The English Blog: Cartoons

1,361 posts categorized "Cartoons"

May 23, 2013

Cartoon: Google's Tax Arrangements

BACKGROUND
Recently, Google, Amazon, Apple, and other big international companies have been under fire for their corporate tax avoidance schemes. However, speaking at Google's own Big Tent conference in Hertfordshire, Eric Schmidt, the head of Google, denied the search giant's tax operations were "unethical", claiming that it was for governments to create the laws and for businesses to abide by them. He said that multinational companies could not try to obey "the spirit of the law" when they operated in many jurisdictions and had a duty to their shareholders. Full story >>

THE CARTOON
The cartoon by Peter Brookes from The Times shows the extended Google logo that you find at the bottom of their search page, but with a comma in the middle.

EXPLANATION
By adding a comma, the cartoonist makes the 'O's seem like the zeroes in a large number — the amount of money Google is not paying in UK tax, for example ...

NOTE
In representing large numbers, English texts usually use commas to separate each group of three digits. This is almost always done for numbers of six or more digits, and often for five or four digits. However, in much of Europe, Southern Africa and Latin America, periods or spaces are used instead; the comma is used as a decimal separator, equivalent to the use in English of the decimal point. [Source: Wikipedia]

EXAMPLES
• 1,200 = one thousand two hundred
• 6,000,000 = six million
• 39,786,653 = thirty-nine million, seven hundred and eight-six thousand, six hundred and fifty-three
• 1,000,000,000 = one billion

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 23, 2013 at 07:54 AM in Business, Cartoons, News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 22, 2013

Cartoon: Apple Avoids Corporate Taxes

BACKGROUND
This cartoon by Chappatte from the International Herald Tribune relates to Apple CEO Tim Cook's appearance before the U.S.Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (which is presently looking into the tax code). Chairman Carl Levin (D-Michigan) accused Apple of "exploiting an absurdity [in US tax laws] that we have not seen other corporations use," referring to a loophole he believes should be closed. Read more >>

THE CARTOON
A committee member asks Tim Cook, "Why would the world's most profitable company avoid paying taxes?!" To which Cook replies, "To remain the world's most profitable company."

COMMENT
In fact, Cook maintained that Apple pays US taxes on its US profits as it should, and vigorously denied charges that Apple had set up "ghost" corporations for the sole purpose of hiding profits. The Apple CEO specifically pointed out to the senators that Apple did not send any US profits overseas, paid all taxes on sales throughout the Americas at the US tax rate, and repeatedly reminded them that Apple set up the Irish corporation that handles its European sales in 1980 -- long before bad economies or the current corporate tax situation -- and that it operates essentially unchanged from then. So that's OK then ...

VOCABULARY
A profitable organization or practice makes a profit, i.e., it earns more money than it loses. • Drug manufacturing is the most profitable business in America.

GRAMMAR
Note that you avoid doing something not "avoid to do" it.

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 22, 2013 at 08:02 AM in Business, Cartoons, Grammar, News, Vocabulary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 20, 2013

Cartoon: Highest Office

This cartoon by Morten Morland from The Times uses a play on words to comment on the unimpressive performance of the UK's coalition government on a whole range of issues: the economy, same-sex marriage, the EU referendum, etc. etc.

THE CARTOON
The scene is a meeting of the Cabinet. The ministers are sitting around the Cabinet table in leather-backed chairs. However, only the tops of their heads are visible (Prime Minister David Cameron, third from left, can be recognized by his hair). The title of the cartoon, 'Highest Office', refers to the office of Prime Minister, but the expression is used ironically to describe the lack of stature of the current Cabinet, who are visibly not 'up to the job'. The blank sheet of paper in front of each minister can be seen as symbolizing their lack of ideas. The message seems to be that we have a Cabinet of pygmies rather than giants.

VOCABULARY
1. In a room, the fireplace is the place where a fire can be lit and the area on the wall and floor surrounding this place.
2. A mantelpiece is a wood or stone shelf which is the top part of a border round a fireplace.
3. A candlestick is a narrow object with a hole at the top which holds a candle.

