Oeps!/Gerkins/Grandma's Car

[Rob Klein]

Voor Harry F:   Oeps! Oeps! Oeps! Ja, Ik ben dat wel vergeten! 
I guess I've only been by Knooppunt Ridderkerk several hundred times.  You see 
what happens when you become older than 50???  I agree that this streamlined 
and smoothe, and well-engineered interchange is too functional to be noted as a 
tourist landmark.  However, the disorganised and chaotic situation of Barks' 7-
route interchange was quite a spectacle to imagine in 1952 (when Barks drew 
it). I don't believe we had such superhighway interchanges in 1952. (am I yet 
senile here also?) I still think it is worthy as a Duckburg landmark (it's the 
place where "road rage" was born in Duckburg (especially involving Donald)).

For Gary:  Don't the Americans refer to the small "pickling" cucumbers as 
gherkins? - and the large cucumbers as "salad cucumbers" (or is there a special 
word for the bigger variety?  Refering to raw cucumbers as "pickles" is 
definately incorrect!  I am sure the farmers and harvesters did not call them 
by those names officially.  Referring to them that way is a "lazy" informal way 
of speaking that becomes common speech if enough people use those terms.  This 
situation is akin to the common usage of "I COULD care less", when the speaker 
clearly MEANS "I couldn't care less".  Being an American, and a simple man of 
the people, even Carl Barks could (and did) pick up colloquial speech. A large 
number of Americans did (and probably still do) refer to cucumbers as pickles. 
Having known Carl for approximately 35 years, I would bet the family farm that 
he knew the difference between a raw cucumber and a pickled gherkin.  Like many 
other people, he picked up a common term for a common item.  I, myself, have 
been guilty of such in a very telling (and ironic) way. I am Jewish, yet, at 
times, (after spending much time in USA) when angry or startled, I find myself 
saying "Jesus Christ!". This is DEFINATELY something I would not want to say 
(for various reasons). 

For Frank B., Timo et al:  I believe that Al Taliaferro drew Grandma's car 
first.  But, I am not sure (as we all might guess based on the above note to 
Harry).  Perhaps David or someone else knowledgeable on the DD Daily strips can 
tell us.  Barks didn't draw it until 1950.  I'm almost certain I saw it in a 
1940s strip.

Regarding the model for it:  I think it may have been a composite of the late 
1890s and early 1900s (horseless carriage models) mixed with the late 1910s 
Milburn and Detroit Electric styles; because her car is not built as solidly as 
the 1918-19 models, the running boards are different, and the wheels and lamps 
are also more old fashioned. 

Rob Klein



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