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The Tai-Dora first date

The Marten-Dora rooftop kiss

The Steve-Ellen+Dora-Marten double date

The Sven-Hanners fake date

The Faye-Angus post-surprise-kiss date

The Penelope-Wil hospital visit

The Jim-Dora I'm-not-ready-yet date

The Marten-Padma I-can't-dance date

The Pintsize awash with kissy emotions date

The Sara-allosaurus date (RIP Sara)

No, you fool - you forgot about ...

[xLeitix]

Does she really measure success by whether someone comes into her place on the first date?

Given her prior relationships (that we know of), and given that she is in college, that doesn't seems unlikely at all. Not a community well-known for taking it slow.

Also, if you are already insecure about your date, every little setback seems like the end of the world.

(and there where a few, even before she declined to come inside)

[Border Reiver]

If Dora grabs your butt, you can make a note here...huge success.

Right up to the point where my wife does something to said butt that causes pain, discomfort and embarassment.

Of course that could prove challenging, Dora being a comic character and all.

[Madmartigan]

Liked the comic title today.

Does she really measure success by whether someone comes into her place on the first date?

I think she simply has no idea how to measure "success", because this all new territory for her.

Must be as that is a rather poor and awful measure of success.  The "she didn't come in for a possible roll in the hay" on the first night.  Then again, there's that age and maturity disparity I've always noted between the two of them.  And that Tai probably only has had rolls in the hay.  It hasn't reared itself while they're together yet. 

If Tai screws it up at all, it will be because she wants to go fast, gets impatient, or....dare I say it.  Will Jeph give Bailey an epiphany and she suddenly wants monogamy as well?  Wouldn't that be a train wreck.

If she's going to pester to the about such non-issues, she really needs to make close friends with someone else for advice in the future.

[jwhouk]

Something I noticed - Dora got away from butt-grabbing for quite some time in the strip.

[Boxilar]

Well, it's been firmly established that Marten is okay with Tai and Dora dating. And beyond some mild anoyance that Tai is coming to him for advice about his ex, he seems to be okay with giving Tai the owners manual. The real potential issues now are when Dora finds out about Tai going to Marten for advice about her. She might even be okay with it, but it will lead to questions as to why Tai went to Marten and not another friend. And if Tai gives her the same answer she gave Marten, well, it has the potential to set off Dora's issues. Dora obsessed over a couple of girls Marten dated back in High School that he "still had feelings for". Therapy or not, dealing with her issues or not, I have trouble seeing Dora not reacting badly to the knowledge that Tai has four or five "exes" she can't really talk to any more. Plus there was the physics professor she had at least a casual relationship with. And who ever else was in her circle of bang buddies that we don't know about. All of which were recent. (How recent is up for debate, given in universe time is an unknown to us.)

And as Mad points out, there is always Bailey.

Something I noticed - Dora got away from butt-grabbing for quite some time in the strip.

Maybe she was begining to distance herself in the relationship when she "sensed" things going pear shaped.

[Bachi-Atari]

Seems to me that Tai has yet to have a serious relationship with anyone.  Just lots of casual sex.

[Jokrmein]

What's Tai's appeal again? Aside from trying to seduce peoples partners and then freaking out when they don't put out on the first date.

[Is it cold in here?]

I think Martin's patience is going to be sorely tested in the coming weeks. If he makes it without a major outburst, he should be nominated for sainthood .

I don't know. Marten looks like he's enjoying knowing more about Dora than Tai does - it's always nice knowing more about something than your boss does.  Or maybe he's altruistic enough that he wants Dora to be happy, so he's happy if she is.

Hello everyone, by the way -  I've just de-lurked. Been enjoying QC for over a year and this forum for a couple of months, about time I said something...

Welcome, new-in-some-ways person!

More than just altruism: he and Dora seem likely to be able to salvage a friendship out of the breakup. He doubtless wants Tai to be happy as well.

[Method of Madness]

I have trouble seeing Dora not reacting badly to the knowledge that Tai has four or five "exes" she can't really talk to any more.

I think Dora'd prefer that to Tai having exes she does talk to.

[CrowFairy]

Keep working at it, it'll come! 

I kid, I kid!  Your posts are great! 


I am a fairly early riser, and always the first one up in the house.  There have been times when I've come downstairs in my pyjamas to see one of our friends nervously pacing in the living room floor or sitting at the table and smoking in the kitchen.  I blame my wife, to whom myriad people turn for help and advice. 


Including me...

Hehe, thanks.

I used to be that way. The one year my insomnia shut the eff up and left me alone, I was awake every weekend morning at 8 so I could have the Internet to myself. XD I quickly learned how to recognize who was coming downstairs just by the sounds of their footsteps and how the floor creaked when they stepped on it. We don't get visitors like that, because we live on a busy street, and our house is a mess.

If Dora grabs your butt, you can make a note here...huge success.

Coffee of Doo-oom. We insult you because we can. For the good of all of us, except the ones who are dead...

