explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

968: Everything

2026-04-04T11:50:30Z

Ukrpickaxe: /* Explanation */ not between (both ways) but from cueball to megan. other nuances

{{comic
| number = 968
| date = October 24, 2011
| title = Everything
| image = everything.png
| titletext = I wanna hold your hand so I don't fall out of your gyrocopter.
}}

==Explanation==
In traditional western cliches of romance, men are expected to give women particular gifts (including flowers, candy and stuffed animals) and make declarations about how that woman is the sole focus of his life. This strip deliberately subverts those expectations by renouncing those sentiments and giving a decidedly non-traditional set of gifts, but making clear that this is a touching expression of the love a person has for another.

[[Cueball]] is gathering a lot of different sorts of random things, including a {{w|parasol}}, a miniature {{w|Eiffel Tower}}, what appears to be a small round bomb with a short fuse and the bust of a {{w|mannequin}}. He adds these to an already immense pile of weird things including balloons and a cage with a bird.

While this happens Cueball narrates in short sentences. The first three are statements that at first seems similar to what you would find on a birthday or anniversary card from one person in a relationship to another, but in this case, all the statements ends up reversed. This can be interpreted as negative, neutral, or simply dismissing the idea that ones' romantic interests should be their sole focus in life.
*Normal sentence: You are the light of my life.
*Cueball's sentence: You are '''not''' the light of my life.
*Normal sentence: Making you happy is my greatest dream.
*Cueball's sentence: Making you happy is'''n't''' my greatest dream.
*Normal sentence: Your smile is all I live for.
*Cueball's sentence: Your smile is '''not''' all I live for.

The fourth sentence emphasizes this, but Cueball then says what he appreciates: this person is "strange and fascinating" like no one else he's ever met.

It turns out to be [[Megan]] he is talking about who is shown applying a hammer to the front of a large and strange vehicle while standing on one of its huge wheels. She seems to have built this giant super tank/machine from anything Cueball supplies her with, having several huge pigged wheels, a mounted gun, satellite dish, a crane and smoke coming out of an exhaust pipe at the top, implying it is already running. But Cueball is very fascinated by her strangeness.

Lastly, Cueball flips the intention of the cliche "I want to give you everything." Instead of gifts from blind devotion, he wishes to give Megan the world just to see what kinds of things she would create (like the contraption shown in the final panel).

Some of the objects in the piles in the second panel can easily be determined, like the two balloons. But most others are more difficult to recognize. To the left there is what appears to be a cage with an animal inside, could be a bird. To the right there appears to be the hilt of a sword (maybe stuck in a stone, see [[1521: Sword in the Stone]]). Finally the tall thin thing sticking out of the top left of the right pile could be the stuffed giraffe from [[604: Qwertial Aphasia]]. There are other distinct things, like the tall "cylinder" and the three "cannonballs" in a pyramid pile to the left, and something with a peculiar shape between the "giraffe" and the sword hilt. But it seems impossible to determine what they are.

The title text similarly starts with the conventional Beatles love song "{{w|I Want to Hold Your Hand}}", but only in order to not fall out of a gyrocopter. A {{w|gyrocopter}} is a flying machine that has a rotor like a {{w|helicopter}}, but the rotor is not powered by a motor. Rather, the motor of the gyrocopter drives a propeller that accelerates the machine forward, while the air rushing past the rotor drives the rotor like a helicopter during {{w|autorotation}}. It is normally a comparatively safe kind of aircraft (unless you [[1972: Autogyros|fly it strictly like you would a plane]], but this may not account for aerobatics done in it, and possibly the lack of seatbelts (or passenger seats).

==Transcript==
:[Cueball drags a small wagon and a bag full of various items.]
:Cueball: You are not the light of my life. Making you happy isn't my greatest dream.

:[Cueball places the items in an even bigger pile of even more random items.]
:Cueball: Your smile is not all I live for. I've got my own stuff going on. But you're strange and fascinating and I've never met anyone like you.