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 20, 2013 at 07:50 AM in Britain, Cartoons, News, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 17, 2013

Cartoon: Cloned Babies Breakthrough

BACKGROUND
This cartoon by Mac from The Daily Mail relates to news that scientists have extracted stem cells from human embryos created in a laboratory. The breakthrough could lead to customised cells to help treat and even cure a range of diseases, from Alzheimer’s to multiple sclerosis. However, it also raises the spectre of babies being cloned in laboratories. Full story >>

THE CARTOON
A man is lying on the sofa reading the newspaper, which has a front page story about the "Cloned Babies Breakthrough". We are meant to deduce that his wife, who is surrounded by dozens of little clones of herself, has just come back from the cloning clinic. She must have just told her husband about the procedure because he replies, without looking at her, "Go on. They took a sliver of your skin and put it in a test tube - then what?"

VOCABULARY
1. A sliver of something is a small thin piece or amount of it.
2. A breakthrough is an important development or achievement.
3. A clone is an animal or plant that has been produced artificially, for example in a laboratory, from the cells of another animal or plant. A clone is exactly the same as the original animal or plant.

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 17, 2013 at 07:47 AM in Cartoons, News, Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 16, 2013

Cartoon: Americans take Prince Harry to their hearts

This cartoon by Paul Thomas from The Daily Express relates to Prince Harry's seven-day tour of the United States. The Prince has attracted cheering crowds and huge media attention wherever he has gone, and the tour has been widely hailed as a success.

In the cartoon, Prince Harry is shown as the new face of the Statue of Liberty. Someone at the top of one of the many New York skyscrapers comments, "The Americans have really taken Prince Harry to their hearts."

IDIOM
If someone takes you to their heart, they welcome you like a friend or family member. See here for more "heart" idioms and expressions.

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 16, 2013 at 07:50 AM in Cartoons, Idioms, News, USA | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 15, 2013

Cartoon: After Bangladesh

BACKGROUND
This cartoon by Chappatte from "Le Temps" relates to the clothing factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which killed 1127 people. Following the disaster, western clothing companies which use such factories to make cheap clothes were criticized for sacrificing people's lives for profit.

However, several global retailers including Benetton, H&M, and Primark, have now signed a pact to improve safety at Bangladesh factories after worker rights groups that said they would put pressure on brands that did not sign the agreement.

THE CARTOON
A woman is looking in surprise at the label on a garment in the sale. The label says, "60% cotton. 20% sweat. 20% blood. Made in Bangladesh."

EXPLANATION
The cartoonist has modified the usual type of clothing label, which gives the composition of the material used in its manufacture. In this case, "sweat" refers to the sweatshops where the clothes are made, and "blood" to the lives lost in disasters like the one in Dhaka.

NOTE
Compare this cartoon with those by Adam Zyglis and Clay Bennett, which also use the label idea.

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 15, 2013 at 01:39 PM in Business, Cartoons, News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 14, 2013

Cartoon: Lame Duck Cameron

BACKGROUND
Today's cartoon by Schrank from The Independent relates to UK Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to the White House on Monday for discussions with President Obama about the conflict in Syria, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the strengthening of economic ties. At the end of their meeting, the two leaders held a joint press conference (see previous post), which provides the inspiration for the cartoon. Unfortunately for Cameron, events back home in the UK overshadowed his visit:

As so often happens when a prime minister flies overseas, he has found it impossible to escape domestic political controversy because his EU referendum strategy is turning into an almighty mess. Downing Street has already had to give permission for Conservative backbenchers to effectively vote against the Queen’s speech and cabinet ministers seem to be lining up to say that they would vote to leave the EU if there were a referendum now. [Source: The Guardian]

COMMENTARY
While the seal on Obama's podium is the usual Seal of the President of the United States, the one on Cameron's is, of course, invented, and depicts a lame duck. The duck is wearing a Union Jack T-shirt and has a plaster signed 'Europe' on one of its legs. It is walking with the aid of a crutch and has (EU) stars circling around its head (a common device used by cartoonists to represent a dazed state). The words around the seal are "Seal of the Prime Minister of the Disunited Kingdom".

EXPLANATION
If you refer to a politician or a government as a lame duck, you mean that they have little real power, for example because their period of office is coming to an end. In David Cameron's case, he is seen as a lame duck because he has lost control of his party over the question of Europe.

