Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for March 14, 2024

With every penalty, we must surely be losing…

It’s all too much . . .

No one alerted me

Rat forgot his baseball bat?

George would have been proud of this strip. ;-)

Qatar is not the ONLY one who’s weeping here.

They really thought they had a chance with their star goalie, Saad Al Sheeb. When the game started, they sang out Here’s comes the Sheeb!

ANOTHER Beatles song I never heard of. (Thanks, Mr. Google.)

His team will be back for a rematch. They did so well in the first Qatar.

Pastis should be drawn and Qatared…..

So, it took Pastis four days to work this Beetles song into a strip.

is that supposed to refer to song: while my guitar gently weeps?

Most of the people in the United Arab Emirates do not know who the Flintstones are, but the people in Abu Dhabi do.

Ahmen, Ahmed. It’s only a game.

John Lennon is doing a 180 in his grave over that!

Here’s a Qatar, call someone who cares.

Is it only me or did anyone else read Ahmed’s lines in a Middle-Eastern accent? I blame it on Stephan, as he makes the gators in the comic sound differently, I have been made to read all the characters in a different tone

Cry Baby Cry

Thank you, Rat.

The song is just about SIXTY YEARS OLD. Some of us are very familiar with the music, but quite a few readers barely know they existed. If anyone had asked me then about the great music of the 19oughts, I wouldn’t have had the first clue. For that matter, I still don’t.

But we get by with a little help from our friends.

How low can you go?

All the players on the team are Qatar players.

I don’t know about you, but I Saudi pun coming after reading the first panel.

But Qatar (KAH-ter) doesn’t rhyme with guitar at all, so I don’t get it.

I’ve read that Eric Clapton played the guitar solo on the recording, although he isn’t credited on the album.

I have to give Pastis credit, he can always come up with a cringe-worthy, but humerous one.

Is that how Qatar is actually pronounced? I hear it a couple different ways.

That’s Football Lad !

Thanks to the featured comment for explaining the joke to me.

Umm… Since when Muslim countries have a football team?

Timely Ramadan humor? I’m sure one nut case fringe group will have their thongs in a bunch over this one.

That pun took a long and winding road.

Keep it up and he’ll be hearing Day after day alone on a hill and wondering Is there anybody going to listen to my stories

This strip will never stop doing puns. It’s one of their signature aspects, so I’m gonna stop telling them, “No more puns".

Too bad they all pronounce it “cutter” now.

Why did I subscribe to these comics?

I don’t know why you say good buy, I say hell no!

Interesting. There’s quite a bit of controversy around the world over Arab involvement in football.

I learned something new today: the correct pronunciation of “guitar” must be “gutter”.

I am weeping, too – with laughter!

It’s pronounced Cutter….

As soon as I read the first frame I got it! I’ll be 65 April 1 please do a strip celebrating April Fool’s Birthdays!

This would be a great pun if I knew how to pronounce “Qatar”

Aside from the original, the Rock and Roll HOF tribute on Youtube – Director’s Cut: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – Prince, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne & Dhani Harrison

These musical puns should come with an earworm alert.

It’s okay, Rat, I actually got a good laugh out of it. So bizarre.

Yes, I have tears in my eyes-from laughing!

Reminds me of Fred Flintstone at quiting time “Abu Dhabi Doo!”

Bad puns know no national boundaries.

We really need a “GROAN” icon here!

help!

I think this is Pastis’ first pun that didn’t require a huge, roundabout lead-up and eight panels to execute. Bravo, sir!

Where’s Maxwell’s Silver Hammer when we really need it?! :D

I usually loathe puns. Mr Pastis’s are great!

Bravo!

Is this the 31st song?

I can’t believe that nobody has pointed out that it was ERIC CLAPTON who played on the original! Here’s a 1987 performance you should see: >

I don’t have the slightest idea how Qatar is pronounced.

And who stole the “U”,Cossacks?

You gotta be a football hero….to get along with a beautiful girl…..

Very appropriate, with Eric Clapton’s birthday in just ten days (he played this song’s lead guitar).

When the Arabs had freed themselves of European colonialism (never mind Mongol, Turkic, Roman…) the royal families who took power were those willing to sign oil contracts.

George is crying in his grave because of this joke.

With all the money the team’s owners in Qatar have, I doubt anyone’s crying

NO RAT, do not weep for us.WE are here by choice.

O Man, I ran from that.

George Harrison (RIP) rolling in his grave.

Someone get Maxwell’s silver hammer.

MY guitar is all Chuck Berry and BB King ! Ours was a simpler, happier time !

While my catarrh gently seeps,..

I always love a good Beatles reference!

Beatlemania continues unabated.

This brings the count from Sunday’s strip up to 32! (I accept the different spelling of guitar.)

Hahahahaha Steph!!! You are the Pun Master my friend!!! I rarely laugh at other strips but yours sure can get me howling!!

Oh Stephan — LOLOL

I’m in serious sympathy with Rat!

At least it was a short build-up this time…

Happy Pi Day!!

Groan

Please pass me the tissues.

Come on, Rat! Get off his case.

Best. Song. Ever. RIP, George.

You forgot to bring your bat, Rat!

Go to your room, Pastis. (Or maybe just Qatar—ha.)

Sigh

Nothing gets by you, does it?