:[Cueball stares in awe as Megan assembles the items into a gargantuan, intoxicatingly complex machine.]
:Cueball: I want to give you everything just to see what you would ''do'' with it.

A more detailed version of the transcript can be found here:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed leftAlign" style="width:100%">
<br>
:[Cueball is walking right while carrying a huge bag, full to the brim, over his shoulder and he is also dragging a small wagon behind him. On top of the wagon are six visible items: the bust of a mannequin with a foot to stand on which stands on the next object, a square white box, a miniature Eiffel Tower which is partly hidden behind the first two objects and the next, a deck umbrella which is leaning on the next item, a box wrapped like a present and on top of this box is what appears to be a small round bomb with a short fuse.]
:Cueball (narrating): You are not the light of my life.
:Cueball (narrating): Making you happy isn't my greatest dream.

:[The next two panels only shows silhouettes and are both zoomed far out. In the middle of this panel sits the wagon with the items still in place and as visible as they can be in silhouette. The lever that Cueball held on to has been lifted up so it rests near the present. Cueball stands to the right of the wagon and lifts the bag up on top of a large pile of items taking up the rest of the right part of this panel. Only a few items in this pile are visible as they stick out of the top. There is a stick with a head to the left, then three things protruding from the middle and finally to the right what may appear as the hilt of a sword. To the left of the wagon is a smaller pile with many other objects, but here some of them can be recognized. To the far left of the foot of the pile is what appears to be a cage which may contain an animal, possibly a bird. Above the cage to the right is a tall structure, like a pipe, with a wider section at the top. The central part of the pile looks like the tip of a pyramid, and two helium balloons are tied to strings at this tip, so they float above the pile. At the base of the pyramid tip there is a ledge on which lies three round objects in their own 1, 2 pyramid shape. Below this ledge the pile falls straight down to a low layer going from there to just where the wagon stands.]
:Cueball (narrating): Your smile is not all I live for.
:Cueball (narrating): I've got my own stuff going on.
:Cueball (narrating): But you're strange and fascinating and I've never met anyone like you.

:[Cueball stands to the left leaning back and looking up at Megan and the giant vehicle/tank she is assembling. Megan is standing to the left of the three visible huge pigged wheels (almost two times higher than Cueball). She seems to be hammering something onto the top of the front of the tank. She obviously used the items Cueball delivers to build some sort of super tank with huge wheels, a mounted gun (above her head), satellite dish at the rear and a crane in the middle. It appears to be running as there is smoke coming out of the top exhaust pipe of the tank and there is also a smaller pipe with a rounded top next to this high exhaust.]
:Cueball (narrating): I want to give you everything
:Cueball (narrating): Just to see what you would ''do'' with it.
</div>

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

Beret Guy

2026-03-20T07:16:08Z

Ukrpickaxe: added beret guy bartending in # 279 pickup lines. Should we assume those are the "only four" bartending since this early one was overlooked? Or should it be "For example ... " ?

{{Infobox character
| image = Beret_Guy.png
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = '
| first_appearance = [[167: Nihilism]]
}}

<noinclude>:''For a list of comics, see [[:Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy|Comics featuring Beret Guy]].''</noinclude>

'''Beret Guy''' is a [[stick figure]] character in [[xkcd]]. He is distinguished by his white beret. Like [[Black Hat]], he is one of the few xkcd characters who tends to represent the same character in each appearance.

Beret Guy is a naïve optimist, though rarely a victim in the strip. He is a funny and borderline-cute character, usually appearing as the basis of a strip's joke. He enjoys philosophizing, often taking the role of the {{w|existentialist}}. He has a very surreal side to him, often thinking about or being involved in bizarre situations. He also is shown to take things literally too far, making things surreal.

He has been fascinated with bakeries as in [[434: xkcd Goes to the Airport]] and [[442: xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel]], in particular with {{w|scone}}s (see [[452: Mission]] as well as the title text of [[677: Asshole]] and [[1030: Keyed]].)

