Frazz by Jef Mallett for October 05, 2011

Yes, it will.

Thank goodness for Google…..

Shame on Frazz for using a high-end vocabulary word (I learned it from Oliver Sacks but have hardly used it) without explaining it. To an elementary schooler other than Caulfield, no less.

Hey, at least the kid in the last panel was right about how to get rid of it.

If he used it with Caulfield, the punch line would be totally different – Caulfield would use it to stump every one of his teachers.

Mallet always tries to impress the heck out of himself with big words and obscure historical figures in an effort to parade his self-perceived superior intelligence. Typical liberal but he often builds his conclusions on flawed precepts and presumptions.

Talk about self-perceived superior intelligence….

One of the early symptoms is broken collarbones, wrists, noses… and coffetables….

Good trick little girl!

Proprioception is a normal word. Maybe not used in everyday conversation unless you’re a physiologist or something similar, but certainly not a sign of pseudo-intellectualism.

Wow When Jeff uses words like this his comics I have to go look it up. Once there I realized its a normal term, but on for those inclined to speak in 5 syllable words and confuse us mere mortals!

William F. Buckley would have approved of “proprioception”, but then he was from an era when Conservatives didn’t shout “Elitist!” at anyone who knows more than they do…

I learned that word twice today. First from Frazz and then my physical therapist remarked on my level of proprioception.

Why wouldn’t frazz know that word? He is a triathlete and they often need medical attention in their training.

This has actually been in a previous strip where it was explained, so I guess they’re just assuming we’ve read them all (guilty).

In promulgating your esoteric cogitationsOr articulating your superficial sentimentalitiesAnd amicable philosophical or psychological observationsBeware of platitudinous ponderosity.

Let your extemporaneous descantings and unpremeditated expatiationsHave intelligibility and voracious vivacity Without rodomontade or thrasonical bombast.

Sedulously avoid all pompous prolificacy,Ventriloquial verbosityAnd vain vapidity.

Or in other words: Say what you mean;Mean what you say;And don’t use big words.

Why not use big words? Are they evil? Is this a rule from someone with authority over humankind’s speech/communication, or was it made up by you just to satisfy your personal preferences?

Big words are no less valid than small ones. There’s no good reason to ban them.

Lose yours to a head injury (car accident in my case) and you’ll use it often to try to explain yourself to others when you’re being a klutz: like stabbing your face with your fork over dinner because you were paying attention to the conversation rather than the position of said fork and the hand holding it.

Why do I think that Backwards spent several hours with Roget’s to compose that note? (By the way there, BB, I believeyou meant “profligacy”.) Anyway, if there’s one thing Frazz doesn’t do, it’s talk down to the kids or assume they’re scared of big words (like some adults seem to be).

For those, like me, who did not know the word: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception