explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

420: Jealousy

2024-08-25T03:02:55Z

Epicradman123:

{{comic
| number = 420
| date = May 7, 2008
| title = Jealousy
| image = jealousy.png
| titletext = Oh, huh, so you didn't know that story?
}}

==Explanation==
In the first four stanzas of this soliloquy, [[Cueball]] reminisces fondly about his meeting of [[Megan]] at a party where they quickly had a romantic rapport and spent the night together. The next two stanzas are a lamentation that Megan is now married and can never have that same experience again.

The final stanza reveals that this is not merely Cueball waxing poetic about a previous love, but that he is actually making a toast as the best man at Megan's wedding reception - certainly an occasion when it is wildly inappropriate to discuss the previous romantic involvements of the bride. In modern times, it is not unexpected that the bride at a wedding will have had previous relationships with someone other than the groom, but a wedding is no time to mention them.{{Citation needed}}

The title text implies that the groom had no prior knowledge of Cueball's and Megan's dalliance, and therefore the toast is even more inappropriate - going beyond discussing the previous romantic history of the bride, to actually revealing previously unknown such history to the groom.

Presumably, Cueball's having been selected to be best man indicates that he is a good friend of the groom (as the groom normally selects the best man). The title hints that Cueball is envious of the groom, since his previous encounter with Megan clearly did not result in a lasting relationship, while the groom's clearly did. This suggests that he may be intentionally (perhaps drunkenly) making an inappropriate toast to embarrass the couple as a result of his bitterness.

This was only the third time the [[Megan#Name|name Megan]] was used in xkcd, the first time being in [[159: Boombox]].

==Transcript==
:[Dark scene shown, with Cueball and Megan sitting in the moonlight let in by the only window.]
:Megan and I first met at a party at her sister's.
:We hit it off, opened up, shared secrets, and talked about everything. Around us, the party waned, but we hid from sleep together, talking through the deepest hours of the night.
:The dawn found us curled up on a couch, asleep but still together.
:That experience, connecting with a stranger and falling recklessly in love is one of life's greatest joys.
:And now that you're married, you'll never experience it again.
:It's the price you pay for everlasting love. It's a small one, but I hope it stings a little.
:Anyway, I wish you and Megan the best.
:...Hey, man, you <u>asked</u> me to do a toast.

==Trivia==
This comic used to be [https://web.archive.org/web/20220125023401/https://store.xkcd.com/products/signed-prints available as a signed print] in the xkcd store before it was [[Store|shut down]].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Comics with xkcd store products]]
[[Category:Wedding]]

Talk:347: Brick Archway

2024-08-23T19:02:37Z

Epicradman123:

.........[[User:Dontknow|Dontknow]] ([[User talk:Dontknow|talk]]) 20:22, 19 April 2017 (UTC)

Type "Atari Breakout" in Google image search. (I'm pretty sure it only works on pc.) [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 12:56, 8 March 2018 (UTC)
:The search results won't make it self-evident that you're talking about [https://elgoog.im/breakout/ this] —[[User:Kazvorpal|Kazvorpal]] ([[User talk:Kazvorpal|talk]]) 04:54, 10 November 2019 (UTC)
:It also works on laptops. [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] ([[User talk:Beanie|talk]]) 14:19, 22 March 2021 (UTC)

:NOTE, it no longer works. [[User:TheOddCell|TheOddCell]] ([[User talk:TheOddCell|talk]]) 02:23, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

:Extra Note, if you go type in Atari Breakout and click "I'm feeling lucky" it will work. [[User:Epicradman123|Epicradman123]] ([[User talk:Epicradman123|talk]]) 19:02, 23 August 2024 (UTC)

328: Eggs

2024-08-23T18:42:42Z

Epicradman123:

{{comic
| number = 328
| date = October 12, 2007
| title = Eggs
| image = eggs.png
| titletext = Oh, yeah, we get tons of them at these casual sex bars.
}}

==Explanation==
At a bar, [[Cueball]] uses what appears to be a common cheesy pick-up line: "So, how do you like your eggs in the morning?" — implying that he will be the one cooking them, because they will still be together in the morning, after they spent the night having sex.