Beret Guy had a steady job as a bartender in four comics: [[279: Pickup Lines]], [[328: Eggs]], [[474: Turn-On]], and [[712: Single Ladies]]. However, in later comics, he quit his job to become a "business professional", according to [[1032: Networking]]. There are many comics where he has unusual, impossible, or completely unnecessary jobs, like in [[1117: My Sky]]. (See all comics about [[:Category:Beret Guy's Business|Beret Guy's Business]].) He makes a load of money from his work but has no apparent job other than "a business grown-up who makes business profits". He appears again, with his own "real building he found" in [[1293: Job Interview]]. In [[1493: Meeting]], his business returns again, this time with a name http://CompanyName.website/ yet no explanation of how it makes money from Sales, run by [[Ponytail]] ("Money keeps appearing, but we have no idea how or why"). At the time, somehow, it is still massively successful. As of [[1533: Antique Factory]] it seems Beret Guy has reorganized his business and branched out from his technology area of expertise and operates what he refers to as an antique factory. In reality, the "factory" is simply a room with furniture in it where Beret Guy waits for the items to age.

Beret Guy also seems to be able to, consciously or unconsciously, warp the fabric of reality - see a list of [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|his strange powers]]. In [[1099: Tuesdays]], he grows "endless wings" and in the aforementioned [[1293: Job Interview]], he seems to be pouring soup from an electrical socket, as well as in [[1486: Vacuum]], where he misinterprets quantum physics and manages to get unlimited power from a vacuum cleaner. In [[1490: Atoms]], he appears to have a supernatural ability to see individual atoms (or at least the atomic make-up of items) and his mother seems to have an unexplained amount of plutonium in her body. In [[1608: Hoverboard]] he is shown riding a torpedo launched from a {{w|Star Destroyer}} towards the rebel ship below. He shouts 'Horsey' and seems unaware of the destruction these torpedoes are causing. However, Beret Guy seems to have no doubt that these events are perfectly normal; in fact, he just seems to accept them as they are without question. Beret Guy's seeming ignorance to his supernatural nature suggests that his powers are unintentional; it could be that the universe itself simply "bends around" Beret Guy, in order to fulfill any nonsensical or whimsical thing that he believes to be true, or an idiom/physical law that he has misunderstood.

He also appears to shop at a "mysterious shop", which seems to be cursed. This shop is mentioned in [[1772: Startup Opportunity]], [[2332: Cursed Chair]], [[2376: Curbside]], and [[2367: Masks]].

In the What if? ''{{what if|6|Glass Half Empty}}'', he seems to be quite oblivious to pain, especially about foreign objects sticking into his head. This may explain why we never see him without his beret as it may have been stapled to his head - see title text of [[291: Dignified]]. The latter comic also suggests that he might have been born by Caesarean section. In the What if? ''{{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}'', he appears in the final comic, going down a relativistic stream of water, oblivious to the fact that said stream of water was destroying the world, in a barrel.

Beret Guy also seems to have dogs who seem to share some of his powers, as shown in [[1614: Kites]] and [[1922: Interferometry]].

To sum up, Beret Guy is a very naive man with the superpower of having the world around him act according to his bizarre vision.

He shares several traits with Beriah from [http://www.meninhats.com/ Men in Hats], as [[Black Hat]] does with Aram from the same series, but in contrast to the latter, this doesn't appear to have been officially acknowledged.

He may also have a relative, Beret Girl, which only ever appeared in [[1190: Time]].

During [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAEutGwIQ9c&t=2758s an interview in 2023], Randall revealed that Beret Guy is one of the characters he is most fond of.

