Editing 1418: Horse

{{comic
| number    = 1418
| date      = September 8, 2014
| title     = Horse
| image     = horse.png
| titletext = Officer suspended from horse.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] has set his browser to auto-replace the word "force" with the word "horse." Some of the humorous resulting news headlines are shown.

*Ukrainian town threatened by pro-Russian horses
**At the time this comic was published, there was civil unrest in Ukraine, mostly framed as pro-European vs pro-Russian. In earlier centuries, the phrase "pro-Russian horses" could refer to the animals riden by Cossacks, or by their enemies, as alliances shifted.
***In 2022, this statement would perhaps become even more relevant. <!-- Though indisputably "Russian forces", rather than ostensibly just "pro-Russian forces" would become the normal 'original' phrase. But I wouldn't want to make this too political, just note the update of the situation somewhat neutrally... -->
**It should be noted that Randall spelled "Ukrainian" incorrectly, forgetting the first 'i'.
*Governor appoints task horse
**A {{w|Task force}} is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity, which makes it quite comical to picture a horse instead of a unit.  A "task horse" would presumably be a horse performing tasks.
*Iraqi Air Horse growing
**The Air ''Force'' of Iraq may indeed be being up-armed, especially in light of the threat, at this time, of ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State forces across swaths of both Iraq and Syria.  In mythology, Pegasus was a winged horse that could fly through the air, and might be considered an "air horse".  In real life, "Air Horse One" is an airplane equipped for transporting horses.
*Quarks, which are bound together by the strong nuclear horse…
**{{w|Quark|Quarks}} are elementary particles. They form bound states e.g. the {{w|proton}} (two up + one down-quark) mediated by the {{w|Strong interaction|strong force}}, similarly as atoms are bound states of {{w|Electron|electrons}} and charged {{w|Nucleon|nucleons}} held together by the {{w|Electromagnetism|electromagnetic horse}}.
**They are also referenced in [[474: Turn-On]], [[1621: Fixion]] and in [[1731: Wrong]].
**There is a real Nuclear horse in a different sense, which is a racehorse born in 2017 and named Nuclear.
*Officer suspended from horse (title text)
**Being suspended from a police force (i.e. usually being forced upon mandatory leave pending resolution of the issue at hand; paid, part-paid or unpaid) is a common practice where culpable wrongdoing of sufficiently serious nature is suspected of the individual concerned. It may also occur in some countries when the police officer grew too old for the job. A person could literally be suspended from a horse if they fall off the horse but got stuck in the stirrups.  Unlike most of these "horse" terms, a police horse is a real thing.

This is probably a parody of the [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cloud-to-butt-plus/apmlngnhgbnjpajelfkmabhkfapgnoai?hl=en Cloud to Butt Chrome Extension] (since it says ''new'' favorite browser text replacement).

This comic plays on the same premise (and perhaps is a sequel to one or more of) previous strips: [[1004: Batman]], [[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/]] and [[1288: Substitutions]].

==Transcript==
:[Headlines above the main frame of the comic:]
:New favorite browser text replacement:
:'''Force → Horse'''

:[In the comic frame Cueball is sitting in front of his PC reading the following headlines that are written above him in separate frames:]
:Ukranian towns threatened by pro-Russian horses
:Governor appoints task horse
:Iraqi air horse growing
:Quarks, which are bound together by the strong nuclear horse...

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Substitutions]]
[[Category:Language]]