Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for December 25, 2022

MERRY CHRISTMAS

to those who celebrate, and enjoy Monday off to those who don’t.

I knew a pun was coming, but there was no way I could have known what it was.

Enjoy the beach, boys!

Also, Merry Christmas, folks.

That was difficult. Of course I’ve never been to California.

Yipes. Beach that buoy!

Last panel is the icing on the cake.

Steph: Help me, Rhonda, help help me Rhonda!

I once made up a pun about candy makers who introduced a line of gummy babies shaped like dogs. They had poodles that tasted like french wine, butterscotch terriers, and many others but their most popular were collies that tasted like watermelon.

Everyone loves a melon collie baby.

Merry Christmas, Gocomics!

Bermuda, Bahamas, Come on Pretty Lama

After a pun like this I’d can return to bed. A nice Christmas Day to you all

Where’s Barbara Ann?

That was a very long set up. I almost fell asleep in the middle of it. I did fall asleep at the end of it. And then I dreamed of California girls.

Tried to guess. Almost there, but didn’t make it. Drowning is too good for him.

“I wish they all could be California girls.” Collie Four Nog, Earls. That took way too long to process. Hope that helps someone else.

That was too far a stretch, Stephan. I think you’re getting desperate. Merry Christmas anyway.

I thought this heading in a Twelve Days of Christmas direction – with “Collie” in place of “Colly” or “Calling” (as in Four Colly or Calling Birds)

Not worries Rat. It wont takes long for sea level rising thanks to global warmi…er…climate change.

I’m reading this in my room.

I don’t get it. A little help for a non-native speaker, please?

Took ne a while!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody!

Guess I’m growing old, but I had to read that one several times before I got it.

Keeping with the Beach Boys theme: “This is the worst trip I’ve ever been on.”

What’s wrong with the last panel? The hole isn’t deep enough.

Merry Christmas from everyone at Pearls Before Swine.

I knew “Collie Four” sounded like something to latch onto, so I just kept saying it to myself until I heard “Califor(nia)” and the rest was easy.

HAHAHAHAHAHA! I love these pun panels!

Alas, Bama didn’t make the BCS this year.

Stephan’s puns are on another level! I keep trying to figure them out panel by panel but I rarely do. I think my body wants to solve it but my brain is afraid; rightly so!

Way too much of a stretch for this one.

Took a minute but worth the wait.

With English not being my native language I sometimes struggle with strips like the one today, however the clue from the last frame did help in the right direction + plus knowing The Beach Boys a bit also helped :-)

I don’t get it!

Nope, Nope, Nope, didn’t git me…………….Merry Christmas.

Rats. Now I have that Beach Boys song stuck in my head.

Merry Christmas all!

I did not know where this was going, and when it got there… I wish I still didn’t know. Merry Christmas!

Stephan Pastis: Pun Master.

Painful

Then we’ll watch it roll away again, Rat.

fI missed it all together sorry : ( please don’t hurt me : (

Did not get the joke until the last speech balloon.

Wow! Thanks to the comment section I got this. Normally I do pretty good but this one was flying high and fast. Merry Christmas friends.

Just a few more shovels full…right on the top…that’s right, cover the silly little cap, too…

I LOVED David Lee Roth’s version (and video)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cmbhfI8f_Ek

One of the best ever, Steph!!!

He has set the bar pretty high with this one. BTW, Brian Wilson said Sail On, Sailer was the best song he ever wrote. I can’t get that one out of my head

Merry Stressmass everyone!

Misheard lyrics- Give me the Beach Boys and free my soul I wanna get lost in the rock and roll. Merry Christmas.

LOL… Love the tortuous pun strips!!!

And now, my Christmas gift to the internet, a homemade Pearls-style Christmas pun.

Goat (walking in): Hi, Pig. What are you doing?Pig: Morning, Goat. I thought I’d have a garage sale. My neighbor Will is stopping by today.

Goat: What’s for sale?Pig: Well, here is a piece of a broken globe that I used to own. And over there is a pair of army men that I played with as a kid.

Will (walking in): Hey there, Goat, Pig.Goat: Hi, neighbor Will. Why are you wearing the halo and wings?

Will: I thought I’d promote a good self-image. You know, to let people know that I’m a good person. Anyways, what’s for sale, Pig?

Pig: Piece of Earth, good Will, two men.

Rat (holding a shovel standing over a knocked-out Stephan): How’s that for “peace on earth”?

Not his best work…

MERRY CHRISTMAS‼️‼️

Without the puns, comics would not be much fun! For me, without comics, work (today included) would be not much fun either.

don’t get it. too early, and I’m too hungover.