{{navbox-characters}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Characters with hats| Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Major characters]]

712: Single Ladies

2026-03-20T07:08:50Z

Ukrpickaxe: linked beret guy

{{comic
| number = 712
| date = March 10, 2010
| title = Single Ladies
| image = single_ladies.png
| titletext = Using a ring to bind someone you covet into your dark and twisted world? Wow, just got the subtext there. Also, the apparently eager Beyoncé would've made one badass Nazgûl.
}}

==Explanation==
The character in armor is {{w|Sauron}}, the main villain in ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'' trilogy. In the backstory of the ''{{w|The Silmarillion}}'', he takes control of Middle-earth by giving several {{w|Rings of Power}} as "gifts" to the great kings of men, dwarves and elves after teaching the craft to the elves. However, he also forged a master ring, the {{w|One Ring}}, to control the {{w|Rings of Power}} and ultimately rule over the kings. However, the elves were not deceived by his plan and took off their rings. Enraged, Sauron started War of the Elves and Sauron. After losing that war Sauron started a religion in {{w|Númenor}}. After using his influence to convince Númenóreans to attack Aman, the island is destroyed by Eru. Then Sauron started {{w|Last Alliance of Elves and Men|War against the Last Alliance}}. Sauron is eventually defeated in said war by {{w|Isildur}} who cuts off his ring finger. The books tell the story of a small group of adventurers who rediscover the lost Ring and attempt to destroy it, as Sauron's army gathers its forces to attempt to reclaim the Ring for their master.

{{w|Gil-galad}} is a high Elven-king, and {{w|Galadriel}} is an Elf of royal blood who serves as a matriarch of sorts to the remnants of the Elven race. {{w|Geography_of_Middle-earth#Lindon|Lindon}} is a location on the westernmost side of the continent, serving as the final transition point for Elves passing on to the Undying lands. Sauron refers to an actual event in the first panel, when he tried to gain control of Lindon through deceit; Galadriel and Gil-galad saw through his disguise and cast him out.

In the second panel Sauron is talking about {{w|Eru Ilúvatar}}, the creator in Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. While Eru created elves and men it was {{w|Aulë}} who created Dwarves, Eru gave them life. Orcs were Elves twisted by {{w|Morgoth}} so Sauron, being his principal lieutenant, would be a natural leader to orcs by the time he created the One Ring.

The song playing in the background is "All the Single Ladies" by Beyoncé, which includes the line "If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it," referring to ''{{w|wedding rings}}''. This is shown as being what inspired Sauron to devise his plan to control others through the gift of rings.

The title text refers to an often-suggested fan theory that the One Ring ''is'' actually meant to be symbolic of marriage. This theory is incorrect. The {{w|Nazgûl}}, also known as ringwraiths, are the former nine human kings who were bound by the rings, now a band of nine servants to Sauron who constantly seek out the Ring for him.

==Transcript==
:[Sauron from the Lord of the Rings is sitting at a bar, where [[Beret Guy]] is bartending; Sauron is wearing his trademark helmet, but he's hanging his head in apparent sadness or resignation. Music plays in the background.]
:''Music: All the single ladies, All the single ladies''
:Beret Guy: Hey Sauron, why so glum?
:Sauron: Gil-galad saw through me and threw me out of Lindon. Galadriel as well. I'll never rule ''anyone'' at this rate.

:''Music: All the single ladies, All the single ladies''
:Sauron: Eru created such beautiful creatures - Elves and men and dwarves - and all I've got are these stupid orcs.

:''Music: 'Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it''
:Sauron: I mean, I-

:[Sauron is suddenly quiet.]
:''Music: If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it''

==Trivia==
* Randall used the wrong "û" character when editing the title text; the character he used was U+0217 LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH INVERTED BREVE, but the correct character is U+00FB LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH CIRCUMFLEX. They look very similar at standard font sizes, but the inverted breve is curved, while the circumflex is pointed.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Songs]]

328: Eggs

2026-03-20T07:07:06Z

Ukrpickaxe: /* Transcript */ linked Beret Guy

{{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 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]]

1551: Pluto

2026-03-19T23:36:58Z

Ukrpickaxe: came in to correct the backwards "Canals misunderstood as channels". to say channels misunderstood as canals. But I see no reference to Lowell's hunt for Planet X, canals, etc in the cartoon? And it wasn't photographed until 1930. All incorrect.

