I was looking for something one morning, knowing I hadn’t lost my mind. I opened a kitchen drawer looking for it and there was all the stuff I’d been missing for months. Being a mechanic you collect things in your pockets throughout the day. I’d set my keys and change and billfold down by the fish tank every evening. My wife would pick up the ‘extra’ stuff and put (hide) it in this drawer. (mad emoji) I asked her what she was thinking. Oh, that’s the drawer of things that I don’t know what they are.
Maybe it’s time to reclaim ‘junk’? Junk is rubbish that you can’t bring yourself to throw away; rubbish that you can’t bear to keep is trash.A positive spin for junk!
Wasn’t it William Morris who said ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful or think might come in useful some day’?
We now have two ‘junk drawers’…one for the usual collection of twist ties, batteries, etc., and a second for all the cords, chargers, etc. to electronic devices we’ve replaced or threw away. You never know. They might be useful sometime!
A hundred years or so ago, the words “imbecile”, “idiot” and “moron” were clinical terms describing degrees of cognitive disability. In describing the physically impaired, we went from lame to crippled to handicapped to … well, you name it. My point is, renaming something because the current name has become in insult in the mouths of cruel people just gives those trolls new expressions to use as insults.
Some people (we know who you are) refer to them as the “Garbage” and/or “Deplorable” drawers. And that didn’t work out very well at all for them. God Bless America.
The undergraduate facility at the University of Chicago is called the College of the University of Chicago. Why isn’t the undergraduate facility at the University of North Texas referred to the same way?
People now have to say “merch” because merchandise is too long for them to say! Same as cubbies instead of cubby holes, and stuffies instead of stuffed animals!!
I don’t have a junk drawer. Everything has a place. Even those odd cords that come with computers we never need. I have a small bin just for those. Every now and then I empty it. I have a place for odd keys. Once a year, those get tossed. We seem to use a lot of batteries and buy them in bulk so I got a storage container that has 4 areas. AAA, AA, C & D and little ones for the truck remotes and things like that.
My mom called it the middle drawer because it was the middle drawer. My sister’s kids were really confused when their mom called any drawer where random stuff was kept “the middle drawer” even when it wasn’t the middle drawer.
In my experience, the people who make a big fuss about using new, sensitive nomenclature tend to be people who don’t use the term “righteous” very often — they don’t like the idea (in general) that some people or actions might be more “right” than others, even though they are very concerned with using the right words and are convinced that anyone who disagrees with them must be wrong.
These aren’t souls that haven’t found their special purpose. They’re things that have very small niche purposes, we know what they are and we have too many of them.
I sure hope people are putting as much time and energy into fighting things like racism, sexism and poverty as they are into complaining about PC word wars.
While you’re at it, Skip, let’s discuss the character who appears in this strip on at least a weekly basis whose name is right there on the printed page but this site won’t allow to be referred to in the comments. (Wise [donkey] on the hill).
In my family we’ve called it the junk drawer since I was a little kid…my wife however, insists on calling it the ‘utility drawer’. I try to cooperate but usually fail miserably!
BasilBruce 1 day ago
If you want people to talk a certain way, don’t make it hard or awkward; that is a thing up with which people will not put.
noahproblem 1 day ago
So the Comic Strip Censor decided to outsource cases where cuss words aren’t used but the word(s) are still inappropriate?
Hello Everyone 1 day ago
This reminds me when the Dorms at Cal tried to rebrand themselves as “Res Halls”.
The dude from FL Premium Member 1 day ago
I lovingly call it my garbage can
Baarorso 1 day ago
In other words, Skip Righteous NOES a good thing when he sees it. :/
MeanBob Premium Member 1 day ago
Sounds like Skip already had his junk slammed in a drawer.
garethkb415 Premium Member 1 day ago
If you thought making up guys to get mad at was bad on Xwitter, imagine having a nationally syndicated newspaper comic
Concretionist 1 day ago
Language mostly changes from the inside. Though I have observed some enforced gender-correctness actually catch on.
Strod 1 day ago
Curiously, Arlo (of Arlo & Janis fame) is also having issues with his cord thingies today.
orinoco womble 1 day ago
None of this explains why weather segments have changed the names of a lot of weather phenomena. Gale force winds are now “derecho” and such as that.
candh1206 1 day ago
I admit, calling it that instead of junk drawer is a lot funnier.
rshive 1 day ago
There’s only one such drawer?
