The classic column “What is, or was, the purpose of men’s neckties?” is accompanied by a Slug drawing chronicling the evolution of the modern necktie, culminating with a man in a noose. Funny.
But… isn’t the guy with the noose Ronald Reagan? The column in question is from 1987. Slug, you naughty boy!
This may all be myth, but this is the story I heard: Turkish (Ottoman?) generals were given a green noose to wear around their neck. If they lost in battle they were supposed to strangle themselves with it. If true, I imagine after a loss a dead soldier wearing the general’s hat and the noose would more likely be found than the body of the general.
I too have a question about Slug’s illustration. Why is Pogo there? And why is he singing?
I assume that the Pogo part of the illustration is from http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2629/what-are-the-lyrics-to-walt-kellys-classic-carol-deck-us-all-with-boston-charlie
… but the necktie column is dated Jan 2, 1987 while the Pogo column is dated March 20, 1981. So, I dunno. P’raps Ed will come along and 'splain.
Why would he combine images from two different unrelated columns?
It wasn’t unusual in the olden days of ink and paper for a column to contaion more than one question. Slug’s illustrations would usually incorporate both questions (and often more cleverly than in this case).
Yes, but my earlier point was supposed to be that such was done when two different topics ran on the same day. In this case, the two different topics appear to be on different days, years apart.
Ah, I see.
Is it possible the Pogo bit was printed more than once? Two different links appear for the same article if you search “Pogo” (though both are dated March 20, 1981). Could it be Cecil was dredging up “classics” as far back as the 80’s?
That’s exactly what I thought when I saw it. I likely read the original column when it first came out (I was in grad school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison at the time, and The Straight Dope ran in Isthmus, Madison’s alternative weekly paper), and was likely amused by it then, too. 
I don’t know where I heard this for the first time, but I’ve been told that neckties were a form of magic. Elaborate knots that protected the wearer from, well, whatever the knot was tied to protect from. It was part of my Costume History course in college as well, so this isn’t just an “overheard in a bar” sort of story. On the other hand, I’ve never read anything authoritative about it, either.
Considering the modern, knotted necktie didn’t arise until the late 19th century, such an explanation is not very satisfying.
Powers &8^]