# Explain this cartoon to me **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2008, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970 "2008-11-22T06:04:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![warmgun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@warmgun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/warmgun)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/1 "2008-11-22T06:04:44Z")
Explain this cartoon to me. I was in west Texas recently. I stopped at a small store that had a board with lots of cartoons posted on it that had been cut out of magazines and newspapers. All of them were funny and obvious - except this one: A drawing of two cowboys talking over a fence. One of them says to the other one, “I found my cattle but I lost my equipment”. Huh? ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/2 "2008-11-22T06:21:51Z")
Gee, I thought I might be able to help, being a 3rd generation Texan who spent some years in the west, but you got me. I suspect it is meant to be some sort of sexual/genitalia-based joke (“equipment” hee, hee) but other than that I am drawing a blank. If that IS the intended punch-line, the build-up is sorely lacking…exactly HOW and WHY did the hunt for and/or finding of his cattle result in the loss of his equipment? Are the two even related? Might be some subtle visual I am missing. (and that you missed). ??? I apologize on behalf of my fellow Texans…most of our humor is WAY better than this. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/3 "2008-11-22T06:54:07Z")
Need more details. Artist, syndicator, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/4 "2008-11-22T09:33:44Z")
Maybe his equipment (tractors and what have you) were re-po’d? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/5 "2008-11-22T15:10:08Z")
> [@warmgun](#): > > Explain this cartoon to me. I was in west Texas recently. I stopped at a small store that had a board with lots of cartoons posted on it that had been cut out of magazines and newspapers. All of them were funny and obvious - except this one: > > A drawing of two cowboys talking over a fence. One of them says to the other one, “I found my cattle but I lost my equipment”. > > Huh? Isn’t that like “I finally found my little daughter but in the process I lost my little son”? ---
**Author:** ![warmgun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@warmgun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/warmgun)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/6 "2008-11-22T19:33:50Z")
Sorry there is no other information. It was a cork board with a lot of other cartoons tacked on it. As stated earlier the other cartoons were pretty funny. This one did have the border intact so I know there was nothing missing. I had my friend (from Texas) look at it as well. It was a drawing of two cowboys from the waist up talking over a fence. I wrote the words down while there in case there was something subtle I was missing so I know the words are right. It wasn’t a total loss, we now use, “but I lost my equipment” as a punchline to things we don’t understand or that don’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/7 "2008-11-23T03:18:18Z")
Maybe the cattle had fallen down an old mine or something and when the equipment fell down the same hole, he found the cattle there. But lost the… Well you know how it goes. M ---
**Author:** ![Debon\_Err](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@Debon\_Err](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debon_Err)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/8 "2008-11-23T05:40:15Z")
I think what’s supposed to be funny about that joke is that you think about it for a day or two before the realization slowly sinks in that it just isn’t funny. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/9 "2008-11-23T06:11:32Z")
I think we have to assume that if the other cartoons were funny (or at least the humorous attempt made sense). Otherwise the person(s) posting them would have thrown it away. WAG: He lost his mind because it was such a PITA getting the cattle back. From Merriam Webster (underlining mine) 1 a: the set of articles or physical resources serving to equip a person or thing: as (1): the implements used in an operation or activity : apparatus \ (2): all the fixed assets other than land and buildings of a business enterprise (3): the rolling stock of a railway b: a piece of such equipment 2 a: the equipping of a person or thing b: the state of being equipped 3: mental or emotional traits or resources : endowment > **[Definition of EQUIPMENT](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equipment)** > > the set of articles or physical resources serving to equip a person or thing: such as; the implements used in an operation or activity : apparatus; all the fixed assets other than land and buildings of a business enterprise… See the full definition ---
**Author:** ![Debon\_Err](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@Debon\_Err](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debon_Err)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/10 "2008-11-23T13:03:08Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > I think we have to assume that if the other cartoons were funny (or at least the humorous attempt made sense). Otherwise the person(s) posting them would have thrown it away. > > WAG: He lost his mind because it was such a PITA getting the cattle back. From Merriam Webster (underlining mine) > > 1 a: the set of articles or physical resources serving to equip a person or thing: as (1): the implements used in an operation or activity : apparatus \ (2): all the fixed assets other than land and buildings of a business enterprise (3): the rolling stock of a railway b: a piece of such equipment > 2 a: the equipping of a person or thing b: the state of being equipped > 3: mental or emotional traits or resources : endowment > > [EQUIPMENT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equipment) I considered this, but they are cowboys from Texas… ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/11 "2008-11-23T16:06:53Z")
The joke was that one of the cowboys really wasn’t a cowboy - he was just dressed like one. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/12 "2008-11-23T16:20:02Z")
He probably lost his burdizzos, dehorners, pistol grip syringes, implant gun, taggers, and the bottle of propane to run the branding iron. Doesn’t sound very funny to me. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/13 "2008-11-23T16:47:14Z")
Nah, you’re all wrong (except **evlkitty** ). The equipment he lost was [Cow Tools.](http://www.larryjzimmerman.com/prehistory/ctools.html) ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/14 "2008-11-23T18:20:47Z")
I agree with InterestedObserver it probably has to do with “equipment” being a reference to his genitalia. Is the fence barbed wire or something. In other words the fence worked in holding the cattle in his ranch, but when you climb over it, it can cause physical injury. Look at the fence and see what kind it is ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/15 "2008-11-23T18:23:02Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Is the fence barbed wire or something. If it’s in Texas it would be a ‘bob-war’ fence. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/16 "2008-11-23T19:37:54Z")
> [@CC](#): > > The joke was that one of the cowboys really wasn’t a cowboy - he was just dressed like one. No - wait - it was the \*other \*guy who wasn’t really a cowboy. What a riot! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/473970/17 "2008-11-24T02:42:48Z")
> [@warmgun](#): > > Explain this cartoon to me. I was in west Texas recently. I stopped at a small store that had a board with lots of cartoons posted on it that had been cut out of magazines and newspapers. All of them were funny and obvious - except this one: > > A drawing of two cowboys talking over a fence. One of them says to the other one, “I found my cattle but I lost my equipment”. > > Huh? I actually put a lot of time into this trying to figger it out—love a mystery. Searched cattle jokes to find a reference…cowboys…etc etc…just no easy reference. At this point, I would just call the place you stopped at and ask them about it. If, for some reason, you just don’t want to do that, PM me with the info (or a reasonable guess where this was), and I’ll ask 'em. Honest.