Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for August 01, 2024

  1. Unnamed3
    minty_Joe  4 months ago

    Next time, let it go, Rat. Let it go.

     •  Reply
  2. 20071112 einstein
    hariseldon59  4 months ago

    I always wondered how Rat has the strength to throw someone twice his size off a cliff. More cartoon physics.

     •  Reply
  3. 290px wow signal
    ImDaRealAni  4 months ago

    RIP Neighbor Bob.

     •  Reply
  4. Wileecoffee3
    Need coffee  4 months ago

    Too bad Bob didn’t have mad evasive skillz.

     •  Reply
  5. Ding a ling
    BasilBruce  4 months ago

    Why did Bob go with Rat to the cliff? That wasn’t very Wile E of him.

     •  Reply
  6. Egil skallagrimsson
    Kveldulf  4 months ago

    Firstly, I can’t stand people who say firstly when they mean first.

    Second, when did people start pronouncing route as rowt. The word has always been pronounced root. A rout (pronounced rowt) is a military disaster. What are you, a bunch of hillbillies?

    Third, why do so many people pronounce kilometre (or kilometer) ki-lohmeter? It’s pronounced kilo-meter as in one thousand meters. Nobody says mi-limeter or cen-timeter. Nobody weighs 90 ki-lograms.

    Most people already know not to say literally when they mean figuratively.

    Rant off. No cliffs nearby.

     •  Reply
  7. Brad tele
    jpsomebody  4 months ago

    You have to say skill set now. In this day and age, saying you have skills means something entirely different.

     •  Reply
  8. Photo
    Robin Harwood  4 months ago

    Keep up the good work, Rat.

     •  Reply
  9. Tumble
    Keno21  4 months ago

    Rat has a very particular set of skills, that make him a nightmare for people like neighbor Bob.

     •  Reply
  10. Axel crop doctored
    MichaelAxelFleming  4 months ago

    “Skill set” is like “price point.”

     •  Reply
  11. Wiz wirp boing
    johndifool  4 months ago

    Senseless waste of human life.

     •  Reply
  12. 2006 afl collingwood
    nosirrom  4 months ago

    Wow, what would he have done if neighbor Bob had a pair of dimes?

     •  Reply
  13. Missing large
    RLG Premium Member 4 months ago

    Now they need to hire TWO guys.

     •  Reply
  14. Missing large
    edgar.allan.poodle  4 months ago

    I remember when paradigm was the work word.

     •  Reply
  15. 0804242
    James Wolfenstein  4 months ago

    I need a new cliff. I threw a “pronoun” guy the other day and he just walked away… I mean she… or it… they?.. :D

     •  Reply
  16. Avatar 2475
    Troglodyte  4 months ago

    Great skill set you’ve got there, Rat! :D

     •  Reply
  17. 0c5a4e3d 157f 410c aff6 25f4454f024a
    Flynn White Premium Member 4 months ago

    Why use one word when you can appropriate innumerable multifarious words?

     •  Reply
  18. Missing large
    win.45mag  4 months ago

    He seems to have agreed. Rat got him from the cafe’ to the cliff. Hopefully he was a defense lawyer.

     •  Reply
  19. Missing large
    win.45mag  4 months ago

    I’m hoping they’re like lemmings.

     •  Reply
  20. Iu
    lavender headgear  4 months ago

    Other annoying things people say: “Haven’t seen you for a minute” when they mean “for a while”“reach out” when they just mean “contact”And, dating back all the way to the ’70s but still going strong: “The thing of it is, is…”

     •  Reply
  21. Gandalf
    Gandalf  4 months ago

    I’m with rat on this one…

     •  Reply
  22. Mrpeabodyboysherman
    iggyman  4 months ago

    Rat’s and Pastis’ “cliff notes”!

     •  Reply
  23. 8 ball pool clipart vector 832729 103350
    Jim 9700  4 months ago

    Price point was another irritating unnecessary term, when they could just say price.

     •  Reply
  24. Ignatz
    Ignatz Premium Member 4 months ago

    Yes, like saying “finalize” instead of “finish”; “utilize” instead of “use”; and taking “medication” instead of “medicine.”

     •  Reply
  25. Missing large
    WaitingMan  4 months ago

    I never did understand set theory.

     •  Reply
  26. Dscf0345
    colddonkey  4 months ago

    Even if they have the skill set many won’t want the job unless it allows them to work from home.

     •  Reply
  27. Mac 2023 12 07 at 10.13.17 am
    B.comics.61  4 months ago

    The phrase “skill set” has been plaguing us for a heckuva lot longer than 10 years.

     •  Reply
  28. Missing large
    jadem308  4 months ago

    Bravo, Rat! Throw them all off the cliff.

     •  Reply
  29. Huckandfish
    Huckleberry Hiroshima  4 months ago

    I think I agree with you this time, Rat. But I am disappointed there was no Wilhelm scream. Of course that is not your fault.

