Kickman 29x14

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KICKMAN, LLC

Chapter 29 "Skuttlebutt" Page 13

by Matt S. Law, Esq.

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I had to go to Thesaurus.com to get more synonyms for "scared talk."

So, most of my reading growing up was from comic books. Starting at about Uncanny X-Men #177 and reading both forward and backward from that point in the sacred timeline. So a lot of my vocabulary also came from comics. Back in those days there was both dialog and narration boxes and a lot more story got told in a single issue compared to modern comics. Kind of like the difference between a Marvel movie and a Marvel Disney+ series where about the same amount of events happen in 8 episodes. Silver Age comics, much more writing intensive, so even though most of my reading was from comics, I was still actually learning stuff.

Why do I bring this up now? Because, here we are, one more page to go to the end of this chapter, and I just now realized I spelled "scuttlebutt" wrong. It's not my fault. Skuttlebutt was the name of Beta Ray Bill's sentient spaceship from the pages of The Mighty Thor. So, they spelled it wrong first. I'm sure most of you probably assumed I spelled it with a "K" for Kickman. Or as a long-term setup to throw a "Skittish Skuttlebutt" dialog box into the page as a more whimsical alliteration device. But, no, I just thought it was spelled with a "K."

Curse you, Thor!

Actually, now that I think about it, around that same time in the comics, Thor had an enemy named "Kurse."

Son of a-!

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KICKMAN, LLC is a weekly webcomic written, penciled, inked, colored, lettered, and produced by Matt S. Law. Matt lives in a van, traveling the United States as a full-time pet-sitter. His mobile art studio consists of a Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ and Clip Studio Paint Pro software.

To read Kickman from the beginning click HERE

Here is a timelapse video of this week's comic strip:

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I didn't spot that typo. This is my reference for that term. I'm still not sure what it means.

!LOLZ

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scuttlebutt(n.)

also scuttle-butt, 1805, "cask of drinking water kept on a ship's deck, having a hole (scuttle) cut in it for a cup or dipper," from scuttle "opening in a ship's deck" (see scuttle (v.2)) + butt (n.2) "barrel." Earlier scuttle cask (1777). The slang meaning "rumor, gossip" is recorded by 1901, traditionally said to be from the sailors' custom of gathering around the scuttlebutt to gossip while at sea. Compare water-cooler, figurative for "workplace gossip" in mid-20c.

"According to the office scuttlebutt, Glen is going to be axed on Monday morning."

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That makes some sense :) There's a lot of phrases originating from sailors that most people will use without understanding.

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I decided to check with ChatGPT. Some of these are obvious, but others I never would have made the connection:
Nautical Phrases Still in Use Today

A clean bill of health
Origin: Ships had to have a “clean bill of health” from port authorities, certifying no contagious disease on board.

Above board
Origin: Goods kept “above board” (on deck) were not being smuggled.

All hands on deck
Origin: A call for all crew members to come to the deck and be ready for action.

Batten down the hatches
Origin: Securing the ship’s hatches with wooden battens before rough seas.

Between the devil and the deep blue sea
Origin: “The devil” was a seam in the hull of a wooden ship. Working on it meant being close to falling into the sea.

By and large
Origin: A sailing term describing a ship that sails well in both favorable ("by") and unfavorable ("large") winds.

Close quarters
Origin: Originally a term for a barricade used in shipboard fighting, now used to mean confined space.

Cut and run
Origin: To cut the anchor line and make a quick escape.

Feeling blue
Origin: A ship would fly blue flags and have a blue band painted along her hull when a captain or officer died.

Hand over fist
Origin: Refers to pulling on a rope quickly and efficiently, now means making rapid progress (often with money).

Hard and fast
Origin: A ship that was beached or stuck was “hard and fast.” Now means fixed or unchangeable.

High and dry
Origin: A ship stranded out of the water, now means abandoned or in a helpless situation.

Know the ropes
Origin: Sailors had to learn the rigging (ropes) of a ship; now means someone is experienced.

Loose cannon
Origin: An unsecured cannon on a ship could cause massive damage. Now refers to an unpredictable person.

No room to swing a cat
Origin: Refers to the cat-o’-nine-tails used for punishment—tight ship quarters made it hard to use.

Over a barrel
Origin: A drowning sailor might be placed over a barrel to expel water from their lungs. Later used for flogging too.

Pipe down
Origin: The boatswain’s pipe signaled the end of the day—crew had to be quiet.

Shipshape
Origin: Ships had to be kept orderly and tidy; now used to describe something neat and in good condition.

Show one’s true colors
Origin: Warships would sometimes hide their flags until battle. Showing true colors revealed true intent.

Three sheets to the wind
Origin: Refers to lines (sheets) that control sails—if loose, the ship would reel like a drunk person
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I knew a few of those. There's also a few about old guns like 'Keeping your powder dry' and 'Lock, stock and barrel'.

Here's some to make you feel old. Do young folk know what it really means to 'hang up' or 'dial' a phone call?

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Hey, I used to own a typewriter. Back in those days if you were typing a page and made a mistake, you just threw away the paper and started over.

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