History ComicStrip / CalvinandHobbes

''Calvin and Hobbes'' ran from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995, at which point Watterson retired for fear of the [[JumpingTheShark strip going stale]]. No new material has been released since then and Watterson, who changed careers from cartooning to oil painting, has become a notorious media recluse in the intervening years. In early 2011, he mailed an oil painting of a character from ''ComicStrip/CulDeSac'' to his syndicate as a donation for the Team Cul de Sac Parkinson's Research charity. This was the first piece of new art his syndicate had received from him in 16 years. Two years later, he produced a poster for the film ''Stripped'', a documentary on the history of newspaper comics. A year after that, he collaborated with Stephen Pastis for three ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' strips (Pastis called this the cartoonist equivalent of getting "a glimpse of Bigfoot", and would later [[AffectionateParody pay tribute]] to the iconic [[AndTheAdventureContinues final strip]] of ''Calvin and Hobbes'' in the strip the day after Watterson's contributions). In a 2015 interview, he pointed out that he's not really "reclusive", but when you're trying to keep [[LoonyFan complete strangers]] from digging up your phone number and calling you, you have to build walls and maintain them.

'''Hobbes:''' Good luck. ''(walks away while rolling his eyes)''\\
'''Calvin''': ''(yelling after Hobbes)'' SURELY YOU CONCEDE I ''DESERVE'' IT!

Watterson reminded us that newspaper comics don't have to be bland, crude drawings, {{funny animal}}s can have deeper personalities and insights in life, and that it ''was'' still possible for a strip to successfully explore philosophical themes without feeling tacked on. And yes, comics about children can still be great. It was so successful that even Creator/CharlesMSchulz gave his approval in a foreword to one of the book collections.

[[caption-width-right:350: The essential, authoritative, and indispensable voices of a generation, LadiesAndGerms! ]]

'''Hobbes:''' Good luck. ''[He walks away while rolling his eyes.]''\\
'''Calvin''': ''[yelling after Hobbes]'' SURELY YOU CONCEDE I ''DESERVE'' IT!

What happens when you take the unpredictable panel layouts and [[MindScrew surreal nature]] of George Herriman's ''ComicStrip/KrazyKat'' and Creator/WinsorMcCay's ''ComicStrip/LittleNemo'', add the childhood fantasy elements of Crockett Johnson's ''ComicStrip/{{Barnaby}}'' and Creator/FujikoFujio's ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'', throw in the lush art, adventure, [[CastOfSnowflakes distinct characterizations]] and [[{{Satire}} biting satire]] of Walt Kelly's ''ComicStrip/{{Pogo}}'' and the [[SliceOfLife gently comedic]] look at the [[LifeIsntFair hard truths of life]] from Charles M. Schulz's ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'', include a dash of [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation classic cartoon]] [[ZanyCartoon slapstick]], and [[JustForFun/XMeetsY fuse them all together into one comic]]?

'''Hobbes:''' Good luck. ''(He walks away while rolling his eyes.)''\\
'''Calvin''' ''(yelling after Hobbes)'': SURELY YOU CONCEDE I ''DESERVE'' IT!

'''Hobbes:''' Good luck. ''[He walks away while rolling his eyes.]''\\
'''Calvin''': ''[yelling after Hobbes]'' SURELY YOU CONCEDE I ''DESERVE'' IT!

'''Hobbes:''' Good luck. ''[He walks away.]''\\

'''Hobbes:''' [[StealthInsult Good luck.]] ''(He walks away.)''\\
'''Calvin''' ''(yelling after Hobbes)'': SURELY YOU CONCEDE I ''DESERVE'' IT!

