Think that’s bad? Try reading Old English texts. That’s a mouthful. Think that is a mouthful? Try drinking Olde English 800 malt liquor at a frat party! Been there, done that at UVa.
This reminds me of one of those “Animal Cops” shows. One gentleman in particular could never say, “We’ve had this report, so we’ll go to the house and find out what’s going on.” No, “we’ll make the location and ascertain the activities taking place.” Make the location? Make it what?
Language is devolving. In earlier times [and not that long ago], language was rich and colorful. Now, much of it runs barely deeper than pond scum. And, thanks to emoji’s and artificial abbreviations, even that is shrinking.
Alas and forsooth, ye Undersheriff Tootie. Hasten off, I say, to Ye Olde Donut Shoppe yon forthwith before all of the white frosted with coconut sprinkles have been absconded. Dilly! Dilly!
This strip puzzled me when I first read it in 1992. As I stated earlier, I thought that the last panel meant Calvin was complaining about unrealistic dialogue in cop shows rather than offering cop shops as an example of realism!
I have come to accept that Calvin’s mockery of Shakespearean English in his imagined dialogue with Mom is quite good. I particularly like Calvin’s description of himself as a “capricious zephyr”. He does indeed wander through life aimlessly and do things just for fun.
ahhh! Calvin is getting some culture poured into him. I watched Liberace piano music because the cartoons came on right after, I still like to listen to good piano players.
“To Be Guilty or To Not Be Guilty” – short-lived, 1973, Shakespearean Era precedural crime drama. Followed the adventures of Detective Inspector Hamlet, who feigned being marginally insane to throw off suspects. :)
N.B.: A wastrel is “one who expends resources foolishly and self-indulgently.” The first syllable of wastrel rhymes with “paste”, not “past”. At least two American movies got that wrong. ::grumble grumble grumble:: :-)
Bill Watterson got the idea for this strip after seeing a Shakespeare play on TV and having trouble understanding what they were saying! Definitely one of the funniest daily strips of 1992!
Reminds the series , ‘Deadwood’, where between the average 43 incidences of expletive swearing, they’d converse in hyper formal prose that i found stangely refreshing..
BE THIS GUY over 2 years ago
Comedian, director, writer, and actor Robert Townsend has a career because he spent his summer vacations watching the plays of Shakespeare on tv.
codycab over 2 years ago
I would play along but NAY!
Templo S.U.D. over 2 years ago
well, Calvin, don’t you have a time machine where you could go back to Shakespearean times and teach them “real” English?
C over 2 years ago
Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.
eastern.woods.metal over 2 years ago
Cop shows? I thought Calvin was into vampire vixens or some such
bluram over 2 years ago
PoodleGroomer over 2 years ago
A show where the musket fires 30 rounds before needing reloading?
JudasPeckerwood over 2 years ago
That’s just how the Shakespeare Squad rolls, Calvin.
Dr. Quatermass over 2 years ago
Think that’s bad? Try reading Old English texts. That’s a mouthful. Think that is a mouthful? Try drinking Olde English 800 malt liquor at a frat party! Been there, done that at UVa.
David_the_CAD over 2 years ago
Ahh, to be watching The Court Jester
in.amongst over 2 years ago
They speaketh a strange tongue.
Robin Harwood over 2 years ago
Real people talk like that, don’t they?
orinoco womble over 2 years ago
This reminds me of one of those “Animal Cops” shows. One gentleman in particular could never say, “We’ve had this report, so we’ll go to the house and find out what’s going on.” No, “we’ll make the location and ascertain the activities taking place.” Make the location? Make it what?
BigDaveGlass over 2 years ago
And he went without Hobbes…….
sandpiper over 2 years ago
Language is devolving. In earlier times [and not that long ago], language was rich and colorful. Now, much of it runs barely deeper than pond scum. And, thanks to emoji’s and artificial abbreviations, even that is shrinking.
The Reader Premium Member over 2 years ago
Forsooth!
Susan00100 over 2 years ago
Mr. S.’s epithet ends: “Cursed he who steals my bones.”
Isn’t stealing his poetic style just as bad??
VegaAlopex over 2 years ago
It’s unfortunate that most English speakers today have no clue how to use the former second person pronouns.
M2MM over 2 years ago
Great choice of dialogue for both characters! :D
meg_grif over 2 years ago
Calvin doth protest too much, methinks.
Algolei I over 2 years ago
“Villany?” What, the town in Hungary that is famous for its wine?
einarbt over 2 years ago
Now we know where Calvin gets his great vocabulary, or at least some of it, from and people say that TV makes you dumb.
djtenltd over 2 years ago
The way Calvin and his mother are talking reminds me of the world famous classic, “Moby Dick”. I love the old English dialog!
johndifool over 2 years ago
It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Nuke Road Warrior over 2 years ago
Arrgh, tarry ye ’til it be pirate bespoke day.
Dobby53 Premium Member over 2 years ago
" Confusion now hath make his masterpiece."
orinoco womble over 2 years ago
“Pirate bespoke day”? You’re going to order a pirate made to measure? Cool! Calvin will love that!
rmercer Premium Member over 2 years ago
Hey, “Capricious Zephyr” is my Zodiac sign!
jagedlo over 2 years ago
When Calvin and Hobbes meet Shakespeare…
Count Olaf Premium Member over 2 years ago
Alas and forsooth, ye Undersheriff Tootie. Hasten off, I say, to Ye Olde Donut Shoppe yon forthwith before all of the white frosted with coconut sprinkles have been absconded. Dilly! Dilly!
dflak over 2 years ago
Oh ye scion of bureaucrat! Seek thee thy comfort in in the company of a companion of feline persuasion. May mirth and fair “toss and tumble” pursue.
