For Better or For Worse, 2/19, Canadianism?

Cafe Society
1

We are puzzled by the following caption in “For Better or For Worse”, 3/19/03:

“Look at that, Dee- Meridith doesn’t make strange. You could put her with a good daycare provider.”

“Doesn’t make strange.” Never heard that one before. Is this a Canadian phrase for something like “isn’t bothered by strangers”?

(Wash Post Comics. I don’t know if they still require that idiotic poll for first time users. [Which reveal that 50% of all Internet users are CEOs of their own companies and make over $500K a year.])

2

No poll for me. And I am equally vexed.

3

Never heard of it, before, but I grew up in Montreal.
Lynn Johnston grew up in small town Ontario and suburban Vancouver, so it could be a local thing from either place.

4

I’ve not heard of this one before either. After a quick look around on the internet I think I’ve found out what it means.

To “make strange” means for a baby to cry or make a fuss when picked up by a stranger or soemone other than the mother.

Neat.

5

Forgot the cite:

6

So I Googled for the phrase “Doesn’t make strange”, ("-Marx" to eliminate a Groucho joke) and got only 2 relevant hits. 1 of which I had to use Google’s cache to read. The other is from Ontario (Canada). Doesn’t really clear things up by context, eh.

It appears that “make strange” alone is the basic phrase, but that is just too common in other contexts to get good Google results.

7

Thanks, Trion, sorry by prev. post appeared after your answer.

8

This was recently discussed.

Zev Steinhardt

9

A few contributors on the rec.arts.comics.strips newsgroup say that “make strange” is a British expression. I’ve never heard it before either.

10

I grew up in and around Toronto, and have heard it my whole life. Most notably from older people, though.

11

I am from southern Manitoba and I have heard it many, many times.

12

I live in Burlington, Ontario (in other words, in the area that this comic’s author lives) and my family uses it.

Personally, I hate the phrase.

13

I too am from Manitoba and have not only heard it many times, but used it a few.