!!Provides Examples of:

* CalvinAndHobbes/TropesAToB
* CalvinAndHobbes/TropesCToD
* CalvinAndHobbes/TropesEToF
* CalvinAndHobbes/TropesGToH
* CalvinAndHobbes/TropesIToK
* CalvinAndHobbes/TropesLToM
* CalvinAndHobbes/TropesNToO
* CalvinAndHobbes/TropesPToR
* CalvinAndHobbes/TropesSToT
* CalvinAndHobbes/TropesUToZ

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:A-B]]
* AbortedArc: Watterson once wanted to run a whole month's worth of strips involving Calvin getting stuck on the ceiling due to his gravity polarity being reversed, and then growing larger and larger (to the point of the galaxy being the size of a hula-hoop, when proportionately compared) to see how the fans would react. Watterson feared the backlash and quickly pulled out, however. [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/11/13 Here is the arc]]. Unlike some aborted arcs though, this one actually got a conclusion. He just didn't let it run as long as he originally planned.
** He had also originally intended on having Uncle Max be a recurring character, and the original Max story ends with the suggestion that one day Calvin and his parents will go visit him. This never came to fruition.
* AccessoryWearingCartoonAnimal: Hobbes tends to wear scarves during winter...and nothing else. And if he's in the mood to dress up a little, he'll put on a necktie and nothing else. Maybe a sport coat too if it's a really special occasion.
* ActionInsuranceGag: Several Spaceman Spiff strips have Spiff complaining that he just paid off/washed and waxed his spaceship as it goes down in flames, or regretting not taking a better insurance policy.
* ActuallyPrettyFunny:
** In one strip Calvin combed his hair, put on his dad's glasses, and in an obvious parody of his father said to his parents "Calvin, go do something you hate. Being miserable builds character." In the final frame, his mother is laughing so hard she's fallen out of her chair, and whilst his father disapproves of what a sarcastic child they're raising, he reluctantly concedes "the voice was a little funny".
** One time on school picture day, Calvin put shortening in his hair and with the help of Hobbes, got an ''Manga/AstroBoy'' hairdo. Susie actually wishes she had thought of that.
* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Often found in the Spaceman Spiff and Stupendous Man storylines.
** '''Z'''orched by '''Z'''arches, '''S'''paceman '''S'''piff's '''c'''rippled '''c'''raft '''c'''rashes on '''P'''lanet '''P'''lootarg!
** '''Z'''ounds! The '''z'''ealous '''Z'''arches have followed Spiff to the planet's surface to finish him off!
** YES! It's... STUPENDOUS MAN! '''F'''riend of '''f'''reedom! '''Opp'''onent of '''opp'''ression! '''L'''over of '''l'''iberty!
** With stupendous powers of reasoning, the '''c'''aped '''c'''ombatant '''c'''oncludes there's no need for homework if ''there's no school tomorrow!''
** STUPENDOUS MAN has the strength of a '''m'''illion '''m'''ortal '''m'''en! Give up!
** With '''m'''uscles of '''m'''agnitude, STUPENDOUS MAN fights with heroic resolve!
* AdjacentToThisCompleteBreakfast: Calvin's favorite cereal qualifies as this. With a name like ChocolateFrostedSugarBombs it'd have to be. Lampshaded in one strip where Calvin and Hobbes are arguing over its merits:
-->'''Calvin:''' Look, it says right here "Part of a wholesome, nutritious, balanced breakfast."\\
'''Hobbes:''' Yeah, and they show a guy eating five grapefruits, a dozen bran muffins...
* AdultFear:
** In one arc, when Calvin and his parents return home after going out of town to a wedding, they discover that someone had broken into their house while they were gone (and discover that their TV and some jewelry were stolen). Calvin, being six years old, is concerned only about Hobbes, and rushes into the house to find him. He's worried his best friend is hurt or kidnapped. His parents, however, are notably shaken, and remain so for the rest of the arc. One strip is simply Calvin's dad, lying awake in bed, contemplating the fact that being a parent doesn't automatically make you some invincible figure as he imagined his father was when he grew up. It's a question of hiding all those fears behind a brave face for the sake of one's family, which he learns to do.
** There was also the time Calvin got lost on a trip to the zoo. His dad guessed correctly that he had found his way to the tiger pit, but wound up running all the way there when the (not wholly unreasonable) thought entered his head that Calvin might be trying to get ''into'' the tiger pit.
** There's also a sense of this in the story where Calvin accidentally pushes the car into a ditch. He runs away, but when found is surprised to find his parents were more worried about what happened to him than about the car (which, luckily, wasn't damaged.)
** For readers who are parents, pretty much any of Calvin's hijinks can be this. Just look at the number of wagon/toboggan rides that have ended up with Calvin ramping off a cliff. These mostly come across as AmusingInjuries, but still.
* AdultsAreUseless: In the arc when Calvin joins the school baseball team, the coach gives Calvin no instructions, doesn't prevent the other kids from bullying him, and even insults Calvin himself when the boy decides to quit.
