(Cartoonist’s note: I feel I probably should emphasize what appears below. I looked it up again this morning, and the internet lists two meanings for “yard ape,” one being an unruly child. The other, it seems, is black people. Having spent my life in the deep south, I had never heard of the latter. I certainly meant the former.)
Several have asked about the term “yard ape.” To me, it always meant children, as in “rug rats.” Apparently, according to Google, it has connotations even more tasteless. To reiterate, I meant children. I think context will bear this out as the plot unfolds. I was not aware of other meanings until now.
41 responses to “That’s Only 12 Dozen”
I made a rash agreement to sell some books when I was young. Luckily, my Mother took compassion on me after a few weeks and paid for them. God Bless Her!
Here’s one of the ads I remember: http://oldadsarefunny.blogspot.com/2012/12/1977-ad-make-money-get-prizes.html
Yard Ape always meant children here too
Along with house ape, crumb cruncher, tricycle motor, curtain climber, etc.
And “hey, you kids”.
Most agreements a minor makes to sell/buy products are not enforceable. One friend of mine enjoyed ordering the “12 records for ONLY 1 cent” deals that required the buyer to purchase 6 (or some other number) more at the normal (way higher than retail) record club price. Once they found out he was a minor, they canceled the membership.
I can’t imagine that you intended it as a racial slur. :- )
All I have to say is that what they expect from Arlo is gross.
The only time my grandpa used the term on me and my brothers and cousins was when we were being loud and rambunctious. I never knew it meant anything else.
Quite a few terms used innocuously for generations are acquiring offensive meanings retroactively. I think too many people are looking for ways to prove past generations to have been craven, racist, whatever, so they can feel more “enlightened” today.
This is a situation wherein, had it been “great”, it’d have been worse…!
Panel 3 of the top strip has an interesting, rarely viewed 3/4 angle (2/3 ?) of Arlo; I like the way it turned out. Very good at conveying the way kids have to look up (literally) to adults and the confusion the whole episode brings. Thanks for the flashback.
Jackie: “Rug rat”
Ghost: “Ankle biter”
Chris, that same panel interests me too. Arlo looks a lot like Binkley from Bloom County there, doesn’t he?
When I was 9, I sold Burpee seeds. I think it was 25-cents a packet for a pre-selected variety of vegetable and flower seeds. I sold about 3/4ths of the initial order. My mama had mercy and bought the final dozen or so packets. We planted moss rose, marigolds, four o’clocks, and zinnias. The vegetables included beets, carrots, radishes, red leaf lettuce, and green onions. Luckily, Mama knew something about growing things so we had some success!
I don’t remember what the premium I received was. The plants and gardening were WAY more memorable. By the time I was 12 I was running the garden tiller and raking out rocks. The tiller was much more satisfying to a 6th grader than raking…
I’m the formerly anonymous seed seller. Tablet did have a cookie for the blog!
David from Austin. Yeah, outdoor work always suited me better than sweeping or mopping. It felt good, you were outside hearing the birds and smelling the plants and dirt when you cut grass or dug. Raking was too much like floor sweeping. Nothing to show for it and in a short time nobody could tell you did anything.
“Yard ape” never meant anything but “children” in this town.
I have never heard the term used as a racial slur anywhere, no matter where I traveled.
I even went to college for a year at a southern university, and I never heard it there, either.
I have been in Arlo’s shoes, just not for so many boxes. I don’t think that I managed to sell more than maybe 10 boxes total. It did not take me long to figure out the selling candy at Halloween for Cub Scouts, Christmas Tree tickets as a Boy Scout, or even Almondbark in Jr HS was much easier than selling boxes of greeting cards.
When I was in 4th or 5th grade as a class project we had to sell seed packets
(or entice our parents to buy). Were in NYC’s West Side they expected anyone
to grow anything I don’t know. Any ONE seed pack would fill every sunny window
in any apt. building.
That is – Where in NYC.
As in where is the EDIT button
Grew up in the Cleveland area. Never heard the term ‘yard ape’ and it would not have been a racial slur then anyway. To my great embarrassment today, we used the “N” word back then. Thank God those days of feeling superior because of skin color are over.
Rick:
Sorry, but I must disagree that those days are over.
It seems to be an innate condition of humankind and not restricted to one particular race.
Right now, some of the voices are somewhat muted, but I don’t think they will be quiet much longer, especially in Europe.
Then, I suspect that it will happen in most countries over the globe.
I hope that I am wrong, but it’s hard to argue against nearly all of history.
I sold a couple of boxes of the cards (must have been in the early 60’s), my mom bought a couple and I probably supplemented the payment with my allowance. I did learn that I would never become a door to door salesmen!
Today’s strip is factually incorrect but I certainly got the humor. The latest sunset is actually next week as we have mentioned here at the old website.
I too had never heard of yard ape. It reminded me of Howard Cosell calling Art Monk “a little monkey”. Howard was not a racist but he did have grandchildren that he called “little monkeys” That was in the early 80’s but I think most took Howard at his word that he did not mean anything derogatory.