Goofy milks it for laughs

QUESTION Was the Disney character Goofy intended to be a cow?

RumouRs that Goofy is a cow are fake news. Though not a proper canine like Pluto, he is an anthropomorphic dog-like creature.

Goofy was introduced as supporting character Dippy Dawg in the 1932 cartoon short mickey’s Revue.

He was created by Disney animators Frank Webb and Art Babbitt, who clearly suggested Goofy is part canine: ‘It is true there is a vague similarity in the construction of the Goof’s head and Pluto’s. The use of the eyes, mouth and ears are entirely different. one is dog, the other human.

‘The Goof’s head can be thought of in terms of a caricature of a person with a pointed dome, large, dreamy eyes, buck teeth, a weak chin, large mouth, thick lower lip, fat tongue and a bulbous nose that grows larger on its way out and turns up.’

Not many dogs wear a polo-neck, waistcoat, trousers, shoes, gloves and a battered hat.

Fans of the cow theory have pointed out that Goofy’s relationship with Clarabelle Cow proves he must be bovine. However, Clarabelle is not averse to interspecies relationships: she also has an equine boyfriend, Horace Horsecollar.

Sarah Gower, Malvern, Worcs.

QUESTION What is the ingredient in soap that makes it such an effective cleanser and germ-killer?

IT HAs been said soap-making is the second oldest chemical process after alcohol production.

soap is made by heating animal fats called triglycerides with alkali. This frees the fatty acids as sodium salts, which are the main component of soap when purified, coloured and perfumed.

Fatty acid ions have a negatively charged acid group that is water-loving and a long hydrocarbon tail that is waterhating. The hydrocarbon surrounds greasy particles, leaving the acid pointing into the water. Thus the dirt is dissolved in water.

The germ- killing properties stem from the fact bacteria have a thin

Mickey Mouse’s dopey sidekick: Goofy membrane of lipid (fatty) material that dissolves in soap, spilling the cell contents into the water and killing the organism.

soap can kill viruses such as Covid-19 in the same way.

Following the invention of antiseptic surgery by Joseph Lister using phenol (carbolic acid), some soap had this added as a disinfectant. This is carbolic soap — the red sort once used in schools.

Artificial detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers and foaming agents have been developed in modern times, but they all work in a similar manner to soap.

Phil Alexander, Farnborough, Hants.

QUESTION What is the meaning of the word board when used in the Coal Board and Milk Marketing Board?

THIs is a classic example of the way a term meaning one thing develops over time to have several meanings.

Board, as used in bed and board and boarding house, dates from at least the 14th century. It may have had its origins in the accommodation used by pilgrims travelling to Canterbury, who wanted cheap lodgings and couldn’t afford to pay for a room at an inn.

The board was the table at which the travellers ate. It was made from planks of wood, or boards, resting on trestles. one side was smooth and used to serve food; the other was unfinished and rougher.

At the end of the meal, the boards were turned over to become a bed, hence bed and board. It is also the origin of the expression taking the rough with the smooth.

A boarding house provided this basic accommodation. sleeping on the table kept the traveller away from the fleas and other vermin that lived in the straw and rushes used as a floor covering.

Travelling players who made impromptu stages out of their hosts’ trestle tables were treading the boards while they sang for their supper. Board games were played at the table after the meal.

A rough house, now meaning an argument or fight, originated with boarding houses that used poor quality boards that were rough on both sides.

From these origins, a summit held around a table became a board meeting, particularly in commerce and government. The governing body of the Royal Navy was known as the Board of the Admiralty from 1628.

The most senior person at a meeting became the chairman of the board and as office buildings became established, meetings were held in the board room, which had the biggest table.

The board of directors originally referred to the company bosses meeting around a table.

The Coal Board and milk marketing Board were committees appointed by the Government to govern these industries. In reality, they were businesses in their own right.

The milk marketing Board was established by an Act of Parliament in 1933 to control the production and marketing of milk. If there was a surplus, it would buy it up to maintain the price paid to farmers. Its main role ended with the deregulation of milk production under Eu legislation in 1994, but it was not formally dissolved until 2002.

The National Coal Board was established in 1946 to manage the newly nationalised coal industry. In 1994, it transferred its responsibilities to the Coal Authority and most of its assets were privatised.

Bob Woodford, Northampton.

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