explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:972: November

2025-07-21T03:44:24Z

Itz meeeeee37:

What link is that second paragraph talking about? --[[User:Castriff|Jimmy C]] ([[User talk:Castriff|talk]]) 14:54, 12 November 2012 (UTC)
:I re-added the link from the explanation originally posted at the blog. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 19:09, 25 November 2012 (UTC)

All subcutaneous nerves can feel their environment the same way our bodies can be heard, seen and smelt. Our sensory settings normally turn it into white noise for us so we automagically tune it out. Some people are born without any nerves and some never quite manage to ignore it all.

Mental process ditto. <hint>I suppose one day there could be a chart of the relatively little known illnesses (and the well known ones for that matter (e.g. tinnitus.))</hint>
[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 18:02, 22 January 2015 (UTC)

Please justify the reason the entire peanuts comic is included in this explanation and not just a link to it. Otherwise I will be deleting it and providing a simple link and quick overview.[[User:Lackadaisical|Lackadaisical]] ([[User talk:Lackadaisical|talk]]) 12:46, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
:It is more convenient. It's not like it is taking up any space. [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] ([[User talk:Beanie|talk]]) 10:50, 11 May 2021 (UTC)
::I personally appreciated it, having come here mostly I understand the alt-text. Also, links are constantly breaking. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.179|172.70.126.179]] 20:56, 28 September 2022 (UTC)

That peanuts comic sounds like a beginning of a Junji Ito manga [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.179|162.158.166.179]] 03:21, 12 January 2017 (UTC)

You are now aware of the fact that you are aware of the fact that you are aware of the fact that you are… [[User:Itz meeeeee37|Itz meeeeee37]] ([[User talk:Itz meeeeee37|talk]]) 03:44, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:972: November

2025-07-21T03:41:08Z

Itz meeeeee37:

Talk:968: Everything

2025-07-21T03:37:03Z

Itz meeeeee37:

this is the sweetest comic - one of my favorites. {{unsigned ip|68.50.245.55|17:27, 12 December 2012}}

The first four statements are reminiscent of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 (my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun).[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.202|108.162.219.202]] 04:12, 3 January 2014 (UTC)

I smiled at the SWEETNESS, one of the best XKCD comics.Boeing-787lover 03:49, 23 November 2017 (UTC)

ABSOLUTE CINEMA [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 11:11, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

Is this what being in love feels like? 12:08, 12 June 2025 (UTC) {{unsigned ip|76.78.246.76|12:08, 12 June 2025|...they probably accidentally signed with *five* tildes, I'm not saying they didn't *try*...}}

I love this comic it’s so nice [[User:Itz meeeeee37|Itz meeeeee37]] ([[User talk:Itz meeeeee37|talk]]) 03:37, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:968: Everything

2025-07-21T03:36:43Z

Itz meeeeee37:

Talk:870: Advertising

2025-07-15T17:55:23Z

Itz meeeeee37:

Am I confused, or is the the third graph wrong with the independent and dependent variables. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.95|172.68.132.95]] 21:06, 5 November 2017 (UTC)
But the Geico commercial doesn't say up to, it says 15% or more... ~Jfreund
:That may depend on your region. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.30|108.162.216.30]] 03:24, 30 November 2013 (UTC)
:Saying that something "could save you 15% or more" and saying it "could save you ''up to'' 15% or more" are the same thing. Both statements take into account the very real possibility that some percentage less than 15 could be saved.[[User:Orazor|Orazor]] ([[User talk:Orazor|talk]]) 13:37, 21 July 2014 (UTC)

Not to mention that Geico says "'''Could''' save you..." (In combination with "up to", the "could" should be "will".) [[User:Z|Z]] ([[User talk:Z|talk]]) 03:09, 18 June 2014 (UTC)

A justification for "The more you buy, the more you save" is that the more discounted products you buy, the more money you save as opposed to buying them at list price. For things we will buy anyway (e.g. food), it may be true. --[[User:Troy0|Troy0]] ([[User talk:Troy0|talk]]) 20:01, 6 July 2014 (UTC)
:Added to the article. --[[User:Troy0|Troy0]] ([[User talk:Troy0|talk]]) 04:10, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
::It doesn't work when the items can expire. [[User:Cflare|Cflare]] ([[User talk:Cflare|talk]]) 14:38, 14 August 2014 (UTC)
:::it does to a certain point- my family can eat a lot of food before it expires, especially if it's something we like. {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.163}}
:It's true if calculated in price-per-unit-bought. A 100-pack of something often costs less than 10 packs of 10 each. Still, without the "per item" qualifier, it's not really a true statement.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.55.16|172.70.55.16]] 16:18, 19 July 2022 (UTC)

Brilliant comic Randall. I wonder what your next one is about. [[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 00:20, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

Doesn't the title text imply that Randall realised nothing is truly free and concluded that Santa wanted something from him, prompting his parents to reveal the big secret? (I conclude this based on Randall claiming that these two events are related) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.49|141.101.104.49]] 21:16, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

Given that "up to x or more" must necessarily be true, how can it be "construed as false advertising?" Meaningless advertising, yes; false, no.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.174|173.245.50.174]] 04:22, 4 September 2015 (UTC)

I just spent 2% of my life looking for the fine print to that FREE* drink
(* given during time of kidney-harvesting scam test. Limit one per customer. No purchase necessary to win. Please see rules to apply.)[[User:Beastachu|Beastachu]] ([[User talk:Beastachu|talk]]) 10:33, 13 September 2015 (UTC)

Shouldn't the expression in panel 2 be (x+1)/n, not x/(n+1)? If we define Y as how much each person pays, then the company would earn $YN. YN > X ---> YN = X + 1 ---> Y = (X + 1)/N.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.144|162.158.255.144]] 03:26, 18 October 2015 (UTC)
:Randall defines N as the number of people ''other than you'' who read the flier. Therefore the total number of people who got the flier is N+1. The advertiser spent $X to produce the flier and assuming that it wants to make a profit on the advertisement, it needs to make at least X/(N+1) on average for each person that gets the flier. Given this your equation should be $Y(N+1) > X not $YN > X because the total number of people is N+1. Obviously Y(N+1) > X ---> Y > X/(N+1), which is exactly what we already found out. I'm not really clear on how you get the transformation YN > X ---> YN = X + 1.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.60.11|162.158.60.11]] 15:19, 11 November 2015 (UTC)
::I just came across this comic and noticed, that the 2nd one is not necessarily true, as the add can also have influence on other people who not read it (e.g. me telling my brother to come with me to the great place offering free oranges), and also they do not care if it is money moving in from me or other places. If they e.g. just harvest my data, the money flows from a company buying my data to them.--[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 15:26, 12 December 2019 (UTC)

I've always been "mathematically annoyed" by 'X% off' signs (like "40% off"). OFF from what? From the price they asked for beforehand? But they couldn't sell this particular unit for that price; maybe they didn't even sell any unit at that price (and, even if they did, they clearly got more units to sell than available buyers at that price). So, the X% off is from a meaningless seller-wishful-thinking number, not anything resembling a fair market value (where willing sellers and willing buyers meet). [[User:Danshoham|Mountain Hikes]] ([[User talk:Danshoham|talk]]) 03:32, 6 January 2016 (UTC)
:You forget, that the fair market value is usually found in a process, in which the buyer goes in with a low price and the seller with a high price, until they find the "fair" price, somewhere in between. Part of this process can be to advertise, as a seller, that you are now willing to try finding the sweet spot x% below what was originally asked. So this is very much in line with the usual concept of supply and demand. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:23, 22 October 2019 (UTC)
:At least one local art supplier offers 40% off list price for custom frames. All the time. (Except when they run a 60% off sale.) It's % off of list price, not necessarily what it would actually be sold for. Unfortunately the same is true of some medical billing in the US - most basic blood tests are "billed" for $200+, but the insurance discount brings it down to <$20, before the insurance company pays anything.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.55.16|172.70.55.16]] 16:18, 19 July 2022 (UTC)
:You could also have a "[https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lossleader.asp loss leader]" kind of situation, where the reduced price does represent a loss to the seller, as an attempt to attract customers who may also purchase other, more profitable items. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:26, 6 November 2022 (UTC)

The one that annoys me is "save x% off Y!" You would SAVE x% ON something, or GET x% OFF something - not SAVE x% OFF! [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:26, 6 November 2022 (UTC)
: I think I actually mentioned this in an Edit Summary for something, recently (not sure where or when, except probably this wiki, and no expectation of it actually even being noticed... But, as we're talking about it now...): "Up to 50% off!" Effectively "We may or may not discount anything, but certainly there's nothing at ''less'' than half the pre-deal price...", but it pulls the mental levers in a more attractive way than it should do. (And is a subset of the "Up to 15% or more" item in the first panel, as I have just realised by looking at the comic related to this Talk page.)
: On the 'really the wrong way round' front, I have a mental flinch whenever I see a bus service plastered with something like "<this scheduled service> Every 15 Minutes Or More!" - ironically, often seen on a Sunday when its route is actually reduced to an arrival every hour (which is indeed more than 15 minutes!), for a far shorter total timespan of the day, or the fancy route-branded bus is actually conspicuously doing the Sunday service of a completely different route (also at lowered frequency) than its weekday/possibly-Saturday commuter/shopping/etc provision, just because unspecifically-liveried vehicles are being maintained and this is one of the free ones currently available and unnecessary for its branded-route. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.172|172.70.90.172]] 16:26, 6 November 2022 (UTC)

Oh goodness this ruined my view of savings XD
I never realized the “up to 15% or more that’s wild so technically they could do a -20% discount wow.
I like this comic good job Randall thanks
My mom should see this XD [[User:Itz meeeeee37|Itz meeeeee37]] ([[User talk:Itz meeeeee37|talk]]) 17:55, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:870: Advertising

2025-07-15T17:54:05Z

Itz meeeeee37:

Talk:863: Major in the Universe

2025-07-15T17:34:24Z

Itz meeeeee37:

If all else fails, you could always become an artist. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 10:03, 9 March 2013 (UTC)
:What does that mean? That art is a "backup" field that anyone can do? Art is one of the only things I think I would be unable to succeed at, no matter how hard I tried. Like saying "you could always become a professional basketball player." You just can't. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.7|108.162.219.7]] 23:58, 27 April 2014 (UTC)

::On the contrary, art is a form of self expression, therefore anyone can do it (according to my old art teacher). It’s like singing. Anyone can sing, although the results may not be the same as a person who can sing "better" than you, but if you can make a noise with your mouth then you can still claim you're singing. [[User:Brenda|Brenda]] ([[User talk:Brenda|talk]]) 08:21, 10 July 2018 (UTC)

I thought if all else fails you become a teacher? ~JFreund
:If all else fails, become a bureaucrat. [[User:MeZimm|MeZimm]] ([[User talk:MeZimm|talk]])

I know I'm late, but isn't the professor [[Hairbun]]? [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 03:14, 8 September 2021 (UTC)

If all else fails, make comics online XD [[User:Itz meeeeee37|Itz meeeeee37]] ([[User talk:Itz meeeeee37|talk]]) 17:34, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:859: (

2025-07-15T17:18:38Z

Itz meeeeee37:

) Here you go, you're free now. --[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.150|199.27.128.150]] 01:55, 3 January 2014 (UTC)
:Thanks but I will need some more: ))))) ooohh! ))))))) aaahh!! {{unsigned ip|162.158.90.194|12:26, 21 March 2016}}
:: but now we have the opposite problem, unmatched close parenthesises! [[Special:Contributions/172.68.71.101|172.68.71.101]] 23:42, 27 July 2024 (UTC)

In saying: "The programming language Lisp (also featured in 224: Lisp is known for large numbers...", a closing parenthesis was omitted. Was this intentional?

:Maybe. >.> <.< [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 03:21, 9 October 2012 (UTC)

:You would need to check the source to be sure... --[[User:Bpothier|B. P.]] ([[User talk:Bpothier|talk]]) 19:08, 9 October 2012 (UTC)

:(Muahahahahahahahaha! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.8|108.162.245.8]] 02:04, 7 May 2014 (UTC)

::)[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.148|162.158.255.148]] 22:24, 16 December 2019 (UTC)

If this comic bothers you, [[312: With Apologies to Robert Frost|#312]] can help. [[User:Joey|Joey]] ([[User talk:Joey|talk]]) 03:07, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

I do not think it's productive to explain the joke using the joke itself without clearly indicating that such is happening. So, ''It also refers to this awkward feeling when you see something (like an unmatched parentheses, speling error or a randomly-placed, comma.'' does not explicitly indicate the reflexive usage of the joke. I hope I'm not being overly pedantic, but my first instinct was to correct the spelling error. An an example the passage is fine, but it should be made to stand apart from the "real explanation" in some way, maybe in a callout or italicized as I have it here --[[User:Smartin|Smartin]] ([[User talk:Smartin|talk]]) 03:36, 4 January 2013 (UTC)
:"I hope I'm not being overly pedantic [...] An an example the passage is..." Perhaps you meant "As". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 04:41, 24 May 2015 (UTC)
::[[wikipedia:Muphry's law]] [[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.240|172.68.65.240]] 02:00, 15 March 2018 (UTC)

This reminds me of when I used to program the TI-83. It would automatically close any parentheses at the end of a line, and all the programming guides told me not to close them, since it would save a tiny bit of memory. I must have annoyed my teachers a lot when this bled over into my homework. I know I've gotten graded down for it. [[Special:Contributions/70.102.89.181|70.102.89.181]] 04:17, 28 June 2013 (UTC)
:This happens to me too!! Sometimes when I'm writing something, I don't put the closing ), though, I think this happens to most people sometimes. anyway, here's some TI-BASIC code:
:-1→Xmin:1→Xmax
:-1→Ymin:1→Ymax
:AxesOff
:Degrees
:While 1
:For(X,0,359,5
:sin(X-120→A
:sin(X→B
:sin(X+120→C
:Line(0,1,A,.3
:Line(0,1,B,.3
:Line(0,1,C,.3
:Line(0,-1,-A,-.3
:Line(0,-1,-B,-.3
:Line(0,-1,-C,-.3
:Line(.3,A,-.3,-B
:Line(.3,A,-.3,-C
:Line(.3,B,-.3,-A
:Line(.3,B,-.3,-C
:Line(.3,C,-.3,-A
:Line(.3,C,-.3,-B
:End
:End

:('s: 16
:)'s: 0
:(However, technically there are no ('s, because they are actually part of the For(, sin(, and Line( tokens, not the separate symbol.

:I '''still''' get syntax errors when programming in other languages! {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.180}}

))))))))) aaaahhhh [[User:Plm-qaz snr|Plm-qaz snr]] ([[User talk:Plm-qaz snr|talk]]) 12:39, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

My hobby is (not really an hobby but a life's work (or calling)) (is explaining in detail (especially detail allowing me to indulge my hobby (not really an hobby but a life's work (or calling) where did this come from>)? Damn! [[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 14:44, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

I know lisp and see the connection, but where in the comic does it actually mention programming? Parentheses are used in ordinary English too, and they also have to be paired with each other. I think this comic is actually about lack of closure in a much more general way. Only the title text brings up programming, but only in the context of parsing strings. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.180|108.162.219.180]] 23:12, 3 May 2015 (UTC)
:Parsing strings is part of programming. The title text is part of the comic. What is the problem? \[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.58|173.245.54.58]] 16:53, 29 July 2015 (UTC)

I'd like to mention that Google's result page shows the title of this comic differently from the other xkcd comics. I think Randall broke it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 04:41, 24 May 2015 (UTC)

You know what's evil? Combining this comic with the substitution list comics! That is, changing an empty character to the place of the ')'. [[User:Zorlax the Mighty|Zorlax the Mighty'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:Zorlax the Mighty|talk]]) 11:48, 2 August 2016 (UTC)

Only just need ')' to complete, there you go! Boeing-787lover 13:46, 16 January 2018 (UTC)

I just made an edit for you to suffer! [[User:Lettherebedarklight|aoijgpisbHtejsykl7ekderhtsjk6r64os4kys\\\[]jsrtjgdrghtvgwrhtejyku5dli6;78t7l6rk5j4h|||||#Rty-----WWWWWWfflfllfllfllfeogk0q9wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww4-cv;c;;c;c[;]z\]d;v[\]????????OH GOD IT'S CRASIHNG MY PC��]] ([[User talk:Lettherebedarklight|talk]]) 13:43, 3 November 2020 (UTC)

<{((((( {{User:PoolloverNathan/Signature}} 14:16, 20 September 2022 (UTC)

Here ya go. This closes all parentheses/brackets/quotation marks in the comic, comic title, mouseover text, explanation, and ones added by other commenters. (It would be way more but most canceled each other out.)))}> [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 18:01, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

)) [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] ([[User talk:Beanie|talk]]) 10:01, 29 April 2021 (UTC)

AAUGHH THIS IS KILLING MEEEEEE [[User:Marethyu|⟨Winter is coming⟩ Marethyu]] ([[User talk:Marethyu|talk]]) 21:57, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

I accidentally placed an unpaired parenthesis in the trivia section. You may fix it if you like. [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 14:04, 6 August 2022 (UTC)

((({[[[({( {{User:PoolloverNathan/Signature}} 11:31, 2 May 2023 (UTC)

apparently most people here use li... *segfault rn* {{unsigned ip|172.64.236.12|14:50, 2 September 2023}}

note: above post was made by me before creating account [[User:An user who has no account yet|An user who has no account yet]] ([[User talk:An user who has no account yet|talk]]) 22:09, 2 September 2023 (UTC)

The title text [[1475: Technically|technically]] would only add one more open parentheses, as the rest of the text is within paired double quotation marks and would be ignored (in almost any programming language) [[User:Firestar233|guess who]] ([[User talk:Firestar233|if you desire conversing]] | [[Special:Contributions/Firestar233|what i have done]]) 03:48, 13 February 2025 (UTC)

mwahahaha ((((([[[<<<<<{{{{ [[User:Bb777|;)]] ([[User talk:Bb777|talk]]) 23:05, 21 March 2025 (UTC) oh no my signature closed one gere you go (

Help i code a lot and this hurts and also this is an error I still make sometimes :( [[User:Itz meeeeee37|Itz meeeeee37]] ([[User talk:Itz meeeeee37|talk]]) 17:18, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:850: World According to Americans

2025-07-14T19:50:52Z

Itz meeeeee37:

NB: Paupa (sic!) New Guinea [[User:Leob|Leob]] ([[User talk:Leob|talk]]) 20:10, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

:You're right, there's a typo in the comic! Good catch ;) --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 17:10, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

::The group did come from the geography bee, not the spelling bee. --[[User:Tepples|Tepples]] ([[User talk:Tepples|talk]]) 15:22, 9 September 2017 (UTC)

98% of American's would only be able to locate about 4 countries so this is way too generous ~JFreund
:"American's" [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] ([[User talk:Beanie|talk]]) 12:12, 28 April 2021 (UTC)

Made a typo with Phillipines. It's Philippines. @JFreund No stereotyping, please. I can list 51 or 52 countries and I'm not even in middle school. Add a bit more thinking and I've got to 58.[[User:Randomperson4000|Randomperson4000]] ([[User talk:Randomperson4000|talk]]) 01:59, 26 August 2014 (UTC)

@JFreund: That's not true... I'm a seventh grader who can't stand geography for the life of me, yet I can name a good twenty or so.
And as a very very simplified example, most fifth graders can easily name America (duh), Mexico, Canada, Russia, and England.
That is rather, for lack of a better term, racist of you. ~jazz14456

@jazz14456 Well for comparison I'm an seventh grader from europe(We call it year eight there) and I can name 64 off the top of my head, that's 320% more. Therefore the point of the comic and @JFreund 's point still stand. ~Samarthwiz

:Your brand of negativism, as well as the additional above, does nothing to advance any sort of constructive dialogue. Please check your misconceptions, generalizations, and inaccuracies about entire populations at the door. They're not welcome in communities of thinking people. [[User:Orazor|Orazor]] ([[User talk:Orazor|talk]]) 12:25, 21 July 2014 (UTC)

::While the petty point scoring is of no value, it is worth noting that Europeans have an advantage when it comes to the trite 'How many countries can you name' or 'How many countries have you visited' competitions. You can quite easily spend a day driving through Europe and visit (drive through) 5 countries. As an example: England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany. The fact that an American can do this across different states, or may be able to name all 50 states in addition to however many countries, or have travelled far and wide within the states doesn't seem to carry any weight. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 14:03, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

:::I wholeheartedly agree. They are regions with their own flags and laws and geography too only one slight criticism is that most of them call it America. So they want to be classed as an whole continent or two, a country that is more correctly called the USA and they want credit for knowing where Delaware or Rhode Island is. [[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 18:48, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

::::I think it's sad that I'm an American in eighth grade and the only reason that I can name 87 (88 if you count Vatican City as its own country) is because I play Call of War and Conflict of Nations--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.73|173.245.52.73]] 20:54, 18 February 2018 (UTC)

::::: There really is no need to be smug just cause you're European. Only 64? I had known at least 80 when I was in eighth grade, as well as the climates, geography, religions, capitals, international organizations they were in, and a little bit of the economy of said country. And you're being smug just because you can name more countries than others? And let's not forget the individual states, many of which could pass as a country on their own... so add 50 to that total. You think you're so smart? Try me. [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 13:27, 11 March 2018 (UTC)

:::::: Completely agreed. I'm an American ninth grader, and I've completed the Seterra UN member states quiz, the UN member flags quiz, in addition to the US states quiz (I've even done the Canada provinces). I'm not trying to brag (maybe a little), but I AM trying to illustrate that there's no need to be stereotypical. The whole point of the comic is to show that most stereotypes aren't that correct. So @JFreund, think about THAT next time you stereotype. (I do think, however, that the USA shouldn't be called America. That is one thing I think we should stop doing.) [[User:Trogdor147|Trogdor147]] ([[User talk:Trogdor147|talk]]) 02:28, 9 May 2023 (UTC)

BTW, the Robinson drawing in the comic is '''much''' too accurate to be pure freehand. He probably used tracing or grid point marks. -- [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 21:46, 25 March 2014 (UTC)

*Randall considers this to be 'good at geography'?! They only named, like, 30 or so countries... There's 197!* [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.184|173.245.56.184]]

It's probably sarcasm too that "Tibet" is incorrectly labelled on Xinjiang. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.223.47|108.162.223.47]] 01:20, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

"Aral sea (??Toane" is probably "Aral sea (gone)" {{unsigned ip|173.245.55.60}}
:This is a wiki. Edit it in yourself next time (done it for you this time).[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.11|141.101.104.11]] 05:32, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

I added some comments/explanations. The distance between Afrcia and USA was measured by google maps. I tried out several spots. If someone finds a shorter distance, fell free to correct :) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:01, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

The annotation regarding the poor labelling of Africa needs more/better explaining, especially what it means by it 'speaking volumes'. Although I've put that it lends weight to the 'Ignorant American' viewpoint, my feeling is that there is actually a more widespread ignorance amongst the rest of the world towards Africa (in general, not just geographically). While I could probably name a few more countries in Africa, I wouldn't be able to place them within the continent. I have an average knowledge of world geography, but the big hole in my knowledge would definately be Africa, and I suspect that the majority of people I know would say the same. I could come up with all sorts of theories as to why it is Africa I know so little about, but this comment is already too long! --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 13:49, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

: Done, I think. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 17:47, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

I'm not sure if it's necessary to include all the other not yet mentioned/explained areas, such as Western/Eastern Europe and others. We ''could'' make lists of which countries belong to that regions similar to the "Various former soviet states"-area, but that would simply result in a list of all nations of the world. If you agree, we could remove the incomplete-tag, I think. If not... well... there are a lot of countries ;) On the other hand, I'm not quite sure, if the colors may have a special meaning... But I think most likely not. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 17:47, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

: I've added a bit more detail on the title text. Personally I don't think we need to add all the labels, unless there is something specific on this comic which can be explained about that label. Like you say, it would turn into a list of countries with no relevant additional information. As far as colours go, I can't see any obvious pattern behind their assignment. I vote we remove the incomplete tag, in my view any other additions serve to enhance the article rather than to complete it. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:23, 19 November 2014 (UTC)

The opening paragraph is inaccurate; the comic satirises portrayals of American geographical ignorance (X% of Americans can't locate Y on a map!) rather than jokey maps about cultural stereotypes.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.84|141.101.99.84]] 09:56, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

Please improve the explanation for India. It is not clear, and the mostly Hindu/Muslim regions seem to be referring to the countries India and Pakistan. I tried editing, but someone reverted it claiming that it was not Pakistan. {{[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.229|162.158.154.229]] 08:48, 19 April 2017 (UTC)}}
: That was me. Pakistan is obviously included in the part labeled as "Afghanistan & Pakistan". If you compare the red area of India in the comic's map with an actual map of India (e.g. this one https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Political_map_of_India_EN.svg) you'll see that the red area actually _is_ India. Ofc, the border drawn in this comic is not 100% accurate, but that is true for almost all borders. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 12:18, 14 July 2017 (UTC)

Well, as a neutral outsider I can point out that people from the USA are consistently showing their ignorance here of the difference between a continent and a country. "America" is a continent, the USA is a country. Same goes for Africa, it's not a country, it's a continent. The only continent that is also a country is Australia.

I wonder if the people who make comments like the one above also insist on referring to the UK as the UKGBNI(United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). While the de facto name of the country established in 1776 is the Unite States of America, Its people are known as Americans. This is distinguished from other people of the 1 (or 2) continents called The Americas or North and South America.(North Americans, and South Americans) While referring to the USA as the USA, the US or the States is one way you distinguish the country from its neighbors, it's not the only way.
[[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.76|172.70.178.76]] 17:06, 1 March 2023 (UTC)
:The biggest problem with UK(oGB&NI) is that various terms (Britain, Great Britain, England, British Isles; and grammatically derivative versions) often get used in situations where they are actually a subset, superset or misaligned set against the intended scope. And often the more precise you try to be, the more likely you are to accidentally get the real coverage wrong. (Compare the statuses of Gibaltareans, the Manx, Channel Islanders, Falklanders, etc, etc... Some of those are British Isles, some of those are British, some are part of the realm of the UK... and others are not, but in different combinations).
:Plus I might consider myself (geographically) a european, still, even if not (politically) a European.
:And the {{w|List of countries that include United States in their name}} reveals some possible contemporary (as well as historical) confusions, when untied from a certain set of anglocentric (or 'USA'-centric!) assumptions. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.64|172.71.178.64]] 18:02, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

The edit [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=850:_World_According_to_Americans&curid=6034&diff=308397&oldid=307463 here] seems to be accurate about the edit-war, but isn't correct about the non-Americans part (speaking as a non-American). The issue seems mostly to be with specifically China-slanted rephrasing being snuck in (in contradiction with the wikipedia page being linked). Also, if Taiwan ''does'' ever get actually ruled by China, the current explanation is still correct as of the time of publishing. Perhaps better to just add more to the reasons why it is complicated, but don't flip the reality (or else add more when the next time comes to flip it away from the CCP-skewed perspective). [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.152|172.70.91.152]] 15:53, 12 March 2023 (UTC)
:China had banned Wikipedia, probably due to the "Taiwan" issue. ConlangGuide is probably trying to keep the Explain xkcd website from "going the way of Wikipedia". [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.123|172.69.22.123]] 22:52, 12 March 2023 (UTC)
::ConlangGuide only did one edit. Most of the edit-warring was known spammers (in China friendly ways) and general unidentifiable IPs (both directions). Unless you're saying that it is definitely CG who has been using multiple logins, some of whom have been a clear nuisance..?
::And I don't see any reason to reject facts just because one corner of the world is being snarky about them. Not at the behest of random users with motives that are at best unknown.
::I suggest a discussion on the Admin Portal is the best next step, if you want it. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.204|162.158.34.204]] 00:10, 13 March 2023 (UTC)
:::We already had a lot of "Chinese" IP addresses active here. If Explain xkcd got banned, we would lose a lot of helpers. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.73|172.69.134.73]] 00:52, 13 March 2023 (UTC)

Disappointed that San Seriffe is not depicted. It doesn’t even give search results on this wiki. :( (Until now. :) ) ← See balanced smiley parentheses here!--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.87.206|162.158.87.206]] 14:12, 16 December 2023 (UTC)

This hurts me. It’s very stereotypical, and I as a high schooler who has always gone to private schools, I know the location of every country and capitals. I hate this. It’s very American. And wrong. [[User:Itz meeeeee37|Itz meeeeee37]] ([[User talk:Itz meeeeee37|talk]]) 19:50, 14 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:850: World According to Americans

2025-07-14T19:49:45Z

Itz meeeeee37:

Talk:846: Dental Nerve

2025-07-14T19:40:59Z

Itz meeeeee37:

Modern science has yet to come up with any plausible theories as to ''why'' Ke$ha would even want to brush her teeth with a bottle of Jack Daniel's in the first place. [[Special:Contributions/71.201.53.130|71.201.53.130]] 20:33, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

How important is brushing and flossing really? Take a look at these Before & After images courtesy of a Shellharbour Dentist (http://shellharbourcitydental.com.au) {{unsigned ip|108.162.250.219}}

The page was the home page with no obvious link to whatever. [[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 19:41, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

Is this the before and after pictures you were talking about? https://www.shellharbourcitydental.com.au/view-results
[[User:Alissa92|Alissa92]] ([[User talk:Alissa92|talk]]) 17:58, 17 June 2019 (UTC)
What's with the stressed syllables in caps in the title text? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.226|103.22.201.226]] 12:02, 2 June 2014 (UTC)
:It's to clarify which syllables are stressed. If you read it that way, it sounds like the original lyrics. [[User:Mezgrman|Mezgrman]] ([[User talk:Mezgrman|talk]]) 18:08, 13 June 2014 (UTC)

Obviously brushing one’s teeth with a bottle of Jack is not ideal, but I am somewhat curious whether it would be better than nothing, and if so how much. The actual damage is done by bacteria, which presumably do not appreciate the alcohol. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.56.221|162.158.56.221]] 19:32, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
:After a bit of research I found that alcohol is in fact pretty bad for your mouth (dries it out; does damage to gums etc.). I don’t drink; I have no idea whether I’d have known that if I actually did drink or not.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.56.221|162.158.56.221]] 19:40, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
Many types of mouth cleansing fluid use alcohol for disinfection; bacteria don't appreciate that. However, booze'll never manage to remove food leftovers from your teeth (mostly done by the brush, with help of the toothpaste), and it won't help strengthen the teeth (the toothpaste's fluoride) either. Apparently alcohol can also harm your gums, which would indirectly harm your teeth.
Result: in the very short term, alcohol would clean your teeth, but in the longer run, the remaining food traces would attract bacteria again within minutes, your teeth would be weaker after a period without fluoride, and gum harm might cause teeth harm if you kept going like this for a long time. Sounds like alcohol could be an emergency solution in the wilderness? Or use it to disinfect a shared toothbrush!

It would do more damage, but in a different way. Also, because people are like that, your teeth would be taking damage from both bacteria and the jack. In addition, there’s no guarantee that you would specifically take nerve damage from that so… [[User:Itz meeeeee37|Itz meeeeee37]] ([[User talk:Itz meeeeee37|talk]]) 19:40, 14 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:699: Trimester

2025-07-13T00:12:16Z

Itz meeeeee37:

You don't need to call up the Nobel committee, just check Wikipedia. Also, how did Cueball manage to infiltrate the hospital? [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 18:29, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
: Did you know you can just EDIT Wikipedia? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.20|141.101.104.20]] 13:05, 5 October 2016 (UTC)
:This website and wikipedia are both based off [https://www.mediawiki.org MediaWiki]; also that is kind of the point of wikipedia. [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] ([[User talk:Beanie|talk]]) 13:56, 21 April 2021 (UTC)
: Checking Wikipedia would be just that, checking. Going straight to the source (the Nobel committee) would be double checking... [[User:Mumiemonstret|Mumiemonstret]] ([[User talk:Mumiemonstret|talk]]) 11:10, 17 October 2014 (UTC)
: You could just check the official [https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lists/all-nobel-laureates-in-physiology-or-medicine/ Nobel Prize listing of Nobel laureates in physiology or medicine] which isn't as easily edited as Wikipedia. Or check archived news articles for who won in the year Cueball claimed. And the Nobel Prize committee does have a listed telephone to literally call them as the comic mentioned. There are plenty of ways to verify it. The joke wasn't that it CAN'T be checked, but that people DON'T check. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.166.216|172.71.166.216]] 16:12, 10 June 2023 (UTC)
If he were simply pranking Megan as a doctor, he would be checking her patellar reflexes, or looking into her eyes with an ophthalmoscope, or having her say Ahhhh while he looked into her throat with a tongue depressor. The fact that he has chosen to pretend to be an Obstetrician/Gynecologist suggests some ulterior motives. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.171|108.162.219.171]] 04:27, 23 March 2015 (UTC)
: You can prank someone outside of general care. This could just be a prank of opportunity. [[User:Flewk|flewk]] ([[User talk:Flewk|talk]]) 04:27, 9 January 2016 (UTC)

The use of the word "trimester" does not really add medical authority. It is basically the lab coat combined with the clinic setting. Most people understand what a trimester is without any medical training. "Trimester" is not medical jargon. {{unsigned|Flewk}}

Very strange. In investigating the justifications (or otherwise) behind someone's edit of the link to "{{w|Caesarean section}}" and the undo by somebody else back to the US-variant "{{w|Cesarean section}}", I discover that the Wikipage (titled as the former) does ''not'' have "Redirected from..." when using the other version.
 However, I always try to ensure links to the unredirected page (you never know what might happen with Redirect pages, in the future, or certainly less so than with the 'authoritative' one) but also tend to honour/honor stateside spellings as a sop to Randall's leftpondian nature. In the Explanation, at least. (I'd rather stick with ''my'' native spelling in ''my'' contributed comments down here; ...or of course accidentally, when I just add my own edit ''forgetful'' that those across the pond have a {{w|Webster's Dictionary|Websteri(s/z)ed}} variant. 'Correct' them, if you will, but don't call them typos, just my having been oblivious to the necessary code-switch.)
 So, anyway, I compromised with US {{w|Caesarean section#Spelling|(sometimes!)}} version as link-text on top of the 'normal' (certainly as per headline title) wikilink reference. Making everybody only slightly unhappy, who actually cares...
 I could so easily have {{wiktionary|Caesarean#Alternative forms|done worse}}! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.6|172.70.90.6]] 10:21, 5 November 2023 (UTC)

"the baby has not yet decided on its method of egress and may choose any orifice through which to be born, including the mouth, anus, nose, etc. This does not normally happen in real life.[citation needed]" Normally????????? IS THIS SOME SORT OF RARE OCCERENCE I HAVEN'T HEARD OF???? Do babys somtimes just leave through the mouth???? I'm dying lol. [[User:Apollo11|Apollo11]] ([[User talk:Apollo11|talk]]) 20:01, 10 April 2024 (UTC)

Me, wondering if others actually believed this. (I know, but I know some people who are that gullible OK?)
And anyways, did anyone realize that THEIR GREATEST CONCERN WAS THAT THE BABY WOULD BE FIGHTING GRAVITY? You’d think that he would worry more about the mom [[User:Itz meeeeee37|Itz meeeeee37]] ([[User talk:Itz meeeeee37|talk]]) 00:10, 13 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:699: Trimester

2025-07-13T00:10:18Z

Itz meeeeee37:

You don't need to call up the Nobel committee, just check Wikipedia. Also, how did Cueball manage to infiltrate the hospital? [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 18:29, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
: Did you know you can just EDIT Wikipedia? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.20|141.101.104.20]] 13:05, 5 October 2016 (UTC)
:This website and wikipedia are both based off [https://www.mediawiki.org MediaWiki]; also that is kind of the point of wikipedia. [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] ([[User talk:Beanie|talk]]) 13:56, 21 April 2021 (UTC)
: Checking Wikipedia would be just that, checking. Going straight to the source (the Nobel committee) would be double checking... [[User:Mumiemonstret|Mumiemonstret]] ([[User talk:Mumiemonstret|talk]]) 11:10, 17 October 2014 (UTC)
: You could just check the official [https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lists/all-nobel-laureates-in-physiology-or-medicine/ Nobel Prize listing of Nobel laureates in physiology or medicine] which isn't as easily edited as Wikipedia. Or check archived news articles for who won in the year Cueball claimed. And the Nobel Prize committee does have a listed telephone to literally call them as the comic mentioned. There are plenty of ways to verify it. The joke wasn't that it CAN'T be checked, but that people DON'T check. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.166.216|172.71.166.216]] 16:12, 10 June 2023 (UTC)
If he were simply pranking Megan as a doctor, he would be checking her patellar reflexes, or looking into her eyes with an ophthalmoscope, or having her say Ahhhh while he looked into her throat with a tongue depressor. The fact that he has chosen to pretend to be an Obstetrician/Gynecologist suggests some ulterior motives. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.171|108.162.219.171]] 04:27, 23 March 2015 (UTC)
: You can prank someone outside of general care. This could just be a prank of opportunity. [[User:Flewk|flewk]] ([[User talk:Flewk|talk]]) 04:27, 9 January 2016 (UTC)

The use of the word "trimester" does not really add medical authority. It is basically the lab coat combined with the clinic setting. Most people understand what a trimester is without any medical training. "Trimester" is not medical jargon. {{unsigned|Flewk}}

Very strange. In investigating the justifications (or otherwise) behind someone's edit of the link to "{{w|Caesarean section}}" and the undo by somebody else back to the US-variant "{{w|Cesarean section}}", I discover that the Wikipage (titled as the former) does ''not'' have "Redirected from..." when using the other version.
 However, I always try to ensure links to the unredirected page (you never know what might happen with Redirect pages, in the future, or certainly less so than with the 'authoritative' one) but also tend to honour/honor stateside spellings as a sop to Randall's leftpondian nature. In the Explanation, at least. (I'd rather stick with ''my'' native spelling in ''my'' contributed comments down here; ...or of course accidentally, when I just add my own edit ''forgetful'' that those across the pond have a {{w|Webster's Dictionary|Websteri(s/z)ed}} variant. 'Correct' them, if you will, but don't call them typos, just my having been oblivious to the necessary code-switch.)
 So, anyway, I compromised with US {{w|Caesarean section#Spelling|(sometimes!)}} version as link-text on top of the 'normal' (certainly as per headline title) wikilink reference. Making everybody only slightly unhappy, who actually cares...
 I could so easily have {{wiktionary|Caesarean#Alternative forms|done worse}}! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.6|172.70.90.6]] 10:21, 5 November 2023 (UTC)

"the baby has not yet decided on its method of egress and may choose any orifice through which to be born, including the mouth, anus, nose, etc. This does not normally happen in real life.[citation needed]" Normally????????? IS THIS SOME SORT OF RARE OCCERENCE I HAVEN'T HEARD OF???? Do babys somtimes just leave through the mouth???? I'm dying lol. [[User:Apollo11|Apollo11]] ([[User talk:Apollo11|talk]]) 20:01, 10 April 2024 (UTC)

Me, wondering if others actually believed this. (I know, but I know some people who are that gullible OK?)
And anyways, did anyone [[User:Itz meeeeee37|Itz meeeeee37]] ([[User talk:Itz meeeeee37|talk]]) 00:10, 13 July 2025 (UTC)

699: Trimester

2025-07-13T00:09:03Z

Itz meeeeee37:

{{comic
| number =699
| date =February 8, 2010
| title =Trimester
| image =trimester.png
| titletext =Also, it's not like anyone actually calls up the Nobel committee to double-check things.
}}

==Explanation==
While some pregnancies are different than others, a universal truth is that a naturally-born baby will always exit a woman's body through the vagina. However, in this comic, [[Cueball]] (wearing a white lab coat and holding a clipboard) tells a surprised [[Megan]] that until the second trimester (3-6 months into pregnancy), the baby has not yet decided on its method of egress and may choose any orifice through which to be born, including the mouth, anus, nose, etc. This does not happen in real life.{{Citation needed}} The only case where a baby is not born through the vagina is during a {{w|Caesarean section|Caesarean section}} procedure, in which a surgical incision is made in the mother's abdomen to remove the baby.

The caption reveals the truth: in fact, Cueball simply bought the lab coat, and is not a medical professional at all - he's likely just an average guy, and may well know less about medicine than Megan does. The moral is that you cannot trust someone simply because they outwardly present themselves as an authority.{{actual citation needed}}

Impersonating medical professionals, or other authorities such as police, does happen in real life, and is typically illegal. In the US and other countries, it is also against the law to practice medicine without a license, so Cueball is likely committing a crime.

The expectation that a person in a white coat is a medical expert, or at least a scientist, can be seen in the studies of the placebo effect: people who receive a "sugar pill" from a person who has the authority implied by wearing a lab coat will experience a greater placebo effect than those who receive identical pills from a person in ordinary clothes. This leads to more doctors wearing a white coat while working, and due to that a reinforcement of the expectation of white coats belonging to doctors. In some medical schools students receive a white coat as part of their graduation and qualification ceremony.

The title text implies also that in addition to faking being a doctor, he has also faked being a {{w|Nobel Prize|Nobel laureate}}, on the logic that most people will not bother to verify this claim. This is likely harder to get away with, as the Nobel Prize is an extremely prestigious distinction, and it would be unlikely for it to be awarded to someone with no recognized skill or experience in a given field.{{citation needed}}

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is wearing a lab coat, and talking to Megan, who is sitting on a desk. He also has a clipboard.]
:Cueball: Well, until the second trimester, the baby hasn't decided which opening it will exit through.
:Megan: ''What?''
:Cueball: We'll hope for one of the lower ones, so it won't be fighting gravity.
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Did you know you can just ''BUY'' lab coats?

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Nobel Prize]]

Talk:699: Trimester

2025-07-13T00:06:37Z

Itz meeeeee37:

Talk:682: Force

2025-07-12T23:45:06Z

Itz meeeeee37:

"I find your lack of length disturbing"[[User:Jakee308|Jakee308]] ([[User talk:Jakee308|talk]]) 18:32, 8 June 2015 (UTC)

The explanation describes that some arrangements allow strangulation to continue after loss of conciousness but the use of the force is explicitly fuelled by willpower so how could Vader still be under for so long after going under unless he was too forceful and broke his neck? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.189.77|172.70.189.77]] 16:12, 12 April 2023 (UTC)
:He probably broke his ribs trying to block his lungs from breathing. {{unsigned ip|172.71.184.81|05:34, 2 May 2024}}

Is the force just willpower though? And someone please consider the fact that Vader’s breathing is robotic?