     •  Reply
  30. 0023
    GentlemanBill  4 months ago

    That’s a precipice, not a cliff. Go collect him and try again.

     •  Reply
  31. Transparent undead bomage 1 v1 gocomics avatar
    Bomage  4 months ago

    Now do one about signage.

     •  Reply
  32. Missing large
    prrdh  4 months ago

    Being Rat’s neighbor may be hazardous to your health.

     •  Reply
  33. Missing large
    wongo  4 months ago

    And yet neighbor Bob keeps showing back up in future strips. Must not be much of a cliff.

     •  Reply
  34. Missing large
    ro.boat  4 months ago

    I wonder if Rat feels the same way about the phrase ‘price point’? Because ..yeah, throw him off a cliff.

     •  Reply
  35. Missing large
    Rich Douglas  4 months ago

    This is for the people who think the plural of “process” is pronounced “process-ease.”

     •  Reply
  36. Note
    Slowly, he turned...  4 months ago

    I brain stormed it and I agree with rat on this one.

     •  Reply
  37. 20230217 003824
    brianstreleckis  4 months ago

    Probably not a good idea to have that coffee shop/diner/whatever so close to a cliff.

     •  Reply
  38. Pexels pixabay 278823
    Doug K  4 months ago

    That should make room for another opening in the company.

    Perhaps they could use someone with Rat’s skill se … uh skills.

     •  Reply
  39. Missing large
    elbow macaroni  4 months ago

    Homicide? Always hilarious.

     •  Reply
  40. Img 20190428 152052 hdr kindlephoto 2072758
    SusieB  4 months ago

    Thank you Rat!

     •  Reply
  41. Chief wahoo
    aerotica69  4 months ago

    In the last 20 years I have heard so many HR psychobabble terms that deserve the same punishment, and for the life of me I cannot think of an example right now. I guess it’s because I’m a “seasoned employee” who is only a couple years short of “starting a new personal chapter”…………i.e. I’m an old fart who’s counting the days to retirement.

     •  Reply
  42. Image
    diskus Premium Member 4 months ago

    I think you can still say skills but you would need to be specific as to what type of skills. Skill set implies specificity

     •  Reply
  43. Greg backlit
    mindjob  4 months ago

    There is nothing as bad as using the word “like” repeated in a single sentence

     •  Reply
  44. Ellis archer profile
    Ellis97  4 months ago

    Rat is really picky when it comes to terminology.

     •  Reply
  45. Burbank3
    Burbank  4 months ago

    I’m actually going to have to agree with Neighbor Bob. Baking macarons is a skill, as is knowledge of calculus. However, baking isn’t a member of the set of skills necessary to be a rocket scientist. To me, a skill set is a pre-defined list of skills required for a position or task.

     •  Reply
  46. Horse galloping
    backyardcowboy  4 months ago

    The cliff needs to be a lot taller or Bob will be back in the strip again.

     •  Reply
  47. 3540301777 e380648263
    bbbmorrell  4 months ago

    This is such a reasonable solution. Why can’t our political leaders address these issues the way Rat does?

     •  Reply
  48. Th
    Code the Enforcer  4 months ago

    Hmmm … ’ Throwing People Off Cliffs ‘ … Now! THAT’S a Skill Set!! … :)

     •  Reply
  49. Zomy
    Malph  4 months ago

    Thank you, Rat! Except that term was used 20 yrs ago in the same context.

     •  Reply
  50. Nollanav
    DaBump Premium Member 4 months ago

    Oh… I dunno… maybe a BIT of an overreaction?

     •  Reply
  51. 90pix beer gnome
    gnome  4 months ago

    …Rat for President…

     •  Reply
  52. Booby
    Snolep  4 months ago

    My favorite is now mandatory use of “ older adult.” As opposed to “older child?” “Younger adult?”

     •  Reply
  53. 96480   copy  2
    Goat from PBS  4 months ago

    Someone annoying you? Throw them off a cliff! Soon there will only be one person left.

     •  Reply
  54. Me  2
    Silence Dogood Premium Member 4 months ago

    No. Today’s operative is “Under the bus”!

     •  Reply
  55. Missing large
    Cozmik Cowboy  4 months ago

    Oh, c’mon, Rat; I’m just spitballing here, but at the end of the day, maybe he was just proactively leveraging his core competencies with a strong bias to action.

     •  Reply
  56. Missing large
    newsbb  4 months ago

    A word that really bugs me is ‘webinar’, to me that is just ugly.

     •  Reply
  57. Missing large
    mousefumanchu Premium Member 4 months ago

    Fueled by rage

     •  Reply
  58. Missing large
    Flatworm  4 months ago

    Well, at this point in time…

     •  Reply
  59. Nowyoulisten
    zeexenon  4 months ago

    Ironically, he works at a company called SKILSAW.

     •  Reply
  60. Missing large
    wildlandwaters  4 months ago

    it’s not often I agree with Rat, but I’ll make an exception this time!