{{comic
| number = 1551
| date = July 14, 2015
| title = Pluto
| image = pluto.png
| titletext = After decades of increasingly confused arguing, Pluto is reclassified as a "dwarf Pluto."
}}
* The comic on xkcd is a link to [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-spacecraft-displays-pluto-s-big-heart-0 this NASA post] (original is no longer available, but archived here: [http://web.archive.org/web/20150716112542/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-spacecraft-displays-pluto-s-big-heart-0]).

==Explanation==
This comic was posted on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, in honor of the {{w|New Horizons}} deep space probe making its flyby at {{w|Pluto}}, thus breaking the typical Monday/Wednesday/Friday cycle for the [[xkcd]] comics. Also on this day he released the first ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' in over three months, and it was called ''{{what if|137|New Horizons}}''. Luckily it did not end up back on Earth, as depicted in [[1532: New Horizons]], released 1½ month before closest approach.

[[Randall]] has taken one of the probe's images of Pluto, and outlined humorous examples of {{w|pareidolia}} on top of it.

It can be compared to preliminary descriptions by geologists, e.g. [http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/07140911-new-horizons-best-look-at.html?referrer=http://t.co/ExQJ6cKS1Q The Planetary Society: New Horizons' best look at Pluto before close approach].

The title text refers to the debate as to whether Pluto should be classified as a full or dwarf planet. This debate was particularly brought into the public eye and came to be seen as a matter of controversy, following the 2006 {{w|IAU definition of planet}}. The text may imagine that this debate winds on, with definitions being created and revised until a ridiculous state is reached whereby Pluto has a special class of celestial body named after it called a 'Pluto' but fails to fulfill the arbitrary criteria set up for it, and hence is called a 'dwarf Pluto'. There actually exist the terms {{w|Plutoid}} and {{w|Plutino}}, that relate directly to groups that Pluto belongs to, but see those pages for details of their use and usage. There has been a real naming conflict whilst generating those two categories, where Plutons was the name chosen initially, whereas Pluton is the usual name of Pluto in some languages.

===Details on Randall's discoveries===

;Candy shell
This suggests Pluto is a confection. It may also be a reference to the {{w|Mars (chocolate bar%)|Mars}} candy bar.

;JPEG plumes
The {{w|JPEG}} image format has the common issue of slightly distorting an image with {{w|Compression artifact}}s. The artifacts shown here do not appear in the official version of this image, but all data sent from New Horizons is compressed and artifacts are common — the full resolution images will be submitted to Earth over the next 16 months. There have been tweets about people seeing plumes associated with active volcanoes and the like, which were explained as being artifacts.

;Frontal bone
Interpreting Pluto as a head, the {{w|frontal bone}} could be the light-colored region next to the darker top, just above the north pole facing to us.

;Grease stains
The area above Pluto's north pole is attributed to grease.

;Bugs
Could refer to possible extraterrestrial life on Pluto in the form of {{w|insects}}, or "bugs". In the animated TV series ''Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles'', an adaptation of Robert Heinlein's novel ''Starship Troopers'', the first battles with the alien "Bugs" took place on Pluto. Maybe it also refers to a software bug at the probe.

;Bullet holes
A string of small round features which Randall suggests was the result of Pluto getting shot repeatedly, probably by meteorites.

;New Netherlands
Reference to the what if?, ''{{what if|54|Drain the Oceans: Part II}}'', about draining the Earth's oceans onto Mars. In the previous what if?, ''{{what if|53|Drain the Oceans}}'', the Netherlands took over the Earth once their problem with the risk of flooding disappeared. And then they continued to issue forth from the portal that drained the oceans on Earth pouring them onto Mars, to claim Mars as New Netherlands. Presumably, something similar happened on Pluto. This was already again references in both an entry in the table and in the title text of [[1555: Exoplanet Names 2]].