HISTORICAL NOTE
The phrase lame duck was coined in the 18th century at the London Stock Exchange, to refer to a stockbroker who defaulted on his debts. In the literal sense, it refers to a duck which is unable to keep up with its flock, making it a target for predators. [Source: Wikipedia]

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 14, 2013 at 08:36 AM in Britain, Cartoons, News, Politics, USA | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 09, 2013

Cartoon: Mac on Sir Alex Ferguson's Resignation

This cartoon by Mac from The Daily Mail relates to news that Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will step down at the end of the season after over 26 years in charge at Old Trafford.

The board of Wrigley's Chewing Gum Ltd. is having a meeting. A man interrupts with news of Sir Alex's resignation, telling his colleagues, "We face ruin. Alex Ferguson has retired".

EXPLANATION
Ferguson was famous for standing on the touchline, chewing gum and yelling at players and referees, and even chewed gum during interviews. His resignation is therefore bad news for the gum manufacturer as sales will drop.

COMMENT
The cartoonist is, of course, exaggerating, but it would be interesting to know if Sir Alex's chewing gum habit has boosted sales over the course of his career.

VOCABULARY
Your resignation is a formal statement of your intention to leave a job or position. • The managing director has offered his resignation and it has been accepted. The corresponding verb is resign. • The most successful manager in the history of English football has resigned.

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 09, 2013 at 07:01 AM in Britain, Business English, Cartoons, News, Sport, Vocabulary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 08, 2013

Cartoon: The Queen's Speech

BACKGROUND
Today, the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will attend the State Opening of Parliament, which marks the formal start of the parliamentary year. The highlight of the event will be the Queen's Speech, which is delivered by the Queen from the Throne in the House of Lords. Although the Queen reads the Speech, it is written by the government, and contains an outline of its policies and proposed legislation for the new parliamentary session. It is the only regular occasion when the three constituent parts of Parliament – the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons – meet. Read more >>

THE CARTOON
The cartoon by Mac from The Daily Mail shows the scene in the House of Lords. The monarch, sitting on the Throne, is delivering the Queen's Speech. One of the assembled Lords (most of whom appear to be asleep!) is reading an article about the Queen's plans to cut her workload (see earlier post), and is told by his colleague, who is pointing at Her Royal Highness, "I'm sure that's Helen Mirren".

COMMENTARY
Helen Mirren is an English actress who won an Oscar for playing the role of Elizabeth II in the 2006 movie The Queen. She is currently playing the Queen for the second time in a play entitled The Audience in London's West End. Mirren made the headlines over the weekend when she stormed out of the theatre dressed as the Queen, and told a band of street drummers outside to stop making so much noise as they were 'spoiling the play'. The joke is that the finger-pointing Lord thinks that the actress is standing in for the Queen again to give the 87-year-old monarch a rest.

VOCABULARY
There are various ways of referring to the Queen: the sovereign, the monarch, the head of state, Her Royal Highness.

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 08, 2013 at 07:46 AM in Britain, Cartoons, News, Vocabulary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 07, 2013

Cartoon: Hollande's Anti-Austerity Pledge

This cartoon by Paresh Nath, chief cartoonist for India's National Herald, shows French President François Hollande in a rapidly deflating hot air balloon. The balloon, in the colours of the French national flag, is emblazoned with the words 'ANTI-AUSTERITY PLEDGE', and Hollande is saying, 'We go full steam ahead in the battle for the eurozone!'

COMMENTARY
Socialist François Hollande won the French presidency just over a year ago, in large part due to his pledge to push for growth and battle the German-led austerity approach to Europe's fiscal problems. Now, one year on, economic reality has forced him to adopt the very policies he promised to eschew, and the first anniversary of his election victory was marked on Sunday by tens of thousands of leftwing demonstrators in Paris, protesting against austerity and high unemployment rates. Meanwhile, recent opinion polls show Mr Hollande's approval rating among the public has fallen to about 25%.

IDIOM
If someone says full steam ahead, it means they want something to be done with as much speed or energy as possible. The expression refers to the controls of a steam engine on a ship. "Full steam" means full power, and "ahead" means in forward gear. Here, of course, the phrase is used ironically since Hollande's balloon is plunging towards the earth, a metaphor for his failing presidency.

