Red and Rover by Brian Basset for September 04, 2024

Is Red just saying “I will” automatically or is he deliberately defying Rover on the matter of eating paste? Rover isn’t sure and neither am I.

I never ate paste, but I liked to smear it on my hands, wait for it to dry and then have fun peeling it off.

Red is too excited to see Ruby that Rover’s last instruction did not register in his mind, look at the eye roll.

Miss Hoover: Ralph, are you eating your paste? (Ralph Wiggum on The Simpsons)

It can be confusing/tricky when someone uses a negative in a question or when someone answers a question with a negative in it – like “Won’t you make yourself at home?” If the person responds with “Yes.”, does that mean “Yes. I will make myself at home.” or “Yes. I won’t …” If the person responds with “No.”, does that mean "No. I won’t … " or “No. I won’t not” (which means “I will”)?

Of course (?), the “traditional” way to take it and respond is as if the negative wasn’t there. But is that really right? And if so, why say it that way anyway? – as in “Will you make yourself at home?” Then again, that doesn’t sound like it’s inviting or giving permission to the other person.

My memories of early elementary school are mostly finger paints, peppermint flavored paste, and alcohol smell of damp mimeograph pages.

Red, well done on the hair! Love it

I ate the paste in 1st grade, it smelled so good! LePages

“I will” syndrome!!!

I thought Red was too old to eat paste. Oh well :(

Ooh, I sense an addiction to paste!

I love the little smile on Red when Rover brings up Ruby! :-)

Red, you can’t fool Rover!

Isn’t he a bit old for that habit? He’d better kick it before Ruby notices.

The position of Red’s eyes in each panel show exactly what he’s thinking as he answers Rover—from “sigh” to “yeah, well” to “so happy to” to “well, that’s dubious.”

Yes, I will eat paste.

The paste I will not taste with haste……….

Paste is like peanut butter — it sticks to the roof of your mouth!