“Nails or Screws”

Alas Peanuts.com official archive doesn’t include 1953 (yet?), and didn’t reply when i asked if they knew when it was run, but I found it on a blog

There seems to be a literary debate as to whether Lucy is sarcastic/ironic or truly appreciative. With hindsight of the Lucy that is-to-be, obviously sarcastic/ironic!

Obviously, neither Ruthie nor I read this in the newspaper in 1953, but only in Pappa’s excellent collection. But it’s the foundation for a family watch-word / catch-phrase from our 1960s-70s vacation touring.

” Hey Ruthie, did <whatever museum we're in> use Nails or Screws ? ”
– our way of acknowledging height-ism of the architecture within arms reach.

I am barely old enough to have seen the last few 5-and-dime / Woolworths / W.T.Grants with wooden bins for loose products arrayed as counters in islands on the floor, before advent of excess packaging and hang-hooks & shelves in aisles. (The modern Dollar store is the dime-store’s indirect descendant as a price-point variety store today, but still with excess packaging and hooks-and-aisles. Yeah, a nickel is now a dollar.)

Because of a literary discussion of Peanuts, I discovered the above link’s photo-link expired (discussion still there).

Permanent ? syndicate link (login now requied)

Ruthie was featured by family friend Dan Kennedy’s article in NUMagazine (which pushed Gov Dukakis off the cover!), which became a chapter in his book. (Dan’s Book & Essays ⇒ “A Most Congenial Activist” )