[Tova]

Pintsize is jealous of people who receive Dora's ass grabs.

[Tova]

That was a pretty decisive result...

What is Tai so upset about?

Dora didn't seem as into her as Tai expected 7 (14.6%)
Dora didn't seem as ready for dating as Tai expected 1 (2.1%)
Dora didn't seem as incredible as Tai expected 1 (2.1%)
Dora didn't seem as mature as Tai expected 1 (2.1%)
Dora didn't eat as many waffles as Tai expected 6 (12.5%)
Tai has no idea what to do next 29 (60.4%)
Something else (go on, tell us) 3 (6.3%)


New poll is up, though I'm sure I've either forgotten something significant or messed something up.

[bukwrm]

Lemme check here. Tai was worried cause Dora didn't come inside.
Everyone interpreted as "Dora didn't want to hook up on the first date"
I interpreted as "Dora didn't want to come in and hang out"

Steve and Meena? First date? Just sitting, chatting? I assumed Tai just wanted to hang out with Dora, post-awkward-meal, just chat, enjoy more 'holy-shit-I'm-on-a-date-with-Dora!' endorphins, etc. Not necessarily jump in bed with her.

[Tova]

Lemme check here. Tai was worried cause Dora didn't come inside.
Everyone interpreted as "Dora didn't want to hook up on the first date"
I interpreted as "Dora didn't want to come in and hang out"

Dora's explanation that she wanted to take things slow does not really support your interpretation.

[Carl-E]

An invitation in is not necessarily an invitation to a roll in the hay.  Tai may well have just wanted the date to go on longer, into the wee hours she's more accustomed to as a student. 




Yeah, right. 

[Akima]

By contrast Dora not only wants to take things slowly, but, being a business owner and not in college anymore, had to get up early the following morning to open her shop. Grown-ups have to do stuff like that sometimes. It's not a May-December relationship, but there is a significant gulf between being a student and being in full-time work, especially in your own business, and that's something Tai and Dora will have to work out.

Friendsight? That deserves to be a real word.

[WAYF]

Awwwww...

And then, just when Tai thinks she's all out of panic-adrenaline...

[cesium133]

I can't be the only one who thinks this would be the perfect time for Dora to show up... 

[Method of Madness]

Yeah, I'm usually good at helping out friends' relationship woes...but have shitty luck myself.

Wait a minute...Marten...Method...both have six letters, and start with M.  My god, it's true!  I'm a conspiracy theorist!

(Wait, no, I'm not actually a conspiracy theorist and my name is Eric, not Method, so...yeah)

[Madmartigan]

An invitation in is not necessarily an invitation to a roll in the hay.  Tai may well have just wanted the date to go on longer, into the wee hours she's more accustomed to as a student. 




Yeah, right. 

I said possible roll in the hay.  But let's be honest here, Tai probably wanted some booty.

At any rate, the age gap and life stage is going to cause problems eventually.  Dora is already in her business lady mode of life while Tai...do we even know what Tai wants in life yet? 

Those two are just are so many different stages in their lives, which is why I see this as a stop gap for Dora.  The relationship that prepares her for the next one, possibly the settle down one.

By the way.

Do we even have definitive ages for any of the characters?  Or do we just have best guess intervals?

[Kugai]

The Butt Grabbing Guide To Successful Dating

Maybe they could co-author it.   

Meantime, Marten could start his own  Cable TV Advice Show.

[Method of Madness]

I think the only age given was Dora being 26 near the beginning, but we have no solid timeline since.  I'm guessing she's 28 or so.

[Is it cold in here?]

Friendsight? That deserves to be a real word.

We should promulgate its cromulence.

Sven is 28, and Dora is a year younger. Hannelore's 22d birthday happened on screen. There's some material about this on the wiki.

[Tova]

Perspective is everything.

[Method of Madness]

Wait, Tai might be older than Hanners?  Or at least the same age.  Weird.

[Is it cold in here?]

Tai may be a grad student, in fact.

[Method of Madness]

I still think it's weird that Hanners is that young, she always seemed to be the same age as Marten/Faye.

[Omega Entity]

Dora is likely now 28, as of her date with Jim. (13 subtracted from 41)

[snubnose]

HANNERS !!!

I definitely dont have friendsight.

[Boxilar]

Tai may be a grad student, in fact.

I think that has been stated somewhere. My archive fu is weak.

As far as bad relationships, Okay yeah. But while Dora and Marten were good, they were very good. While there was some on screen conflict prior to the underpants incident, it still felt like it was going to work out. That marked the beginning of the end. Things may have petered out with Padma, but the Padma fling got him solidly past Dora. So it was good in it's way too.

Friendsight is awesome. Wish I had it, in any form. Hell I'd settle for casualacquaintancesight.

[techkid]

Friendsight is both a blessing and a curse, for those who have the way of it...

While you can generally successfully help people out with a broad range of problems (logic, reasonable understanding and some well-placed humourous quips do help here), all that shit goes out the window when it comes to yourself.