;Disputed territory
Since the base photograph is identified as "today's ''New Horizons'' image," this indicates that a section of Pluto has immediately become the subject of some controversy, possibly a territorial claim or one of several references to the fact that Pluto was demoted from full planet status in 2006.

;Snake pit
A snake pit is, in a literal sense, a hole filled with snakes. In idiomatic speech, "snake pits" are places of horror, torture and death in European legends and fairy tales. It is also a generic map hazard.

;Full text of {{w|Pareidolia|the Wikipedia article}} on pareidolia
Pareidolia is the human brain's tendency to see patterns where they don't exist. While probably a reference to Pluto's heart, the joke is also recursive: You'd be seeing the text of a Wikipedia article explaining to you that you couldn't actually be seeing the text of a Wikipedia article.

;Tadpole
A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, so they unfortunately do not live on Pluto.{{Citation needed}} It is one of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined.

;Kuiper Belt loops
The {{w|Kuiper belt}} is a region in our solar system that contains an unknown amount of icy bodies, one known is Pluto. Randall jokingly refers to Kuiper Belt as the same kind of belt that's used to fasten clothing and identifies features on Pluto's surface as loops for the belt.

;Serenity
An outline of the ''Firefly''-class spaceship ''Serenity'', which was the titular vessel from the 2002 TV series ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}''.

;Dinosaur
Nobody can see a dinosaur unless Randall did this painting on Pluto's surface. And any complex comic that is at least acceptable needs at least one dinosaur.{{Citation needed}}

;The good part
A section of Pluto that is objectively better than the rest. (According to Randall). Whether or not this is really 'the good part' or '[[2984: Asteroid News|just a boring dot like all the others]]' is not known.{{Citation needed}}

;Moon bud
This could be interpreted as a moon growing/emerging out of Pluto, as a bud is "a compact knob-like growth". A round growth is seen at the location marked, resembling a small, emerging moon.

;Ghost
A reference to the classic video game ''{{w|Pacman}}'', wherein the primary antagonists are one of four Ghosts. The Ghost on Pluto appears to have a mouth, however, unlike most depictions of the ''Pacman'' Ghosts. One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined.

;Pluto dinosaur extinction crater
Suggests Pluto had dinosaurs and lost them the same way Earth did.

;{{w|The Heart (Pluto)|Heart}}
The Tombaugh Regio: the most prominent pareidolic feature Randall has outlined, and the only one (currently) also informally named as such by NASA.

;Coronary artery disease
Also known as {{w|ischemic heart disease}}, which causes degradation of heart tissue. The region identified in the comic looks less 'healthy' (is darker and more ragged) compared to the rest of the 'Heart', which Randall suggests is caused by the disease. Real-life coronary artery disease does cause raggedness and fading colour.

;Mount Mons
Referring to the general practice of naming extraterrestrial mountains {{w|Mons (planetary nomenclature)|"X Mons"}} (e.g. {{w|Olympus Mons}}, a mountain on Mars and the largest mountain in the Solar System), as well as naming terrestrial mountains "Mount X". Since "mons" is Latin for "mountain", the feature's suggested name translates as "Mount Mountain".

;Charging socket
A terrain feature suitable for connecting an outside source of electricity for the benefit of implied internal batteries. Compare "dock connector," below.

;Cracks (beginning to hatch)
Implying that Pluto is some manner of a giant egg. Possibly a reference to the ''{{w|Doctor Who}}'' episode ''{{w|Kill the Moon}}'', in which the Moon is revealed to be an egg from which a monster is hatching. Doctor Who is [[:Category:Doctor Who|referenced by other comics]]. A 2014 article from ''The Onion'', [http://www.theonion.com/article/moon-finally-hatches-36414 "Moon Finally Hatches,"] makes the same joke. Also possibly a reference to ''The Light Fantastic'', a ''{{w|Discworld (world)|Discworld}}'' novel in which similar objects are revealed to be the eggs of the World Turtle. A similar idea appeared in Jack Williamson's 1934 short story "Born of the Sun".