Sanspareil 1 day ago
So if some artist went around and drew some junk thrown in the wasteland, why should he/she be denigrated as a junk drawer?
Purple People Eater 1 day ago
How do you dehumanize an extension cord?
uniquename 1 day ago
I would put it in the circular file of loving things…
iggyman 1 day ago
Tomato tomahto, still the same thing!
iggyman 1 day ago
Skip Righteous, must you complicate things?
blunebottle 1 day ago
Put Skip in the junk drawer. Please.
Imagine 1 day ago
Or just dump it into the receptacle for the sanitation engineer to empty out.
Justanolddude Premium Member 1 day ago
I was looking for something one morning, knowing I hadn’t lost my mind. I opened a kitchen drawer looking for it and there was all the stuff I’d been missing for months. Being a mechanic you collect things in your pockets throughout the day. I’d set my keys and change and billfold down by the fish tank every evening. My wife would pick up the ‘extra’ stuff and put (hide) it in this drawer. (mad emoji) I asked her what she was thinking. Oh, that’s the drawer of things that I don’t know what they are.
Differentname 1 day ago
Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphiokarabomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon
From an article on Cracked.com
RobinHood 1 day ago
The Drawer Of Misfit Stuff?
Lenavid 1 day ago
Sort of like when the newest tax comes titled as the “Tax Relief Act”?
markkahler52 1 day ago
When Meaning becomes stripped down to the defining Word….
Sephten 1 day ago
Maybe it’s time to reclaim ‘junk’? Junk is rubbish that you can’t bring yourself to throw away; rubbish that you can’t bear to keep is trash.A positive spin for junk!
Gent 1 day ago
What about the comic strip called Junk Drawer then? What you gonna renames that as now?
Sephten 1 day ago
Wasn’t it William Morris who said ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful or think might come in useful some day’?
monya_43 1 day ago
When things are too big for the junk drawer, they go in the garage. There isn’t room for the car anymore.
Painted Wolf 1 day ago
Come the revolution, Skip will be first against the wall.
Goat from PBS 1 day ago
Nope. Still calling it a junk drawer. The other one is waaaay too long.
DanielRyanMulligan1 1 day ago
Please, “let it go, let it go, let the wind and the ice and the snow go, let it go…” Dan aka…ps know the reference yet?
daveoverpar 1 day ago
Arlo was looking for that thingie.
SquidGamerGal 1 day ago
Pfft! Too long and complicating! I’m sticking with junk drawer. Sue me!
rhbrandon2 1 day ago
This is what “running a joke into the ground” looks like. I love it.
VICTOR PROULX 1 day ago
My father called it the “hell box.”
Hogryder 1 day ago
We now have two ‘junk drawers’…one for the usual collection of twist ties, batteries, etc., and a second for all the cords, chargers, etc. to electronic devices we’ve replaced or threw away. You never know. They might be useful sometime!
Droptma Styx 1 day ago
A hundred years or so ago, the words “imbecile”, “idiot” and “moron” were clinical terms describing degrees of cognitive disability. In describing the physically impaired, we went from lame to crippled to handicapped to … well, you name it. My point is, renaming something because the current name has become in insult in the mouths of cruel people just gives those trolls new expressions to use as insults.
Ellis97 1 day ago
Pig, shut up. You want to get cancelled?
Dirtfarmer 1 day ago
My house doesn’t have a junk drawer. It has a junk wing.
serial232 1 day ago
I took a permanent and wrote in larger letters: JUNK DRAWER. Thank you Mr. Pastis.
kaffekup 1 day ago
How can it be dehumanizing when the occupants of the junk drawer aren’t human?
timinwsac Premium Member 1 day ago
Tomorrow Skip Righteous topic will be about people who keep junk in the trunk of their cars.
Alicia1955 1 day ago
I don’t have just one junk drawer. I sure as hell do not put loving souls into a drawer.
asmbeers 1 day ago
New term for progressives still mourning the 2024 election, “Wokists”.
royq27 1 day ago
I think this strip is going in my junk drawer…
old_geek 1 day ago
Maybe I have found a home…
CountOlaf2.0 Premium Member 1 day ago
Some people (we know who you are) refer to them as the “Garbage” and/or “Deplorable” drawers. And that didn’t work out very well at all for them. God Bless America.
