Frazz by Jef Mallett for February 11, 2024

Ergo, Faffing = Fiddling

Time passes for OTHER people at the same rate no matter what YOU are doing. But, yeah, I much prefer to let it pass pleasantly for me, and the heck with all you other people.

I must have chocolate on the brain. I read “music and magic” and all I could think of was M&Ms.

I’m waiting for a Brit to tell me what ‘faffing’ means.

From the show 800 Words: Gormless Clackwaffle

Not to be confused with fapping

I counted ten Caulfields. How many did you get?

My 9 year old just recently received his report card for this quarter. I appreciated the teachers comments.Back story a bit. My son had this same teacher in kindergarten, then again in 4th grade. At the parent teacher conference late last year the teacher mentioned how he does not pay attention in class and prefers to draw or some other activity. After discussions with the boy we hoped to have set him on a correct path forward.Now for the comment: “9YO still has problems paying attention and participating in class, he is a very sneaky listener.”Asking about this – She said “He is listening, but doing something else as well!”

Isn’t Einstein’s Theory of Relativity equation a bit much for this age?

“Faffing about” is one of my favorites; I learned it watching “Time Team” on youtube.

Thought at first we were seeing a style of panel in which Mallett excelled. It usually included a whole classroom of kids either doing what kids usually do while the teacher is explaining the assignments or reading a text — drawing in their notebooks, passing notes, lying down with their feet over the chair bake, etc. Or they were all over the playground equipment, fully intent on the monkey bars, going backwards down the slide, burying one in the sand, and just enjoying being outdoors. Was a ball to read.

In recent years, Mallett has seemed to center on 2 or maybe 3 characters with Frazz having semi-adult conversations, mostly with Caulfield but occasionally with others. The arc where Dr. Spaetzle did his virtual walk was one of the best of those.

Obviously, times have changed, but this is still one of the best comic strips on the list.

I’m waiting to hear why the Theory of Relativity is on a first grade blackboard.

Hope he catches that X-37 before it lands in Mrs Olsen’s hair!

Or, as The Who sang in the rock opera, Tommy: “Fiddle about,” though I didn’t hear a single violin note in the entire song.

Ever since I heard it, I’m knackered instead of tired.

Thanks for giving us all a good faff!

Dinna confuse faffing with fapping. Suggest OED for explaination.

“I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you different.” – Kurt Vonnegut

He was still goofing off. Wasting everyone’s time. But it’s okay because he’s smart! (eyeroll)

We had a fellow in our high school class very much like Caulfield. Very bright, really nice guy, but could not sit still, a constant distraction. Our grade 12 English teacher took four of what at the time were the new style desks and created a play pen for him. He too must have realized he needed to learn self-control, as he signed up to the Marines the day he turned 18. Hard to say what he might have become as an adult. Sadly, he was killed in Nam.

According to the Collins dictionary the word Faff hasn’t been used much since the 1700’s https://www.collinsdictionary.Com/dictionary/english/faff

Looks like a Family Circus comic.

Wait until Mrs. Olsen looks up the term….

The student desks are not facing the teacher?