For women who do not appreciate such paltry attempts at soliciting sexual intercourse, a sardonic counter-response to the pick-up line is "unfertilized," which switches the meaning of "eggs" from {{w|egg (food)|chicken eggs}} to {{w|egg cell|female gametes}}, expressing the sentiment that they do not wish to have sex. However, in this scenario, it turns out Cueball is not actually trying to solicit sex from [[Megan]] at all, but is just interested in setting up jokes. Megan's desire for actual casual sex therefore subverts his plan for comedy. He politely declines her offer and tries instead with a different joke using the classic {{w|snowclone}} priest and rabbi setup.

The title text continues the conversation, where Megan reveals that the bar is actually a "casual sex bar" and further suggests that priests and rabbis do in fact come to the bar frequently. This is in contrast to real life, where women in bars are generally not interested in casual sex,{{Citation needed}} and such bars would probably not be frequented by religious leaders.{{Citation needed}}

==Transcript==
:[Megan sits at a bar; Beret Guy cleans a glass from behind the counter. Cueball approaches.]
:Cueball: So, how do you like your eggs in the morning?

:[Closeup on Megan.]
:Megan: Ooh, sunny side up.
:Cueball [off-panel]: Oh. Huh.

:[Wide shot with Beret Guy, Megan, and Cueball again.]
:Megan: Is that a problem?
:Cueball: Well, it's just that I was trying to set you up for the "unfertilized" line.

:[Only Megan and Cueball are shown, with Cueball standing farther away from Megan.]
:Megan: Ah. Bad timing; I'm actually looking for casual sex.
:Megan: ...Interested?
:Cueball: I'd love to, but I've got like 20 more jokes to set up tonight. Hey, have you seen a priest and a rabbi?

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Sex]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Food]]

101: Laser Scope

2024-08-16T18:35:27Z

Epicradman123: changed verb in last sentence from "attempted to shoot" to "shot"

{{comic
| number = 101
| date = May 12, 2006
| title = Laser Scope
| image = laser_scope.jpg
| titletext = I wish I'd missed you then so I wouldn't be missing you now
}}

==Explanation==
This comic plays on the {{w|homonym}}ic relationship between "miss" (to feel sad due to the absence of someone) and "miss" (to fail to hit – in this case, with a gunshot). "Miss your loved ones?" is a question that would generally use the former "miss." However, its use on the package for a laser scope implies the latter "miss."

A {{w|Telescopic sight|sighting scope}} can be attached to a firearm to aid in aiming the weapon. The addition of a {{w|List_of_laser_applications#Laser_sight|laser}} improves the accuracy of the weapon by making it easier to aim consistently. The model number RJX-21 does not appear to be a reference to anything, and this comic is primarily a play on a common marketing technique of adapting a common saying to your own product by use of homonym or {{w|homophone}}; in this case, it is perhaps an inappropriate use, as one would not be expected to be aiming a firearm at their loved ones. In real life, this would imply a serious family breakdown with extreme feelings of pain and revenge, which is actually a tragically sad story, not the normal fodder for a light-hearted joke.

The title text hammers it home with the dual use of the word "miss," as the writer wishes he had missed (failed in his attempt to shoot) someone so they would not miss them (feel bad that they are not there), implying that he shot a family member, and is now feeling the grief. The humor here is that the writer apparently still cares about his loved one, despite having shot them in the past.

==Transcript==
:[Box with a mailing label on one side, and in the front:]
:Miss your loved ones?
:[Picture of a laser scope.]
:YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
:RJX-21 Laser Scope

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Puns]]
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]

Talk:92: Sunrise

2024-08-15T18:24:58Z

Epicradman123:

Doesn't look like Cueball to me, he has hair. [[User:Caagr98|Caagr98]] ([[User talk:Caagr98|talk]]) 17:22, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
:It's interesting that he appears to shave his head/cut his hair before going to the party, becoming a "Cueball" for the last two panels. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:55, 22 January 2016 (UTC)

