1052: Every Major's Terrible - Revision history

FaviFake at 15:58, 15 May 2026

2026-05-15T15:58:05Z

SacrifycedStoat: Corrected spelling of supercalifragilisticexpial -> i <- docious

2026-04-25T15:12:54Z

Corrected spelling of supercalifragilisticexpial -> i <- docious

207.191.188.118: googles --> goggles for chem panel

2026-04-23T14:18:15Z

googles --> goggles for chem panel

DollarStoreBa'al: cat

2026-03-31T17:02:05Z

cat

TomtheBuilder: No longer an issue, as per talk page thread

2025-08-06T04:27:22Z

No longer an issue, as per talk page thread

FaviFake at 13:30, 29 July 2025

2025-07-29T13:30:21Z

FaviFake: /* Explanation */

2025-06-25T07:10:57Z

‎Explanation

FaviFake: /* Explanation */

2025-06-25T07:10:28Z

‎Explanation

FaviFake: Yes, it has. Undo revision 380342 by TomtheBuilder (talk)

2025-06-25T07:08:54Z

Yes, it has. Undo revision 380342 by TomtheBuilder (talk)

TomtheBuilder at 02:43, 25 June 2025

2025-06-25T02:43:15Z

@@ Line 179: / Line 179: @@
 ::Pratchett: "Geography's just physics slowed with trees on top."
-:[Panel 19: A man with black hair plays on brown bongo drums while Blondie and Megan lean into the frame and look at him from left and right respectively.]
+:[Panel 19: A man with black hair plays on brown bongo drums while Miss Lenhart and Megan lean into the frame and look at him from left and right respectively.]
 ::Though physics seems to promise you a Richard Feynman-like career,

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 The lyrics are commonly rewritten, the most famous rewrite likely being {{w|The Elements (song)}} by {{w|Tom Lehrer}} which is also mentioned below the main header. This song is also [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcS3NOQnsQM available on-line].
-His last suggestion, "{{w|Supercalifragilisticexpialadocious}}", from ''{{w|Mary Poppins}}'', is another fast-paced patter-song with a somewhat similar tune, though it doesn't fit quite so well, and the match falls apart at the end of the fourth line, when the "Um-diddly"s start up — still, it's better than nothing.
+His last suggestion, "{{w|Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious}}", from ''{{w|Mary Poppins}}'', is another fast-paced patter-song with a somewhat similar tune, though it doesn't fit quite so well, and the match falls apart at the end of the fourth line, when the "Um-diddly"s start up — still, it's better than nothing.
 There are at least two performances of this xkcd song online where the transcription is shown to make it easier to understand the text:

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 ;Panel 3, ''A business major's just a thing you get so you can graduate'': {{w|Business education|Business}} is the most common major, often seen as a practical choice applicable to a wide variety of careers, or, as the comic illustrates, preferred by those who just want an easy way to graduate. Cueball gets his diploma and runs away from the dean on the podium while shedding both his robe and his {{w|square academic cap}} (or Mortarboard).
-;Panel 4, ''And chemistry's for stamp collectors high on methylacetate.'': Stamp collecting refers to the [https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford famous quote] by {{w|Ernest Rutherford}}, "All science is either physics or stamp collecting." {{w|Methyl acetate}} is a solvent that for instance can be used to remove stamps from their envelope (although water will do the same). The stamps in the background form the {{W|periodic table}} of the chemical elements. And since {{w|chemistry}} is not physics, according to the quote, {{w|chemists}} must be stamp collectors. [[Ponytail]] is depicted wearing googles, holding an {{w|Erlenmeyer flask}}, and dizzy from being high on methylacetate.
+;Panel 4, ''And chemistry's for stamp collectors high on methylacetate.'': Stamp collecting refers to the [https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford famous quote] by {{w|Ernest Rutherford}}, "All science is either physics or stamp collecting." {{w|Methyl acetate}} is a solvent that for instance can be used to remove stamps from their envelope (although water will do the same). The stamps in the background form the {{W|periodic table}} of the chemical elements. And since {{w|chemistry}} is not physics, according to the quote, {{w|chemists}} must be stamp collectors. [[Ponytail]] is depicted wearing goggles, holding an {{w|Erlenmeyer flask}}, and dizzy from being high on methylacetate.
 ;Panels 5 and 6, ''Why anyone who wants a job would study lit's a mystery'', ''Unless their only other choice were something like art history.'': These lines, both sung by Cueball, refer to subjects where a majority of graduates will end up unemployed or eventually working in a field outside their majors. Topics such as {{w|Literature}} or {{w|Art History}} are often and historically said to be in this category — although from [http://www.studentsreview.com/unemployment_by_major.php3?sort=Rate actual statistics], it is clear that there are far worse majors these days.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:02, 31 March 2026
Line 284:		Line 284:
	[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]] <!-- "As of August 2018, the comic has been linked to the said song...", apparently. -->		[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]] <!-- "As of August 2018, the comic has been linked to the said song...", apparently. -->
	[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] <!-- ... poetry degree ... -->		[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] <!-- ... poetry degree ... -->
		+	[[Category:Comics with custom header texts]]

