The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo, or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
But all of them sensible everyday names,
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that’s particular,
A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum—
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there’s still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular name.
One of the reasons crowds can be so exhausting is that the more people you are interacting with, the tighter the restrictions are on what you can do without bothering someone, and the more secret rules there are you can run afoul of.
Sara doesn’t like people, Dina doesn’t know how to interact with people, maybe the party should have just been the four of them, Sarah, Dina, Becky, and Joyce, hanging out rather than inviting all these other folks.
Wasn’t that more or less the original plan? To only have a small grouping of people attend? Seems like a bunch more showed up uninvited after overhearing that there’d be a party like Meredith.
Norah
Only Willis knows for sure, but I’m guessing all these people were invited by Joyce. And maybe a Meredith left after she found out it was the wrong kind of “joint” party!
While Dina isn’t Misanthropic like Sarah, but she is not really sociable either, why would having a birthday party with lots of people be a good idea when neither guests of honor are good with people? They might as well have just had the party in that room with only Joyce, Becky, Sarah, and Dina eating pizza.
Yes, I think this is the ideal situation for Dina. She can go into the main room, then come back in here when she gets overloaded. But Sarah would probably rather not be there at all.
I think the word should be “too ace” not “too pure” because Dina’s…preeeetty ace! Whether she ‘fucks’ or not would need to be discussed with Becky but she is absolutely some flavor of ace.
It hasn’t been confirmed, but the signs are there. Remember at Joyce’s dorm party, she was overwhelmed by trying to keep up with all the nonverbal communication she saw so she hid under Ethan’s jacket. She was either overstimulated, or has to manually process it all instead of having it come naturally.
Regalli
The official position is ‘Dina’s never been diagnosed’, which is pretty distinct from a yes or no. (Based on that, I think it’s highly unlikely she’ll be formally diagnosed over the course of the comic – she’s an adult woman of color and doctors fucking suck at recognizing it outside amab white children – but I consider it likely.)
Direct confirmation might be more of a headache than shrugging. If it’s just extremely implied, we can spot the “clues” and nobody gets too bothered about the quality of representation. If there’s explicit confirmation, you get a certain crowd taking it as a Message that this is How All Autistic People Act, and then we all have to put up with them.
He Who Abides
It could also be that DYW never intended her to be autistic, but ended up writing her as autistic-appearing by coincidence. Far-fetched, yes, but he wouldn’t be the first.
131 thoughts on “Scritches”
ValdVin
Who is really surprised at Dina here?
He Who Abides
Sarah, apparently.
Kaidah
I’m more surprised that Sarah noticed her at all.
Jen Aside
Mike’s cat?
…Sarah’s now
Stephen Bierce
*sound effect from a 1960s magical wife sitcom*
MandibleBones
More like the “DETECTED” noise from Metal Gear Solid, in my head.
EvilMidnightLurker
Now I want someone to switch those and make a video.
Ryan
*poit*
Deanatay
More like, *beDang*!
Yes, I am old enough to have watched “Bewitched” and “I Dream of Jeannie” on television in my youth.
Needfuldoer
Do Sarah and the kitty move slightly across the jump cut?
Jen Aside
final panel is wider to the left side
p!enapple
Trying to imagine Dina’s reaction toscritches by Sarah… *snerkles*
Yet_One_More_Idiot
That would be hella ‘dorable! 😀
Danielle
dina requests head pats
Clif
Pizza more likely.
Screwball
They are only just now allowing you to know of their presence…
Clif
She was behind the door until the pizza arrived.
Slartibeast Button, BIA
As predicted by someone yesterday.
Pablo360
yeah, but when that prediction was made, I think “Dina” and “cat” were options
OBBWG
Called it! (Right for the first time. I am going to enjoy this moment because it may never happen again.)
taekwondogirl
But what’s the cat’s name?!?!?!
Slartibeast Button, BIA
The Naming of Cats
T. S. Eliot – 1888-1965
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo, or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
But all of them sensible everyday names,
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that’s particular,
A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum—
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there’s still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular name.
Needfuldoer
That’s a lot of thought about names coming from a man whose own is an anagram for “toilets”.
Delicious Taffy
Damn, you didn’t have to murder the guy.
DSL
As you say, Elder Fondue.
Abel Undercity
Expedite matters and simply call it “Master.”
Clif
I find that to be a practical approach.
Rei
Snake? Snake! SNAAAAAKE!!!
Keulen
No, that’s clearly a cat. And I don’t see any metal gears anywhere either.
