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This cartoon by Phil Disley from The Guardian relates to the popular uprising in Egypt which is threatening to overturn President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
EXPLANATION
The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In fact, the cartoonist has drawn a collection of pyramids, probably because it looks better on the cartoon. He's also included a monument in the shape of a ballot box with a slot in the top. The message is clear: if democracy comes to Egypt, then that will be a wonder of the modern world.
COMMENT
Cartoonists are having a field day with Egyptian symbols and stereotypes. For instance, Dave Brown in The Independent and Adams in The Telegraph both portray Mubarak as an Egyptian mummy. The Sphinx is also popular: see here, here, and here. For more pyramids (and a tweeting Sphinx), see here.
MORE EGYPT CARTOONS
• Daryl Cagle's Political Cartoonists Index
The Daily Express leads on new EU laws on sex discrimination, which it claims could lead to huge changes in pension regulations in the UK. Full story >>
VOCABULARY
If you say that someone or hammers another person, you mean that they attack, criticize, or punish the other person severely. • While the report hammers the SEC for repeated instances of incompetence, it stops well short of declaring the SEC liable.
This cartoon by Patrick Chappatte shows three Arab leaders in what looks like a tower. They are (from left to right) Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya, and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Protesting crowds can be seen in the background. Mubarak asks: "And you, how many foes do you have on Facebook?"
EXPLANATION
The cartoonist is highlighting the role the social media have played in the Arab uprisings, first in Tunisia and now in Egypt. Normally, people talk about how many friends they have on Facebook. However, the Arab leaders are so unpopular at the moment that they only have foes (= enemies).
The Observer leads with the turmoil in Egypt, and pictures British tennis star Andy Murray ahead of the Australian Open final. Full story >>
VOCABULARY
If someone clings to or clings on to a position or a possession they have, they do everything they can to keep it even though this may be very difficult. • Berlusconi has so far managed to cling to the support of his key allies despite charges by Milan prosecutors that he consorted with prostitutes.
This cartoon by Phil Disley from The Guardian relates to the violent protests which are threatening to topple the Egyptian regime.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is portrayed as the Great Sphinx of Giza, a statue of a reclining sphinx (a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head) that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt.
Angry protesters are attacking the Sphinx with picks and pelting it with rocks. The police are intervening with batons and water cannons to quell the protesters. The blue bird which can be seen plummeting to the ground, having been shot, symbolizes the death of Twitter (thanks Zoran!). Earlier in the week, the Egyptian authorities suspended access to social networking sites, and then the internet in general in an (unsuccessful) attempt to limit the spread of unrest.
MORE CARTOONS
Chris Riddel has a similar cartoon in The Observer. And don't miss Patrick Blower's an animated cartoon in The Guardian.
The Independent's front page is dominated by the crisis in Egypt, where popular unrest has left the regime fighting for its life. Full story >>
VOCABULARY
If violence or fighting erupts, it suddenly begins to get worse in an unexpected, violent way. • Heavy fighting erupted today after a two-day cease-fire.
The only thing missing from the world's biggest burger (see previous post) is the HP Sauce. As part of a lesson on iconic English foods, I showed this vintage ad to my students this morning and asked them to explain the play on words in the slogan "Everything goes with HP Sauce". Can you? (answer below).
EXPLANATION
The obvious interpretation (which most of my students got) is that you can serve HP Sauce with everything (an exaggeration perhaps, but you get the idea). The secondary meaning relates to the image—the boy has cleared (or cleaned) his plate because HP Sauce makes the food so delicious. Here 'go' is used in the sense of 'disappear'.
COMMENT
I think HP Sauce goes particularly well with a Cornish pasty, fish and chips, or baked beans. What about you? You can see more HP Sauce ads here.
If Big Macs leave you a little peckish or you think Whoppers are for wimps, then prepare to meet – or should that be meat? - your match. In what must be the biggest burger in the country, this blood-vessel-busting beast towers 11in high and packs in a mind-boggling 4,200 calories. That is more than twice a woman’s recommended daily intake – more, in fact, than she should eat in two whole days. Read more >>
COMMENT
A great marketing coup for Oscar's Diner, the American-themed burger bar in Telford, Shropshire, which is offering the megaburger as part of its ‘Sink the Titanic’ challenge. Pity about the website though.
Egypt's shaken president Hosni Mubarak is clinging to power as the country braces itself for protests on the Sabbath, the Independent's veteran Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk writes. Full story >>
VOCABULARY
Reckoning is the action of admitting things you have done, especially when you are punished for them. • At some time there will have to be a reckoning with her. The day of reckoning is the time when you pay or are punished for things you have done wrong. • The day of reckoning is approaching and the world does not have a contingency plan. Day of Reckoning is a also term used to describe the Last Judgment in Christian eschatology.
