The topic of this SMBC webcomic is inappropriate slang in work texts. There are two texts that are complained of as inappropriate. The one at the end of the comic is spelled out plainly. The one at the beginning is just referred to obliquely, and I haven’t been able to figure out what’s being implied.
How could “orbital bodies crossing the plane of the ecliptic” be shortened so that when one texts “Send X pix”, it sounds rude.
From Britannica:
Node, in astronomy, the intersection of the orbit plane of some celestial body, such as the Moon, a planet, or comet, with the plane of the ecliptic (the apparent path of the Sun among the stars) as projected on the celestial sphere.
She’s texting “Send nodes” which sounds like “Send nudes”. And asking for “Dock pix” (space station capture mechanisms)
Thank you.
I hate not picking up on the innuendo.
Note that SMBC now has comments down below the ad. You have to click on a link, but they often discuss the strip in excessive detail and answer these kinds of questions.