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The title text seems wrong. It reads 'Sometimes, I sit on top of parking decks and watch the sun rise. I feel like I should have a guitar or something.' in my Android xkcd reader. --[[Special:Contributions/92.249.196.108|92.249.196.108]] 07:32, 27 April 2013 (UTC)
:Fixed. According to the {{w|Wayback Machine}} this was the title text at the start: [http://web.archive.org/web/20071011003709/http://xkcd.com/92/] --[[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 13:01, 27 April 2013 (UTC)
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Hmmm, should we note that the last panel is probably a pencil drawing with colors inverted? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.168|103.22.201.168]] 13:00, 16 September 2014 (UTC)
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Explanation said that the character realised that 4am is a bad time to meet people "other than troublemakers and the police". Removed as this is pure speculation as there is no mention of troublemakers or the police. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 15:21, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
----
Possible title text explanation: Sitting on a tall structure and watching the sun rise while playing the guitar sounds like a romanticized/idealized scene; the likes of which might be seen in a movie. [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 08:07, 10 November 2014 (UTC)
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The second panel, second image may be a reference to that music video about "brushing your teeth with a bottle of jack" before going to a party. [[User:Kirdneh|Kirdneh]] ([[User talk:Kirdneh|talk]]) 01:45, 15 December 2014 (UTC)
----
The 4am Project has shut down, and the site directs only to a single text line that says "This site doesn't exist here". Maybe an explanation is needed as to what the 4am Project was, or that section needs to be rewritten.{{unsigned ip|Zazathebot}}
:Thanks for your information. Since that dead link didn't explain much I've just removed it because we don't want to explain historical websites not mentioned in the comic. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:24, 28 June 2017 (UTC)

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I interpreted it as a juxtaposition rather than cueball himself going to the party (i.e. no one is awake at this beautiful time and it cuts to a bunch of people in a club).[[User:Epicradman123|Epicradman123]] ([[User talk:Epicradman123|talk]]) 18:24, 15 August 2024 (UTC)

Talk:92: Sunrise

2024-08-15T18:24:38Z

Epicradman123:

Doesn't look like Cueball to me, he has hair. [[User:Caagr98|Caagr98]] ([[User talk:Caagr98|talk]]) 17:22, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
:It's interesting that he appears to shave his head/cut his hair before going to the party, becoming a "Cueball" for the last two panels. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:55, 22 January 2016 (UTC)

----
The title text seems wrong. It reads 'Sometimes, I sit on top of parking decks and watch the sun rise. I feel like I should have a guitar or something.' in my Android xkcd reader. --[[Special:Contributions/92.249.196.108|92.249.196.108]] 07:32, 27 April 2013 (UTC)
:Fixed. According to the {{w|Wayback Machine}} this was the title text at the start: [http://web.archive.org/web/20071011003709/http://xkcd.com/92/] --[[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 13:01, 27 April 2013 (UTC)
----
Hmmm, should we note that the last panel is probably a pencil drawing with colors inverted? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.168|103.22.201.168]] 13:00, 16 September 2014 (UTC)
----
Explanation said that the character realised that 4am is a bad time to meet people "other than troublemakers and the police". Removed as this is pure speculation as there is no mention of troublemakers or the police. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 15:21, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
----
Possible title text explanation: Sitting on a tall structure and watching the sun rise while playing the guitar sounds like a romanticized/idealized scene; the likes of which might be seen in a movie. [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 08:07, 10 November 2014 (UTC)
----
The second panel, second image may be a reference to that music video about "brushing your teeth with a bottle of jack" before going to a party. [[User:Kirdneh|Kirdneh]] ([[User talk:Kirdneh|talk]]) 01:45, 15 December 2014 (UTC)
----
The 4am Project has shut down, and the site directs only to a single text line that says "This site doesn't exist here". Maybe an explanation is needed as to what the 4am Project was, or that section needs to be rewritten.{{unsigned ip|Zazathebot}}
:Thanks for your information. Since that dead link didn't explain much I've just removed it because we don't want to explain historical websites not mentioned in the comic. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:24, 28 June 2017 (UTC)

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I interpreted it as a juxtaposition rather than cueball himself going to the party (i.e. no one is awake at this beautiful time and it cuts to a bunch of people in a club).[[User:Epicradman123|Epicradman123]] ([[User talk:Epicradman123|talk]]) 18:24, 15 August 2024 (UTC)

Talk:62: Valentine - Karnaugh

2024-08-15T16:21:18Z

Epicradman123:

As of 16.4.2021 the image on xkcd.com is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise.

:Curious indeed. [[User:ISaveXKCDpapers|ISaveXKCDpapers]] ([[User talk:ISaveXKCDpapers|talk]]) 06:57, 5 August 2021 (UTC)

:It’s always been sideways for me, and I’ve been reading since around 2015. [[User:Intara|Intara]] ([[User talk:Intara|talk]]) 04:45, 12 April 2023 (UTC)

The explanation post should explain what a Boolean expression is as well. [[User:Epicradman123|Epicradman123]] ([[User talk:Epicradman123|talk]]) 16:21, 15 August 2024 (UTC)