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Explanation==
-{{incomplete|As of June 2025, the title text has been changed to link to the said song. In the [[#Trivia]] section, add the and update the title text in the comic template above.}}[[Randall]] has written a song called ''Every Major's Terrible'' and this comic illustrates the song. In this song the term {{w|Major (academic)|Major}} refers to the US version of an academic major. The point of the song is that it makes no sense to pick any major since they are all terrible!
+[[Randall]] has written a song called ''Every Major's Terrible'' and this comic illustrates the song. In this song the term {{w|Major (academic)|Major}} refers to the US version of an academic major. The point of the song is that it makes no sense to pick any major since they are all terrible!
 The header notes that the song is written to the tune of the satirical {{w|Major-General's Song}} from {{w|Gilbert and Sullivan's}} 1879 comic opera ''{{w|The Pirates of Penzance}}''. The song satirizes the idea of the "modern" educated British Army officer of the latter 19th century. {{w|Major general}} is a military rank in the United Kingdom and many other countries. The meter in the Major-General's Song is {{w|iambic octameter}}, which means that in each line there are eight iambs, where an iamb is two syllables in an unstressed-stressed pattern. Therefore, each line contains 16 syllables.
@@ Line 253: / Line 253: @@
 ==Trivia==
-In August of 2018, the comic was made to link [no it wasn't] to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhaEjgnmy3c a video], which no longer exists due to the owner's account being terminated by YouTube.
+In August of 2018, the comic was made to link to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhaEjgnmy3c a video], which no longer exists due to the owner's account being terminated by YouTube.
 {{comic discussion}}
@@ Line 282: / Line 282: @@
 [[Category:Animals]]
 [[Category:Wikipedia]]
-[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]] <!-- "As of August 2018, the title text has been changed to a link to the said song...", apparently. -->
+[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]] <!-- "As of August 2018, the comic has been linked to the said song...", apparently. -->
 [[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] <!-- ... poetry degree ... -->

@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 ;Panel 16, ''Virology will guarantee you'll never get a hug again.'': {{w|Virology}} is the study of {{w|infectious diseases}}. The green symbol above the central figure is the {{w|Hazard_symbol#Biohazard_sign|biohazard symbol}}, implying that people who study infectious diseases, and are therefore located near them at some points in time, will be shunned like the plague, because they're probably carrying it. Thus no hugs to Megan as three Cueballs and Ponytail lean back away from her.
-;Panel 17, ''I.T. prepares you for a life of fighting with PCs nonstop.'': "I.T." is short for "{{w|Information Technology}}", a degree for people who maintain computer systems. If there is a need for an I.T. position (in which I.T. professionals are employed) there are computers which need fixing — hence the I.T. Professional is always fixing (or fighting) computers, which may or may not have been[https://web.archive.org/web/20220225163355/https://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=19980506 "broken"] by [[:Category:Cueball Computer Problems|certain users]]. In the panel Megan, wielding an axe, is in a real fight with a PC.
+;Panel 17, ''I.T. prepares you for a life of fighting with PCs nonstop.'': "I.T." is short for "{{w|Information Technology}}", a degree for people who maintain computer systems. If there is a need for an I.T. position (in which I.T. professionals are employed) there are computers which need fixing — hence the I.T. Professional is always fixing (or fighting) computers, which may or may not have been[https://web.archive.org/web/20220225163355/https://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=19980506 "broken"] by [[:Category:Cueball's computer problems|certain users]]. In the panel Megan, wielding an axe, is in a real fight with a PC.
 ;Panel 18, ''As Pratchett said, "Geography's just physics slowed with trees on top."'': This is a slightly amended quote from {{w|Discworld}} author {{w|Terry Pratchett}}, from his book "{{w|Feet of Clay (novel)|Feet of Clay}}". The actual quote is "{{w|Geography}} is just physics slowed down, with a couple of trees stuck in it." But the meaning is the same, that physics also describes geography - a similar quote to the one about physics vs. stamp collections mentioned under panel 4.