# What is the Term for the Relationship Tom and Jerry Have? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439 "2007-02-01T18:29:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/1 "2007-02-01T18:29:04Z")
As per the Classic Cartoon Duo, what terminology is given to the relationship? I don’t think Stockholm Syndrome quite fits the bill for the situation. They aren’t purely enemies; They usually only go after each other, only if nothing else harms the other. If something does harm one or the other, they will be saved by the other. And I don’t think that Tom ever has Jerry kidnapped for any length of time either. (to backreference the stockholm again) And in some cases, they seem to set aside differences all together. Can they be “strange bedfellows” if it is just the two of them? ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/2 "2007-02-01T18:31:07Z")
Antagonists? Antagonistic Strange Bedfellows? ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/3 "2007-02-01T18:47:37Z")
Love/ Hate? Close Enemies? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/4 "2007-02-01T18:48:52Z")
They have a cat and mouse relationship. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/5 "2007-02-01T18:52:42Z")
I’d like to think of them as “madcap adversaries”. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/6 "2007-02-01T18:56:06Z")
anti-symbiotic? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/7 "2007-02-01T18:58:05Z")
Prey and Predator? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/8 "2007-02-01T18:58:07Z")
Husband and wife?? \ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/9 "2007-02-01T19:46:30Z")
Siblings. “Nobody hits my brother – except me.” ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/10 "2007-02-01T19:54:07Z")
How about the term for the (hilarious) look of unmitigated joy that Jerry gets whenever he gets/is about to get Tom really good? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/11 "2007-02-01T20:03:28Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] How about the term for the (hilarious) look of unmitigated joy that Jerry gets whenever he gets/is about to get Tom really good? [/QUOTE] Schadenfreude? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/12 "2007-02-01T20:07:50Z")
Adversarial. It implies a duo that are at odds with each other but still respect each other. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/13 "2007-02-01T20:28:43Z")
I was thinking more ‘codependent’ actually… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/14 "2007-02-01T21:05:12Z")
It’s a Civil Union Actually, there was another cartoon duo named “Tom and Jerry” before the MGM cat and mouse pair: [www.cartoonresearch.com/tomjerry](http://www.cartoonresearch.com/tomjerry) ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/15 "2007-02-01T21:06:41Z")
Love - Hate? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/16 "2007-02-01T21:12:07Z")
In answer to just the title. \*\*Jerry \*\* of course is an administrator and the tech admin. \*\*Tom \*\* is only a moderator and poster. **Jerry** has the power to really mess with **Tom** whereas \*\*Tom \*\* only has the power to really mess with all of us normal posters. So the relationship would be much like that of an Officer to an NCO, A God to a demi-god or perhaps a Police Captain to a Patrolman. [QUOTE=CalMeacham] Actually, there was another cartoon duo named “Tom and Jerry” before the MGM cat and mouse pair: [www.cartoonresearch.com/tomjerry](http://www.cartoonresearch.com/tomjerry) [/QUOTE] I have 6 of those cartoons at home. They are public domain, sold in dollar stores and not the least bit funny or entertaining. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/17 "2007-02-01T21:23:12Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I have 6 of those cartoons at home. They are public domain, sold in dollar stores and not the least bit funny or entertaining. Jim [/QUOTE] Well, they aren’t funny, but they’re kind of interesting, in that they show what you could do in cartoons before the basic conventions were established, and just how much truly hateful racism used to be permissible in popular entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/18 "2007-02-01T21:32:53Z")
[QUOTE=Rube E. Tewesday] Well, they aren’t funny, but they’re kind of interesting, in that they show what you could do in cartoons before the basic conventions were established, and just how much truly hateful racism used to be permissible in popular entertainment. [/QUOTE] Hmmm, educational of past negatives. I will accept that. Perhaps I will even watch them again with that in mind. Thanks, Jim ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/19 "2007-02-01T21:33:03Z")
Holey catrimony. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439/20 "2007-02-01T21:43:03Z")
Besides the Van Bueren Tom and Jerry (renamed “Dick and Larry” for some television broadcasts), there was another famous duo who also went by that name. You probably know them better as Simon and Garfunkel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-the-relationship-tom-and-jerry-have/390439.md?page=2)