* AerialCanyonChase: One strip parodies this concept as Calvin imagining his mother as the alien battleship.
* AlternatePersonalityPunishment: PlayedForLaughs in one arc where Calvin time-travels two hours into the future in order to pick up his completed homework from his future self at 8:30. Naturally, 8:30 doesn't have it because he went to the future to get it two hours ago, so 6:30 and 8:30 decide it's 7:30 Calvin's fault. They both go to 7:30 to confront that time's Calvin, threatening to beat him up...but 7:30 points out that that they're all technically the same person, so beating him up will mean that 8:30 Calvin will get hurt. In the end, they both return to 8:30 to find that 6:30 and 8:30 Hobbeses have done the homework for them (a novelization of the evening's events [[LemonyNarrator narrated by Hobbes]]). Calvin says it made him the laughingstock of the class even if it did get him an A+.
* AlternativeSelfNameChange: One arc had Calvin make several clones of himself. They refer to themselves by the order they were made--the second clone calls himself "Number Two" and so on.
* AnAesop:
** Things aren't as scary when you have someone you love by your side. Calvin frequently relies on Hobbes to get him through scary situations, including thinking there's a monster in his closet.
** Consumerism won't make you happy. Calvin's dad, in particular, rails against the modern age quite frequently while riding on his bike.
* AesopAmnesia: Invoked. Calvin deliberately avoids trying to learn any moral lessons which might impact his behaviour in a meaningful way. He never stop trying to find shortcuts to not have to do his homework, never stops trying to smack Susie with a snowball, never stops trying to torment his babysitter, never stops tampering with cardboard box technology, even though it always gets him into trouble.
-->'''Hobbes:''' Live and don't learn. That's us.
* AfraidOfNeedles: When Calvin acts up at the doctor's office, it's usually because he wants to keep the doctor from giving him a shot. Although his behavior is way over the top, this is nonetheless realistic because many children Calvin's age are frightened of needles.
* AgainstMyReligion: Calvin tries this when asked to ''add two to seven''.
* AgelessBirthdayEpisode: There was an arc where Susie invites Hobbes (and Calvin) to her birthday party. Her age isn't mentioned, but they all appear to be perpetually 6.
* AgentScully: Hobbes frequently dismisses Calvin's six-year-old notions about how the world works. Ironic, considering he himself might be a figment of one boy's imagination.
* AIIsACrapshoot: Calvin's living creations pretty much always end up always turning against him.
** [[{{Snowlem}} The Snow Goon]]. Its first act on being given life was to attack Calvin, followed by giving itself an extra head and arm, creating more Snow Goons, and besieging the house.
--->'''Hobbes:''' You brought a snowman to ''life?''\\
'''Calvin:''' I didn't think he'd be evil!
** The duplicates. Being exact copies of Calvin, they refused to do anything Calvin wouldn't do (like clean his room). In fact, for a while, they actually went out of their way to cause trouble, knowing that Calvin would take all the blame.
** Heck, even the embodiment of ''his good side'' turned against him.
* AirQuotes: Calvin mentions "making a hand gesture for quotation marks" on a list of "A Hundred Things that Bug Me."
* AlienSky: Frequently seen in Calvin's imaginary worlds. Watterson would eventually claim that, ultimately, print was an insufficient medium to capture the sheer scope of Calvin's imagination. Alas. Which is saying something, [[HeroicSelfDeprecation given how incredibly well he usually seemed to capture it]].
* AltText: The anthologies usually contain alt text from Watterson, usually about what he had in mind when making something or real-life influences that bled into his work.
* AmbiguousDisorder: Calvin is [[WiseBeyondTheirYears wise beyond his years]] and [[MrImagination incredibly imaginative]] despite [[BookDumb getting terrible grades]], has no (human) friends and prefers animals to people, has many strange {{Cloudcuckoolander}} quirks, can be a stickler for his own personal schedules, and doesn't understand why people behave the way they do.
