638: Racine carrée de Garfield moins

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Racine carrée de Garfield moins
0638.png
Made by: Manyhills


Explanation[edit | edit source]

In the original, Garfield was dressed -- or rather, undressed -- as he usually is, and spoke as he usually does. Here, he's wearing a beret, a marinière (a shirt characteristically worn by quartermasters and seamen in the French Navy, but adopted by many civilians), and a string of onions around his neck, and speaks in a stereotypical French accent. These and the behavioral evidence provided by the author in the note are stereotypes of French people, the attire in particular coming from the "Onion Johnny", a Breton itinerant onion-seller who would often be the only French people that British people would come in contact with in the 20th century.

Garfield's original complaint was that Odie's attitude was too dog-like, and, with this corrected, instructed him to try a "meow". Here, his complaint is that Odie is too eager, with is uncouth. His instruction here is to say "bof", a bit of French that, in slang terms, is an expression of indifference.

The title means "Square Root of Minus Garfield" in French, though Google Translate comes up with "Garfield minus square root", and DeepL says "Square root of Garfield minus". (Both put the "moins" before Garfield if "Square Root of Minus Garfield" is translated into French.)

The author writes:[edit | edit source]

Obsessed with food? Thinks he's superior to everyone he meets? Spends most of his time not doing any work? All I'm saying is that the evidence is there.

Original strip: 1993-04-15.

Transcript[edit | edit source]

{Garfield is wearing a beret and a stripey blue-and-white shirt. He has a string
of onions around his neck.}
Garfield: Monsieur Odie, ah do not like your attitude.
Garfield: You are far too eager. Eet ees, 'ow you say, uncouth.
Garfield: Zat is much better. Now, repeat after me: "bof".