Shoe by Gary Brookins and Susie MacNelly for November 16, 2021

I know people like that.

The tree down the road just canceled its subscription.

In Philly they ask "How you doin’ .

You know Shoe’s in a bad mood when you see him light his cigar by holding it to his forehead (and I suspect he did that earlier). I remember a ‘Shoe’ strip, when Jeff MacNelly was the cartoonist, where Shoe did light his cigar by holding it to his forehead. It happened off panel, but the reactions by Cosmo and a secretary named Buffy were duly noted.

People shouldn’t ask how I am if they don’t want to know.

Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.

It looks like some bimbo bird shot Shoe down again.

I have taken that it is just a courtesy in speaking and really rhetorical.

Something has his feathers ruffled

Well, if you didn’t want to know, why ask?

My mother had a friend she used to describe that way (“ask her how she is and she’ll tell you”).