I’m sorry but my husband and I just don’t get this one. Can someone please help???

had to work way too hard for that

ARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

( ͡ᵔ ͜ʖ ͡ᵔ )

Puns often fly right by without me getting the joke until later. In Pastis’ case, they struggle by me like a wounded snail and I still have to consult the comments to get it.

Brian Wilson is coming for you

Okay, I didn’t see where this one was going till it got there. So well done Pastis.

These make me laugh!

Surfs up, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, aboard a tidal wave…

Took me awhile to get this. Given this is xmas, I figured it would be a pun with a holiday theme. But….Beach Boys?? Nevertheless, I (almost) always like this strip. I do wonder if Pastis comes up with all of his wordplay himself, or whether he has “helpers”.

That’s a lot of work put in on a pun.

Quite the cunning linguist he is!

LOL! I made up a pun about a guy who was under the weather, so he decided to make up a concoction (including liquor) of whatever he had on hand. However, the guy got even sicker, so he called and made an appointment to see his physician. He proceeded to tell the physician what kind of concoction he made, by telling his physician, “It must have been the hickory daiquiri, doc.”

Somebody save us. We love PBS but we can’t for the lives of us figure out what the pun is today! Also, Merry Christmas from WI :)

Pastis always has to have his pet sounds, but at least he is not back in the USSR.

Merry Christmas!!!

Nice Beach Boys shout out.

I think Little Saint Nick would like a word, Stephan….

Took me a moment – trying it out…

I must be thick. I don’t get it.

Checking out in a hardware store, considered old in 1970, there were apple pickers hanging on the wall behind the proprietor. I asked him if he had any fig pluckers. He and the folks behind me roared with laughter.

I don’t like any of the comic strips based on puns, and I think this was the worst one yet.

Oh, well, have a Merry Christmas, everyone, and just move on.

I was expecting and looking for a Xmas-related pun in the last panel. I didn’t get it right away.

Didn’t see that one coming!

By the way Kveldulf, you should take up current residence with Pastis…

Merry Christmas to Rhonda, Wendy Barbara Ann, and The Little Old Lady From Pasadena

Boo! :D

This is the worst strip, I’ve ever been on.

I have to admit Stephan deserves being buried in the sand for this one.

That was a looooooooong walk. Was it supposed to be “California Girls”?

Good stuff, For the first time, I had to cheat and read the comments to understand.

I even like the song, and agreed with it back when the Beach Boys sang it. Today I’d have nothing to do with a Commiefornia girl, just stick to Texas and Florida.

I Don’t get it; a little help for - is Stephan Scottish ?

Maybe – a Polish joke?

Romanian…

1I don’t get this one

this has to be the best worst pun ever! Thank you Mr. Pastis!

Why is the author still allowed to use the Internet with these bad puns? We’ll call him “Punnisher” from now on, with double-n…

Oooof! Had to chant this one out loud to actually “get” it. Huzzah!

The Beach Boys? Really, Pastis? Merry Christmas.

Did anyone else need that last panel to finally get this extremely terrible pun? Until I read what the bartender said about “Wouldn’t It be nice” I didn’t get the pun was a Beach Boys refernce.

I usually get Stephan’s puns right away. This one took me a sec. Groan.

Stop. Please stop.

Love the puns!

Just…..no. Seriously. No.

“Mr. Pastis, there’s someone claiming to be Brian Wilson’s lawyer on line two …”

Ah, Pig….livin’ the dream…..or dreamin’ he’s alive? He just needs a dual quad giddy up (409).

That’s actually quite impressive.

OUCH, MY BRAIN HURTS BAD.

After reading the first panel I hit Like because I knew another pun strip was coming!

https://www.facebook.com/CheyenneCapitalChorale/videos/836981767204595/ 10:48 (but the rest is great, too. I’m the one with a mustache, no beard.)

Worst ever! Love it!

Love it!!

Stephan, Stephan … G R O A N — LOLOL

That pun took a few readings before it clicked. Gotta hand it to Cartoon-Boy, he really knows how to forge those far-fetched puns!

I had to pronounce the payload two or three times before it finally clicked with me.

Laughed out loud!

What’s the pun? Someone please explain it to me.

“wouldn’t it be nice” bwwwahahaaaaa. wipes tears from eyes. Best Ever….

I think Pastis may have set some kind of record with this one!

You know, I don’t even read these past the first panel…

Collie For Nog Earls . . . What? The Swine got the best of this one!

Don’t get it!

Knock knock.

Who’s t here?

Sarah.

Sarah who?

Sarah doctor in the house?

Usually, I don’t get the joke until I reach the punchline. Today I had to read the punchline twice before I got the joke. What happened, Stephan? Did you get into the nog yourself?

Tough one for a dumb German. The last panel did it. My favorite is the first Chinese to be ennobled who moved to America. His new addess: Sir Fing, USA.