MS72 over 2 years ago
I miss “Cops”.
Packratjohn Premium Member over 2 years ago
Verily…
vaughnrl2003 Premium Member over 2 years ago
Well, phooey-th. I thought they were playing Dungeons and Dragons.
A Hip loving Canadian... over 2 years ago
Must be an action movie, the TV is in mid-air.
joegeethree over 2 years ago
Calvin is rocking that Shakespeare!
mourdac Premium Member over 2 years ago
There’s been very few cop and medical shows which have any resemblance to reality.
Bookworm over 2 years ago
Alas, Mom must be watching that subversive PBS again. /s
enigmamz over 2 years ago
This might be the best non-Sunday, non-snowman one day in the whole series.
Will_Scarlet over 2 years ago
Words, words, words.
brick10 over 2 years ago
I just love this bantering! Mom has the situation sized up very well.
Will_Scarlet over 2 years ago
I didn’t understand Shakespeare at Calvin’s age, but I still loved the sound of it.
Calvinist1966 over 2 years ago
This strip puzzled me when I first read it in 1992. As I stated earlier, I thought that the last panel meant Calvin was complaining about unrealistic dialogue in cop shows rather than offering cop shops as an example of realism!
I have come to accept that Calvin’s mockery of Shakespearean English in his imagined dialogue with Mom is quite good. I particularly like Calvin’s description of himself as a “capricious zephyr”. He does indeed wander through life aimlessly and do things just for fun.
jrankin1959 over 2 years ago
And yet, the TV still jumps around; must be a sword fight or something…
LunarRover over 2 years ago
Calvin and Hobbes: King James Version
bjminnis over 2 years ago
ahhh! Calvin is getting some culture poured into him. I watched Liberace piano music because the cartoons came on right after, I still like to listen to good piano players.
ChessPirate over 2 years ago
“Get thee to your roomery…”
streuny81@aol.com over 2 years ago
Bill you are the best, I don’t know how you continuely come up with great Calvin and Hobbes comics.
g04922 over 2 years ago
Mom plays fantasy better than Calvin. Well, Hobbes is not there, ATM.
mistercatworks over 2 years ago
“To Be Guilty or To Not Be Guilty” – short-lived, 1973, Shakespearean Era precedural crime drama. Followed the adventures of Detective Inspector Hamlet, who feigned being marginally insane to throw off suspects. :)
Calvins Brother over 2 years ago
“Get thee gone, wastrel.” Love it.
StevePappas over 2 years ago
schlamoly. Hilarious!
EMGULS79 over 2 years ago
1 Cor. 14:11
delennwen over 2 years ago
This is freaking brilliant. I love it.
Realimaginary1 Premium Member over 2 years ago
Calvin is a very talented knave at which hour he becomes restless!
mindjob over 2 years ago
Excellent !
gantech over 2 years ago
Methinks they talketh funny…
Redd Panda over 2 years ago
Can’t choose my favorite play, tossup between, Taming of the Shrew and that Scottish play.
How say you all? A favorite?
Have to nix Romeo and Juliet, too sad an end, methinks. I did have an Alfa Romeo, once
cmxx over 2 years ago
N.B.: A wastrel is “one who expends resources foolishly and self-indulgently.” The first syllable of wastrel rhymes with “paste”, not “past”. At least two American movies got that wrong. ::grumble grumble grumble:: :-)
moondog42 Premium Member over 2 years ago
“Methinks the most capricious zephyr hath more design than I” will always and forever be one of my favorite lines from Calvin
Ka`ōnōhi`ula`okahōkūmiomio`ehiku Premium Member over 2 years ago
Bill had “The Complete Works of Shakespeare” under his pillow last night.
wiley207 over 2 years ago
Bill Watterson got the idea for this strip after seeing a Shakespeare play on TV and having trouble understanding what they were saying! Definitely one of the funniest daily strips of 1992!
The Wolf In Your Midst over 2 years ago
Prithee, sib, should thou seek to attack the speech of others, stay thy hand; adventure it not! You yourself do not utter the true King’s English.
musicnut1986 over 2 years ago
Shhhhh Calvin. Mom’s trying to class up da joint.
rwh2 over 2 years ago
“We are arrant knaves all; believe none of us”
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
buflogal! over 2 years ago
Shakespeare: okay. But since this is Calvin I was thinking more like knights and knaves or maybe Robin Hood.
Gordo4ever over 2 years ago
Calvin needs to watch “Blue Bloods”…..
buflogal! over 2 years ago
“I am off.” Yet he is sitting right next to his Mom. Methinks he has been detained.
kab2rb over 2 years ago
What did Calvin do to get stuck with that show? For COPS was cancelled, Live PD changed names going to pay channel.
Will_Scarlet over 2 years ago
I used to see Pauly Shore on tv and ask “can’t we watch something where they talk like real people?”
sloop john b. over 2 years ago
Methinks the lad protest too much.
VegaAlopex over 2 years ago
OOPS! The third panel should be: Ay but hear THEE this,… The original THECK of the accusative disappeared in Old English.
Gordette over 2 years ago
One of my very favorite C & Hs! And so fun to read out loud.
Otis Rufus Driftwood over 2 years ago
Calvin seemed to be learning something.
cosman over 2 years ago
Reminds the series , ‘Deadwood’, where between the average 43 incidences of expletive swearing, they’d converse in hyper formal prose that i found stangely refreshing..
erinurse2000 over 2 years ago
verily
neatslob Premium Member over 2 years ago
I love this one!
nathan.sheriff3 over 2 years ago
Now this is a FUNNY sketch!!