Tacos
There are, however, a couple of cardboard boxes there.
Geneseepaws
So you can either know if the cat is awake, or where it is, but not both, ooooh, you mean Schrodinger.
Deanatay
Badger, badger, badger, badger
Mushroom MUSHROOM
Slartibeast Button, BIA
That pizza is laced with that drug that makes you see things as they truly are.
Proxiehunter
Blue mushrooms?
JBento
Klatchian coffee? It makes you knurd.
DarkoNeko
Wait there really was a cat. And a dinasaur
timemonkey
A moment’s distraction is all Dina needs to appear.
Clif
To exit from behind the door and leap lightly onto the bed while Sara is distracted by Pizzacat.
Roborat
Wonder if it is a samurai pizza cat?
DarkoNeko
Also, OF COURSE the cat immediately goes on the warm pizza container
Mra
If it’s not meant for sits then why is it made of warm?
Marsh Maryrose
I can haz upvoted?
Slartibeast Button, BIA
One of the reasons crowds can be so exhausting is that the more people you are interacting with, the tighter the restrictions are on what you can do without bothering someone, and the more secret rules there are you can run afoul of.
Mra
Sara doesn’t like people, Dina doesn’t know how to interact with people, maybe the party should have just been the four of them, Sarah, Dina, Becky, and Joyce, hanging out rather than inviting all these other folks.
Tacos
Wasn’t that more or less the original plan? To only have a small grouping of people attend? Seems like a bunch more showed up uninvited after overhearing that there’d be a party like Meredith.
Norah
Only Willis knows for sure, but I’m guessing all these people were invited by Joyce. And maybe a Meredith left after she found out it was the wrong kind of “joint” party!
Nono
Why Grace and Mandy, though?
Norah
And maybe Dorothy.
Cholma
That’s Blowjob Cat’s alternate form.
Tacos
Though this isn’t even its final form.
JepMZ
Is the fact a door is nearby is what allows Dina to teleport? Her powers have grown
Oberon
She didn’t teleport. She was sitting right there in that exact pose the entire time.
Bicycle Bill
She came in through the window?
TravestyHat
Clever girl.
Bathymetheus
I saw what you did there!
Mra
While Dina isn’t Misanthropic like Sarah, but she is not really sociable either, why would having a birthday party with lots of people be a good idea when neither guests of honor are good with people? They might as well have just had the party in that room with only Joyce, Becky, Sarah, and Dina eating pizza.
Sam
Dina doesn’t actually mind it so much as she gets overwhelmed by the faces. As we saw at Joyce’s previous party.
Norah
Yes, I think this is the ideal situation for Dina. She can go into the main room, then come back in here when she gets overloaded. But Sarah would probably rather not be there at all.
Tacos
*Metal Gear Solid noise*
Pocky
I was going to make a petting joke, but I think Dina is too pure for that.
Delicious Taffy
Too “pure”? For what?
Doopyboop
I think the word should be “too ace” not “too pure” because Dina’s…preeeetty ace! Whether she ‘fucks’ or not would need to be discussed with Becky but she is absolutely some flavor of ace.
Proxiehunter
Not when Becky’s doing the petting. Dina isn’t a child she’s an adult who happens to be autistic.
Jay
Was it ever confirmed she’s autistic 😕
Needfuldoer
It hasn’t been confirmed, but the signs are there. Remember at Joyce’s dorm party, she was overwhelmed by trying to keep up with all the nonverbal communication she saw so she hid under Ethan’s jacket. She was either overstimulated, or has to manually process it all instead of having it come naturally.
Regalli
The official position is ‘Dina’s never been diagnosed’, which is pretty distinct from a yes or no. (Based on that, I think it’s highly unlikely she’ll be formally diagnosed over the course of the comic – she’s an adult woman of color and doctors fucking suck at recognizing it outside amab white children – but I consider it likely.)
Delicious Taffy
Yeah, she ain’t a little white boy in kindergarten, so there’s not much chance of a diagnosis.
Delicious Taffy
Direct confirmation might be more of a headache than shrugging. If it’s just extremely implied, we can spot the “clues” and nobody gets too bothered about the quality of representation. If there’s explicit confirmation, you get a certain crowd taking it as a Message that this is How All Autistic People Act, and then we all have to put up with them.
He Who Abides
It could also be that DYW never intended her to be autistic, but ended up writing her as autistic-appearing by coincidence. Far-fetched, yes, but he wouldn’t be the first.