Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for August 03, 2011
August 02, 2011
August 04, 2011
Transcript:
Gene: OK, what's a dowelry?
Mary Lou: Dowry!
Mary Lou: A dowry is what my family pays your family to take me off their hands!
Gene: You're kidding me.
Mary Lou: No!!
Mary Lou: And f I were your family, I'd shoot the moon!
As a Brit, I have to assume that “shoot the moon” is a US colloquialism that I’m not familiar with. Over her it means (or used to mean) “do a moonlight flit”, that is, move house in the middle of the night to avoid paying the back rent. Doesn’t sound like that applies here!
many similar concepts, including ‘dine and dash’ (not paying a restaurant bill) and ‘pump and go’ (gasoline stealing), but you’re right — I can’t think of any Americanisms for stiffing the landlord …. “Sleep and slide” comes to mind as one that needs to be created …. ? Sounds like it might be skipping out on a hotel bill though! :)
Another note: the American sense of “shoot the moon” apparently comes from the card game of Hearts, where it’s the equivalent of bidding a grand slam at bridge. “Go for broke” is probably the closest equivalent in both British and American usage; it does mean “go for it all”, as Leon says, but with the implication of losing a great deal if the gamble doesn’t succeed.
I am an American who has never crossed the pond, but I have heard, and used, the term “midnight flit” often. Perhaps it is because we read so many British novels…
wow, many references here I think-the dowelry being a cartoonists library, and of course Hearts and dowry too. She has it right, shoot the moon when it comes to having a heart and a dowry! downright clever mr. Johnson
Hmm… seems that unless the girl is just dead weight and no help at all to her family, it would make more sense for the guy to pay the dowry, as in many countries.
“Shoot the moon” is a term from Hearts, in which a player wins every single point card in play. Since you normally want to avoid winning point cards, attempting it is extremely risky (if you miss even one card, you’ll have such a bad round that you may never recover) and extremely rewarding (if you’re successful, you add all of those points to the totals of all three of your opponents).
Well, I’ve learned few things today! Thanks folks. (Funnily enough, I’ve got Partridge AND Fowler under my chair just now, along with the excellent English our English (and how to sing it) by Keith Waterhouse.)
In the card game “Hearts,” as played in the United States, you do not want to end up with Hearts in your hand at the end game. It costs you points.
Unless you can get ALL the hearts. If you get ALL the hearts, you get a BONUS score. It’s hard to do because all ANY of your opponents has to do is prevent you from taking a SINGLE heart.
This is called “shooting the moon,” for reasons I have never discerned.
Catfeet Premium Member over 13 years ago
Sounds like bribery!
Kamino Neko over 13 years ago
I find it kind of hard to believe Gene’s never heard of dowries. We learned about them in high school English…
SteveAz over 13 years ago
this is a very suddle HINT by her
KasperV over 13 years ago
As a Brit, I have to assume that “shoot the moon” is a US colloquialism that I’m not familiar with. Over her it means (or used to mean) “do a moonlight flit”, that is, move house in the middle of the night to avoid paying the back rent. Doesn’t sound like that applies here!
psychlady over 13 years ago
Cute!
Poncede over 13 years ago
@ steve parkes In the US, shoot the moon means to go for it all.
Logicman over 13 years ago
many similar concepts, including ‘dine and dash’ (not paying a restaurant bill) and ‘pump and go’ (gasoline stealing), but you’re right — I can’t think of any Americanisms for stiffing the landlord …. “Sleep and slide” comes to mind as one that needs to be created …. ? Sounds like it might be skipping out on a hotel bill though! :)
prrdh over 13 years ago
Another note: the American sense of “shoot the moon” apparently comes from the card game of Hearts, where it’s the equivalent of bidding a grand slam at bridge. “Go for broke” is probably the closest equivalent in both British and American usage; it does mean “go for it all”, as Leon says, but with the implication of losing a great deal if the gamble doesn’t succeed.
Galliglo over 13 years ago
I am an American who has never crossed the pond, but I have heard, and used, the term “midnight flit” often. Perhaps it is because we read so many British novels…
Jonni over 13 years ago
wow, many references here I think-the dowelry being a cartoonists library, and of course Hearts and dowry too. She has it right, shoot the moon when it comes to having a heart and a dowry! downright clever mr. Johnson
Varnes over 13 years ago
Back home, Arlo feels a disturbance in the force…
Kydex29 over 13 years ago
Hmm… seems that unless the girl is just dead weight and no help at all to her family, it would make more sense for the guy to pay the dowry, as in many countries.
Boise Ed Premium Member over 13 years ago
In some other societies, just the opposite tradition applied: the brideprice.
loganswift over 13 years ago
“Shoot the moon” is a term from Hearts, in which a player wins every single point card in play. Since you normally want to avoid winning point cards, attempting it is extremely risky (if you miss even one card, you’ll have such a bad round that you may never recover) and extremely rewarding (if you’re successful, you add all of those points to the totals of all three of your opponents).
Dirty Dragon over 13 years ago
So the ‘solution’ to no zoom feature on the A&J Sunday strips is to make the rest of the week no zoom as well?Really?
Comic Minister Premium Member over 13 years ago
So that’s a Dowry.
jmo328 over 13 years ago
Around here “shoot the moon” means turning around and dropping your drawers to flash a bare a$$ at someone or something.
candomarty Premium Member over 13 years ago
Regarding “shoot the moon”: I STILL don’t get its meaning in this comic strip… at ALL. Unfortunate use of phrase, IMHO.
cbrsarah over 13 years ago
I’m just glad dowries went out of style.
KasperV over 13 years ago
Well, I’ve learned few things today! Thanks folks. (Funnily enough, I’ve got Partridge AND Fowler under my chair just now, along with the excellent English our English (and how to sing it) by Keith Waterhouse.)
mcnutt over 2 years ago
In the card game “Hearts,” as played in the United States, you do not want to end up with Hearts in your hand at the end game. It costs you points.
Unless you can get ALL the hearts. If you get ALL the hearts, you get a BONUS score. It’s hard to do because all ANY of your opponents has to do is prevent you from taking a SINGLE heart.
This is called “shooting the moon,” for reasons I have never discerned.