2012-11-22
Explanation
This comic is titled "Funtime Activity: Euphemisms for Non-Taboo Subjects" and flips the concept of euphemisms on its head. Normally, euphemisms are used to discuss taboo or uncomfortable topics in polite terms. Here, a man at what appears to be a pet store speaks in hushed, embarrassed tones about a completely innocent purchase: "Hi... I'''d like to buy a... you know... a little something for my tank..." When the shopkeeper helpfully responds "A fish?" the man recoils in horror: "Sir, there are ladies present."
The humor comes from treating an entirely mundane, non-taboo subject -- buying a pet fish -- as though it were something shameful and unspeakable. The man'''s stammering, euphemistic language and scandalized reaction to the word "fish" being spoken aloud perfectly mirrors how people actually behave when discussing genuinely taboo subjects, making the absurdity of social taboos themselves the real target of the joke.
The votey panel continues the gag: the man says "I'''ll also need a baggy of... thin ones" (meaning fish flakes, i.e., fish food). The shopkeeper asks "Fish flakes?" and the man responds "Blaggard!" -- an archaic insult meaning scoundrel. This escalation reinforces the joke by showing that even fish-related accessories are treated as obscene in this inverted world.