     •  Reply
  61. Horsehead aldohubble 960
    krisjackson01  4 months ago

    He’s tough but fair.

     •  Reply
  62. Missing large
    Aficionado  4 months ago

    The term “skill set” isn’t new. I first heard it about 25 or 30 years ago.

     •  Reply
  63. Anarcho syndicalismvnnb   copy
    gigagrouch  4 months ago

    Skill set, paradigm shift, unpack, drill down, sea change, hone (never “home”) in, ‘supposably’, it-is-what-it-is, 6 of 1, what-ever, I mean…, so…, ya know…, ectcetera…

    Lazy language.

     •  Reply
  64. Humphrey the bear
    Spence12 Premium Member 4 months ago

    Only in cartoons are cliffs so easy to find.

     •  Reply
  65. Bob 1
    moondog42 Premium Member 4 months ago

    “skills” implies being good at a single thing. “basketball skills”, for example.

    “skill set” implies having several things one is good at, not just pertaining to job duties. If you are good at basketball, programming computers, and underwater basket weaving, you have a diverse “skill set”.

     •  Reply
  66. Img 0634
    Beowulf 406 Premium Member 4 months ago

    The one that grinds my gears is “going forward” to replace " in the future" or “from now on”. Nothing really wrong with it I guess but it sounds and makes me want to slap people. No, I’ve not done that, just really wanted to.

     •  Reply
  67. Missing large
    Arghhgarrr Premium Member 4 months ago

    Blame it on the movie Taken.

     •  Reply
  68. Missing large
    Dis-play name  4 months ago

    Another annoying business-speak when discussing a vision for future plans is then someone will ask “What does that look like?”Totally redundant nonsense. It is like telling someone your ETA from a journey and then they ask “when will that be?”

     •  Reply
  69. Missing large
    shamiehg  4 months ago

    Rat — especially his cliff throwing offfa - has a great skill set. ;)

     •  Reply
  70. Missing large
    olds_cool63  4 months ago

    Rat is so cool!

     •  Reply
  71. 1017207 10200214106421862 492754112 n
    Cameron1988 Premium Member 4 months ago

    Rat gets triggered too easily

     •  Reply
  72. Missing large
    John Jorgensen  4 months ago

    Hmm, should we hire a guy with a great skill set? I don’t know. A guy with a lousy skill set would probably work a bit cheaper. . . .

     •  Reply
  73.  k3 6383
    AndrewSharpe  4 months ago

    Well, that wasn’t a cliffhanger at all.

     •  Reply
  74. Amazing fox photos 25
    eddi-TBH  4 months ago

    Most of the people who talk like that sit in private offices with doors that lock. Avoiding contact with the lesser laboring lifeforms who are under the delusion they are also human.

     •  Reply
  75. Missing large
    sincavage05  4 months ago

    set the record straight Rat and nice throw.

     •  Reply
  76. Sf tab
    ArcticFox Premium Member 4 months ago

    Rat exhibits an essential skill set of his own.

     •  Reply
  77. Missing large
    Otis Rufus Driftwood  4 months ago

    Just because your skill set isn’t what employers want, Rat.

     •  Reply
  78. Missing large
    FireAnt_Hater  4 months ago

    Is that cliff made of fiber-reinforced concrete, or carbon fiber, or what? That tiny little tip held up rat and pretentious guy. I know, I know, cartoon physics.

     •  Reply
  79. 2623453
    Seed_drill  4 months ago

    Can you also toss off the people who use “gift” as a verb instead of “give” and “gifted” instead of “gave”?

     •  Reply
  80. Missing large
    IKnowIt! Premium Member 4 months ago

    Another good example of how all the stupid ideas begin at the top in corporations and get implemenred by H.R.!

     •  Reply
  81. Missing large
    emoten  4 months ago

    For once I’m with Rat. It’s not only pretentious jargon, it’s mind-numbingly stodgy.

     •  Reply
  82. Gato landru  fondo rojo
    wordsmeet  4 months ago

    As per Cartoon Physics 202, there’s always a plump and comfy mattress at the bottom of the cliff. :)

     •  Reply
  83. Missing large
    Karen Mapes Premium Member 4 months ago

    Can we also do Price Point? Please?

     •  Reply
  84. 67877   copy  1
    76noos  4 months ago

    Classic, pedantic Rat.

     •  Reply
  85. Missing large
    Swirls Before Pine  4 months ago

    Rat has a particular set of skills. A skillset, if you will.

     •  Reply
  86. Missing large
    mikeBridges  4 months ago

    What does Rat think about the use of “leverage” as a synonym for “reuse”?

     •  Reply
  87. Missing large
    Withan  3 months ago

    Set theory is a skill.

     •  Reply
  88. Gato landru  fondo rojo
    wordsmeet  2 months ago

    I suspect “skill set“ is yet another annoying and unnecessary tech word to sound sophisticated and modern. Those who use that phrase sound like machines.

     •  Reply
Sign in to comment

More From Pearls Before Swine