SearchBoy Premium Member 1 day ago
Wow, even if we governmentize it to “Dolswhnyftspil” is still a bit too much.
IndyW 1 day ago
So when Biden referred to Trump supports as garbage, should he had said “biological or sanitation engineers” instead?
prrdh 1 day ago
The undergraduate facility at the University of Chicago is called the College of the University of Chicago. Why isn’t the undergraduate facility at the University of North Texas referred to the same way?
CountOlaf2.0 Premium Member 1 day ago
Remember when Navin Johnson found his “Special Purpose” in “The Jerk”. ; )
pearlyqim 1 day ago
People now have to say “merch” because merchandise is too long for them to say! Same as cubbies instead of cubby holes, and stuffies instead of stuffed animals!!
Queen of America 1 day ago
I don’t have a junk drawer. Everything has a place. Even those odd cords that come with computers we never need. I have a small bin just for those. Every now and then I empty it. I have a place for odd keys. Once a year, those get tossed. We seem to use a lot of batteries and buy them in bulk so I got a storage container that has 4 areas. AAA, AA, C & D and little ones for the truck remotes and things like that.
LaughterIsJoyMuliplied 1 day ago
Thanks Steph.
marilynnbyerly 1 day ago
My mom called it the middle drawer because it was the middle drawer. My sister’s kids were really confused when their mom called any drawer where random stuff was kept “the middle drawer” even when it wasn’t the middle drawer.
zachmont4 1 day ago
They’re not “illegal aliens”, they’re “irregular border crossers”, according to the Canadian government. See how we’ve solved the problem?
randybrewer Premium Member 1 day ago
Oh for godsakes, what a strawman argument. Puleeze!
zeexenon 1 day ago
A.K.A. my work desk drawer where I put subordinate management engineer suggestions.
Spacetech 1 day ago
The Junk Drawer…
DaBump Premium Member 1 day ago
In my experience, the people who make a big fuss about using new, sensitive nomenclature tend to be people who don’t use the term “righteous” very often — they don’t like the idea (in general) that some people or actions might be more “right” than others, even though they are very concerned with using the right words and are convinced that anyone who disagrees with them must be wrong.
Jeffin Premium Member 1 day ago
I’m gonna Skip that one.
Maswartz 1 day ago
Someone totally complained to the editor about one of his comics didn’t they.
jbruins84341 1 day ago
I guess it is a good thing we don’t put humans in the j—- drawer. Wouldn’t want to dehumanize them.
KEA about 24 hours ago
How can one dehumanize something that wasn’t human to begin with… I mean outside of nutcake religion
Bilan about 24 hours ago
These aren’t souls that haven’t found their special purpose. They’re things that have very small niche purposes, we know what they are and we have too many of them.
mindjob about 23 hours ago
I think I’ll skip it
billdaviswords about 23 hours ago
It’s ridiculous that people want to cancel the original meaning of “junk drawer” beacuse others are using it figuratively in a new, insulting way.
LJZ Premium Member about 22 hours ago
Give them to Arlo, he’s sorting out thingees today!
JoeMartinFan Premium Member about 22 hours ago
I sure hope people are putting as much time and energy into fighting things like racism, sexism and poverty as they are into complaining about PC word wars.
Cerabooge about 21 hours ago
Random-stuff drawer works fine for me, but you can’t beat the alliteration of junk jrawer.
FrostbiteFalls about 20 hours ago
While you’re at it, Skip, let’s discuss the character who appears in this strip on at least a weekly basis whose name is right there on the printed page but this site won’t allow to be referred to in the comments. (Wise [donkey] on the hill).
There, I just tried it again.
bcaka about 18 hours ago
In my family we’ve called it the junk drawer since I was a little kid…my wife however, insists on calling it the ‘utility drawer’. I try to cooperate but usually fail miserably!
Happy Jack Hill about 17 hours ago
My ex told me to keep my junk in my own drawers.
eddi-TBH about 16 hours ago
What a bunch of junk.
einarbt about 12 hours ago
Noted.
Exasperated999 about 8 hours ago
I see a lot of posters here boasting about the size of their junk…