NOTE
Of course, a hot air ballon does not use steam but heated air as its lifting gas. However, steam balloons do exist, and you can see an example of one here.

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 07, 2013 at 08:48 AM in Cartoons, France, Idioms, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 06, 2013

Cartoon: Discounted ...

This cartoon by Adam Zyglis from The Buffalo News relates to the Bangladesh garment factory disaster, in which the death toll has now risen to 622 (see previous post).

BACKGROUND
The 24 April disaster is probably the worst garment-factory accident ever. There have been few industrial accidents of any kind with a higher death toll. Government officials say substandard building materials, combined with the vibration of the heavy machines used by the five factories, led to the collapse.

Bangladesh's $20bn (£13bn) garment industry supplies retailers around the world and accounts for about 80% of the impoverished country's exports. The collapse has raised strong doubts about retailers' claims that they could ensure worker safety through self-regulation. The country is popular as a source of clothing largely because of its cheap labour. The minimum wage for a garment worker is $38 a month, after being nearly doubled this year following violent protests by workers. Read more at The Guardian >>

THE CARTOON
On the left we can see a clothes rail with cheap garments for sale. On the right, a dead factory worker is lying in the morgue with a label attached to his toe.

COMMENTARY
The cartoonist uses a play on the word "discounted". If goods or services are discounted, they are sold for less than the usual price. • Airlines have been forced to discount fares heavily in order to spur demand. But discount can also mean to dismiss something as not important. • Some academics have discounted Mr Buffett as a statistical outlier. The cartoonist is making a connection between the cheap clothes sold by Western retailers and the Bangladesh garment factory disaster. The labels on the clothes and the worker's toe emphasize the link. The problem is that international clothing companies often want their garments to be made quickly and at the cheapest possible price. Factory owners in Bangladesh therefore have to keep the cost of their operations down. They do this by paying low wages and not spending money on safety equipment of improving their factories.

VOCABULARY
1. The word clothes is plural (pronounce it like 'close' in 'close the door'). If you want to refer to one dress, shirt, skirt, etc., you can say an item of clothing or a piece of clothing.
2. A garment is garment is a piece of clothing; used especially in contexts where you are talking about the manufacture or sale of clothes. • Many of the garments have the customers' name tags sewn into the linings.

NOTE
See The Cagle Post for more cartoons on the Bangladesh factory collapse.

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 06, 2013 at 08:58 AM in Cartoons, News, Vocabulary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 04, 2013

Cartoon: The Warning Label

THE CONTEXT
This cartoon by Clay Bennett from the Chattanooga Times Free Press relates to last week's clothing factory collapse in Bangladesh. The number of people known to have died has passed 500, and many are still listed as missing. The disaster has put the spotlight on the many western clothing retailers using the country as a source of cheap goods. Read more >>

THE CARTOON
The cartoon shows a T-shirt, or possibly a sweatshirt, with a label featuring a skull and bones and the words 'Made in Bangladesh'.

VOCABULARY
A warning label is is a label attached to an item, or contained in an item's instruction manual, warning the user about risks associated with the use of the item as intended by the manufacturer or seller. Most of them are intended to limit civil liability in lawsuits against the item's manufacturer or seller. That sometimes results in labels which for some people seem to state the obvious. Warning labels have been produced for different items. In some cases, these labels warn against some very strange occurrences such as the microwave that states 'do not dry pets in microwave'. [Source: Wikipedia]

EXPLANATION
The skull and crossbones is symbol is generally used as a warning of danger, usually in regard to poisonous substances, such as deadly chemicals. The cartoonist is making the point that the cheap clothes we like to buy on our high streets are often made by workers toiling in dangerous, or even deadly, conditions.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do you ever buy clothes from cut-price retailers like Primark?
Would you be prepared to pay more for clothes if it meant better conditions for workers?
To what extent are the retailers responsible for the factory disaster?
Should consumers boycott brands selling clothes produced in sweat shops?