[Mothykins]

And when you have freindsight mixed with crippling self-doubt and anxiety, it goes out the window, gets run over by a 16-wheeler, and gets pissed on by a squirrel.

[TinPenguin]

And this is exactly why we go to friends for advice, even about such silly and trivial things. Sometimes, something is so close to you that you can't see it clearly unless someone else points it out to you.

[Skewbrow]

I don't expect it to matter in the poll much, but you did forget Steve+Cosette first date. The one with her feeling something pop in her neck.

[Tova]

Bah! Knew I'd forget one. Still, as you've implied... don't think anything was ever going to beat the Sven-Hanners date.

[VonKleist]

Nice to see Marty and Tai all friendlike and whatnot.

I have one question: What does 'friendsight' and '20/20' mean? Google results are unconclusive for non-native speaker 

[jwhouk]

I have to protest on this week's poll, as I am torn between the kiss on the rooftop and "AFRICA."

[pwhodges]

20/20 refers to perfect normal vision (see here), and is used informally for perfect vision in the sense of knowledge.

Friendsight is a nonce-word, playing on hindsight, the way we always know the answer after it's happened - in this case the point is that friends can see what you yourself cannot.

[Madmartigan]

Tai may be a grad student, in fact.

I think that has been stated somewhere. My archive fu is weak.

As far as bad relationships, Okay yeah. But while Dora and Marten were good, they were very good. While there was some on screen conflict prior to the underpants incident, it still felt like it was going to work out. That marked the beginning of the end. Things may have petered out with Padma, but the Padma fling got him solidly past Dora. So it was good in it's way too.

Friendsight is awesome. Wish I had it, in any form. Hell I'd settle for casualacquaintancesight.

Agreed.  Easy to forget how good Dora and Marten were.  But then, some of my favorite moments did happen when they were together too so, I'm really biased.

[FunkyTuba]

Nice to see Marty and Tai all friendlike and whatnot.

I have one question: What does 'friendsight' and '20/20' mean? Google results are unconclusive for non-native speaker 

To add to what pwhodges said...

There's an idiom in English that "hindsight is 20/20"-- it means that we see events that happened to us in the past with a clearer understanding of what we should have done than the understanding we had when the events are actually happening.

"friendsight is 20/20" twists that saying to mean that we see the situations our friends are in with a clearer perspective and greater insight into what they should do than we would have if the same situation were happening to us

[quix0te]

And when you have freindsight mixed with crippling self-doubt and anxiety, it goes out the window, gets run over by a 16-wheeler, and gets pissed on by a squirrel.

Having God/Jeph script your life like Job probably doesn't help either.

[jwhouk]

No, then he'd be sitting naked in a pile of ashes from what was left of the apartment building after Pintsize nuked it.

[pwhodges]

No, then he'd be sitting naked in a pile of ashes from what was left of the apartment building after Pintsize nuked it Faye made some more toast.

FTFY

[Toe]

Ow, Marten's poor arm in panel 4.

[Redball]

Ow, Marten's poor arm in panel 4.

Looks to me like he rotated his forearm and hand to make a gesture.

[Toe]

The problem is, the human arm doesn't rotate that way. Put your arm out with the elbow bent downward slightly, as if you were putting your arm around someone like Marten is. (His elbow isn't as bent in 4 as it was in 3, but it's still pretty clearly angled downward.) Now keep your arm in that position and try to rotate your hand so that your palm is pointing upward like Marten's is. 

[Midwesterner]

The problem is, the human arm doesn't rotate that way. Put your arm out with the elbow bent downward slightly, as if you were putting your arm around someone like Marten is. (His elbow isn't as bent in 4 as it was in 3, but it's still pretty clearly angled downward.) Now keep your arm in that position and try to rotate your hand so that your palm is pointing upward like Marten's is. 

Unless I'm missing something, I can do it pretty easily. Hook my arm around an imaginary person, and just turn my forearm up and out so my hand is palm up. A bit tight towards my wrist, but nothing uncomfortable.

[greywolfe]

That's quite a 'friendly' look Tai is giving Marten there...

[Is it cold in here?]

Panel three? Almost puppyish, in fact.

[Toe]

The problem is, the human arm doesn't rotate that way. Put your arm out with the elbow bent downward slightly, as if you were putting your arm around someone like Marten is. (His elbow isn't as bent in 4 as it was in 3, but it's still pretty clearly angled downward.) Now keep your arm in that position and try to rotate your hand so that your palm is pointing upward like Marten's is. 

Unless I'm missing something, I can do it pretty easily. Hook my arm around an imaginary person, and just turn my forearm up and out so my hand is palm up. A bit tight towards my wrist, but nothing uncomfortable.

Oh sure, it's pretty easy if you turn your forearm so that it's pointing upward (ie wrist above elbow). But that's not what Marten's arm is doing - his wrist is well below his elbow.