What does everybody call the section of the newspaper that has the comic strips? Earlier today I was wondering where the expression, "See you in the funny papers" came from, and that got me to thinking about the different names I've heard, such as funny pages. Thinking back, I decided that I use 'comics' and 'funnies' about equally. Is there a marked favorite among the group?

funnies, here.

comics, almost exclusively

"Funny papers"--in my childhood when I read them.

I don't think I refer to them at all now. But, if I did, I think I'd say, "Hand me the comic section."

Comices (pronounced kah'-mih-seez)

I call them the comics, to answer your interesting question. But perhaps even more interesting would be to take a poll to find out what the newspapers call them.

Most newspapers print an index on or near the front page. Once I learn the layout of a newspaper I never look at the index again. But my suspicion is that in the US it's almost universal that the newspapers call them comics.

I'd actually be kind of shocked if any newspaper called them the funnies or the funny pages. Funny pages should be reserved for letters to the editor.

my suspicion is that in the US it's almost universal that the newspapers call them comics

Looks like you're right on, Wordwind.

Parents Choice Foundation has just made its first "comic strip" award, and there is no mention of "funnies" anywhere in the review.

http://www.slylockfox.com/award.html

Way back when, comic strips only appeared on Sundays and they were then known as the "Sunday Funnies". That was in the days when people actually read newspapers for something other than sensation or sports.

Now people read them for sensation and sports, but mostly for "the comics".

Personally, I'm hoping our new comic feature "Faldage and Plutarch" will boost our circulation around here too.

I am reminded of "Waiting for Godot."

" Funny pages should be reserved for letters to the editor."

You funny, Ted . In today's funny world of liberal journalism, the funny pages are reserved
for the letters by the editor - not to.

I would usually say sing. "a comic strip" or pl."the comics" although I used to use the term "funny pages" (never papers) once in a while.

I'm hoping our new comic feature "Faldage and Plutarch" will boost our circulation around here .... I am reminded of "Waiting for Godot"

Good one, ASp.

You are a better stand-in for our stand-up than our last stand-in.

I take it Faldage is on sab-cat-ical.

Send-up my best wishes to Faldage, will you.
Tell him "Faldage and Plutarch" is running out of gas without him. We may have to fall back on reruns.

I'm thinking of rerunning my own personal favorite "What is a word?"

[You remember "What is a word?" "It's also a pronoun." ]

"Faldage and Plutarch". "Laurel and Hardy" for the AWAD generation

"Back in the day", they WERE funny...those Sunday Funnies.

When talking among the family I tend to use "funnies" -"Have you finished with the funnies, yet?"
but when looking at an index I look for comics.

Best current use of 'funny papers' before recycling: kid gift wrap.

"kid gift wrap"

Man, and here I was using it for everyone!

kid gift wrap

It's best to wrap them when they're asleep. You can cut out Charlie Brown and Sally Forth for the eye holes, and Ziggy for the breathing hole; those "funnies" won't be missed.

Faldage:

I find it interesting you name your funnies after a type of pear. Comices normally have greenish-yellow skin. Or perhaps it's yellowish-green skin. I can never tell.

Welcome aBoard, AniamL, but the words comices (pronounced KAH mih seez) and comices (pronounced KOH mih seez) are no more the same word than are cleave and cleave, or, for that matter, polish and Polish.

Yes, I was being facetious. :D And if you mention polish and Polish, you might as well mention August and august. What is it called when a word changes pronunciation when capitalized, anyway? There must be a word for it.

I'll give you polish/Polish. But how do you pronounce august differently from August?

The adjective august with the accent on the ultimate syllable.

What is it called when a word changes pronunciation when capitalized?

Same thing as when a word changes spelling when you capitalize it.

rushin' - Russian

hungry/Hungary?
Or maybe grease/Greece?
I'm pretty sure those are a lot more common than those for which the pronunciation changes with a constant spelling.

"It is a sobering thought that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years." -Tom Lehrer

I did not know that. It's not a word I would use as an adjective other than to say an August shower.

I like grease/Greece better than my example. Thanks, Ani.

TEd. You know of no august personages?

>You know of no august personages?

Nope. And I would not have pronounced it that way even if I did. Not that I am disagreeing with anyone on the pronunciation. I just hadn't run across it.

A single pane of (usually) political or satirical illustration is called a cartoon. A series like Doonesbury is called a comic strip. A comic is usually something dopey or mildly amusing especially for kids.

In these here parts anyhow.