MORE CARTOONS
• The Cagle Post

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 04, 2013 at 08:08 AM in Cartoons, News, Vocabulary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 03, 2013

Cartoon: 50 Things Children Should Do

BACKGROUND
The latest study by Play England showed a third of parents will not let children do ‘risky activities’ like climbing trees. As a consequence children are growing up with little experience of the outdoors and are afraid to go for a walk in the woods or search for bugs. In an effort to give both parents and children more confidence the National Trust have created a list of '50 things to do before you are 11 ¾'. The checklist for under-12s includes setting up a snail race, damming a stream and making a mud pie. Full story >>

THE CARTOON
In the cartoon by Mac from The Daily Mail, the father has got his children doing jobs around the house while he relaxes in the sun with a book and a glass of wine. The boy is mowing the grass, and the girl is cleaning the windows. His wife, who is reading an article about the list, tells him, "These are NOT on the list of 50 adventures children should have before they reach eleven."

FOR TEACHERS
1. This is a great cartoon for practising the present continuous tense. What is the boy doing? etc.
2. You could also use the list to practise the present perfect tense. Students work in pairs. One has the list and asks his/her partner questions with 'Have you ever ...? After 5 minutes, swap roles and repeat.
3. Have a contest to see who has done the most activities on the list.

FOR LEARNERS
How many of the following items can you spot in the cartoon?
ladder, lawn, patio, sun lounger, wheelbarrow, garden fork, lawnmower, bucket, French windows, parasol, trowel, handle, rungs, aerial, bushes, fence, puddle, sunglasses, wineglass, belt, roof, flower pot, newspaper

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• How many of the things on the list have you done?
• What things did you do as a child which are not on the list?
• Are children over-protected these days?
• Why are some parents reluctant to let children do risky activities?
• Are there any things on the list you would not let your child do?

ALSO SEE
• The 50 adventures every child should have by the age of 11¾ (Mail Online)

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 03, 2013 at 08:32 AM in Britain, Cartoons, Grammar, News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 01, 2013

Cartoon: Queen Beatrix's Abdication

This cartoon by Andy Davey from The Sun relates to the abdication of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (see previous post). Tens of thousands packed Amsterdam's central square to see the moment Queen Beatrix handed the throne to her eldest son, Willem-Alexander.

THE CARTOON
The cartoon shows the Dutch royal family on the balcony of the Royal Palace waving to the adoring crowds. Among them are Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall (aka Camilla), who did, in fact, attend the Dutch Queen's abdication party. Charles is capturing the event with his camera, and tells Camilla, "Just filming it in case Mama has missed it."

EXPLANATION
"Mama" is, of course, Queen Elizabeth, Charles' mother, who shows no sign of abdicating despite having been on the throne for over 60 years. It is widely thought that Charles, the heir to the throne, is impatient to become King, and is clearly hoping to give his mother a subtle (or not-so-subtle) hint by filming the Dutch Queen's abdication. For more on this, see the excellent cartoon Andy Davey drew when Beatrix announced her plan to abdicate in January.

Posted by Jeffrey Hill on May 01, 2013 at 07:36 AM in Britain, Cartoons, News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

April 29, 2013

Cartoon: Bus Pass Attack

THE CONTEXT
Work and Pensions secretary Ian Duncan Smith has called for better-off pensioners to hand back benefits they don't need, such as winter fuel allowance and free bus passes. He said it was an "anomaly" that all pensioners receive universal benefits, no matter how wealthy they are. Read more >>

THE CARTOON
The cartoon by Dave Brown from The Independent portrays Duncan Smith as a crazed bus driver swerving off the road and mounting the pavement in order to knock down a horrified pensioner waiting at the bus stop. The OAP is holding a free bus pass and using a walking frame. The cartoon is a clear metaphor for Duncan Smith's attack on pensioners' benefits. There are some nice touches such as the number of the bus 666 (the biblical number of the beast), the desination Purley Gates (a play on Pearly Gates, an informal name for the gateway to heaven), and the bus route: Benefits Halt, Sickroom, Elder's End.

VOCABULARY
This type of bus with two levels is known as a double-decker.

NOTE
The red double-decker buses in London have become a national symbol of England and British Isles. A particularly iconic example was the Routemaster bus (shown in the cartoon), which had been a staple of the public transport network in London for nearly half a century following its introduction in 1956. Because of cited difficulties accommodating disabled passengers, the last remaining examples in use finally retired in 2005, although two heritage routes retain Routemaster operation in central London. [Source: Wikipedia]