathion!

I don’t think that they are curious. At that age, they are self centered, and could care less about you struggling.

I have no experience with dental appliances, but surely Elizabeth could wear it only at home and during the night, rather than a few hours at school where she could be ridiculed for wearing it. I am very uncomfortable with subjecting children to unnecessary ridicule and bullying.

Personally, as a parent, I think it is cruel of the parents to make her wear something that they know will make her an object of ridicule, especially at the age she is. Those years are cruel enough already.

Public school motto: “Garbage in, garbage out”.

First appearance of Miss Edwards. One of the strip’s more compelling characters.

A good theme song for today’s strip: “The Merry Go Round Broke Down”.

Thath’s dithspickable…

And her parents did this to their daughter Intentionally! For something that could have been solved a simpler way. Awful Parents!

6th & 7th grades can be the worst grades for a kid (I speak from experience .I was teased a LOT .I won’t go into details because it takes too long .)

Surprised those kids knew about Sylvester. Most people would know from Trading Places, or Elly would probably know, being from the 1960s, which was the era of lighted floors and mirror balls.

There is something

I wanna ask you

There is something

That I want to know

And to this question

You have the answer

So tell me

What I want to know

Do you wanna funk?

Wont you tell me now?

If you wanna funk

Let me show you how

Do you wanna funk with me?

Do you wanna funk with me?

That’s despicable!

Where I went to school, you could tell kids why your speech was messed up, why that apparatus was in your mouth…and then you’d be teased twice as much. What a suburban hellscape.

Sthuffering succotash!

That teacher is my favorite