;Plug (inflating/deflating)
Inflatable balls often have a "plug" or opening to insert a needle to inflate or deflate them.

;Scars from predator attacks
Since it's all-caps, we can't tell if "PREDATOR" is a proper noun, but this is possibly a reference to the movie series ''{{w|Predator (franchise)|Predator}}'', about a race of aliens who hunt other beings for sport. Alternatively, a planetary predator (such as comic book villain {{w|Galactus}}) may have previously scarred Pluto.

;Reset button
The structure indicated is a small black dot (at least at this distance this picture was taken). Reset buttons on home electronics are often small buttons or holes used to reset the software of the electronic device. How exactly Pluto could be reset is not known.

;Megaman
One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined, this one in the shape of a popular {{w|Mega Man (character)|video game protagonist}}.

;Debate Hole - Where we're putting all the people still arguing about Pluto's planet status
Pluto was reclassified as a {{w|dwarf planet}} rather than a {{w|planet}} following the latter term's controversial {{w|IAU definition of planet|redefinition in 2006}} by the International Astronomical Union. Arguments about the classification continue to pop up. The same argument is referenced in the title text. The name implies a proposal to put all the people still arguing about it in this hole on Pluto. This proposal further implies that the continued debate is very annoying by 2015, except perhaps to the debaters themselves.

;Area missed during ironing
The area indicated is near the {{w|Terminator (solar)|terminator}} and shows some intriguing topographic relief. This might be because areas of cloth that were missed during ironing have much more creases than other areas.

;Probably Benign
A {{w|neoplasm}} or tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue. Randall is suggesting that the abnormal region near the heart has been evaluated by a doctor and determined to be {{w|Benign tumor|benign}}.

;Chocolate frosting
Suggests the discrepancy in color over Pluto's surface may be a function of what cake frosting was used where. This area is the "dark spot" at the head of the "whale" (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/14/science/space/pluto-flyby.html). The so-called "whale's tail" (http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/find-heart-whale-new-horizons-picture-pluto-n388816), is on the other hemisphere and is not visible in this image, it lies east about 90 degrees from the chocolate frosting/dark spot here.

;Vanilla frosting
As above, suggests the discrepancy in color over Pluto's surface may be a function of what cake frosting was used where.

;Border of pride lands
A reference to the Disney animated feature ''The Lion King.'' In the movie, the Pridelands is the bright and prosperous region ruled by the Lion King while a dark territory beyond its border is controlled by hyenas.

;Hyena country
A continuation of the ''Lion King'' reference above.

;Dock connector
From the point of view of the photograph, this feature of Pluto is at the planet's "bottom," where iPod dock connectors are. Compare "charging socket," above.

==Transcript==
:'''PLUTO'''
:Some of the features already identified in today's ''New Horizons'' image

:[Many marks on the image of Pluto follow:]

:Candy shell
:Frontal bone
:Grease stains
:Bugs
:JPEG plumes
:Full text of the wikipedia article on pareidolia
:Bullet holes
:New Netherlands
:Disputed territory
:Snake pit
:Tadpole
:Pluto dinosaur extinction crater
:Kuiper beltloops
:Serenity
:Ghost
:Dinosaur
:The good part
:Moon bud
:Scars from predator attacks
:Reset button
:Megaman
:Charging socket
:Cracks (beginning to hatch)
:Plug (inflating/deflating)
:Heart
::Mount Mons
::Coronary artery disease
:Debate hole
::Where we're putting all the people still arguing about Pluto's planet status
:Chocolate frosting
:Probably benign
:Vanilla frosting
:Dock connector
:Border of pride lands
:Hyena country
:Area missed during ironing

:Image credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI - click for original

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Space probes]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Firefly]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Movies]]
[[Category:Disney]]
[[Category:The Lion King]]
[[Category:Ghosts]]