* AmbiguousSituation:
** A major reoccurring plot element is how Calvin is living in his own reality separate from everyone else, but he never really questions why no one else sees the fantastical elements he does (such as when people call Hobbes "stuffed" to Calvin's face and he never acknowledges it), even during situations when Calvin should really know better (like how Calvin always seems to think people are fooled by his Stupendous Man "disguise"). [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane Is Calvin living in some magic personal sphere of childhood wonder manifested or is it really just an overactive escapist imagination at work?]] [[TakeAThirdOption Or is it both?]] It's never explained and [[ShrugOfGod explicitly so]].
** Is Hobbes a real, sentient talking tiger, or is he just Calvin using his imagination on his stuffed toy? Bill Watterson made a point of having almost all the stories go out of their way not to give a definitive answer.
* AmusingInjuries: Whenever he's tackled by Hobbes, Calvin typically ends up scratched and bruised, but never seriously hurt. The same when he falls off a cliff or runs into a tree at the end of a wagon ride or sledding sojourn.
* AmusinglyShortList: The title characters have a game called "Calvinball" that only has two permanent rules: you can't play the same way twice, and everyone has to wear a mask.
* AnachronismStew: A few minor elements of the comic, such as Calvin's house having an antennae television and a rotary phone, or Calvin occasionally being punished at school using a dunce cap, would have been long out of date even during the 1980s, but Watterson [[EnforcedTrope deliberately included them]] because he thought it added character. In the former two cases, it's actually very plausible that Calvin's parents - especially his mildly technophobic dad - would own an outdated phone and TV.
* AnatomicallyIgnorantHealing: The collection ''The Indispensable ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' features a poem in which Calvin imagines his bones being found and erroneously reconstructed by aliens.
-->What if my bones were in a museum\\
Where aliens paid good money to see 'em?\\
And suppose that they'd put me together all wrong,\\
Sticking bones onto bones where they didn't belong?\\
Imagine phalanges, pelvis and spine\\
Welded to mandibles that once had been mine!\\
With each missassemblage, the error compounded,\\
The aliens would draw back in terror, astounded!\\
Their textbooks would show me in grim illustration,\\
The most hideous thing ever seen in creation!\\
The museum would commission a model in plaster\\
Of ME, to be called, "Evolution's Disaster"!
* AndTheAdventureContinues: The final strip concludes with the line "It's a magical world, Hobbes ol' buddy... Let's go exploring!"
* AngerBornOfWorry: When Calvin went looking for Hobbes after his botched attempt to secede and relocate to the Yukon.
-->'''Calvin:''' All right, Hobbes, you lunk-headed fur-brain! Where are you?! ''(gazes at the night sky with a regretful look on his face)'' I didn't mean that quite the way that sounded!
* {{Angrish}}: "Slippin'-rippin'-dang-fang-rotten-zarg-barg-a-ding-dong!" The eloquent phrase screamed by Calvin's dad when he drops a huge Christmas present onto his foot.
* AnimeHair: Calvin is a rare Western, non-{{Animesque}} example.
** A literal example happens when Calvin styles his hair with Crisco and ends up looking like Manga/AstroBoy.
** Lampshaded on another occasion when Hobbes asks how Calvin gets his hair to look like that, assuming it to be static electricity. He doesn't get an answer.
* {{Animorphism}}: Using the transmogrifier, Calvin has turned himself into a variety of things, including a tiger and a pterodactyl.
** "I'll just point it at myself and transmogrify! [[ExactWords I'm safe!]]" *ZAP!* (He's a safe.)
* TheAnnotatedEdition: The tenth anniversary best-of book has notes from Watterson, many of which go into more detail on his assorted {{Author Tract}}s or give artistic insight.
* AnnoyingPatient: Calvin, playing Spaceman Spiff in the doctor's office. Really, any time Calvin goes to the doctor's office.
* AnthropicPrinciple: Calvin notices that his existence depends on everything that came before him, and deduces that the ultimate purpose of history must be to produce [[ItsAllAboutMe himself]]. Armed with this grandiose and self-affirming philosophy, he goes and watches TV.
* AnthropomorphicFood: Calvin occasionally ''fights'' with his parents' cooking. To be fair, a lot of their cooking is piles of greenish goo.
* AnthropomorphicZigZag: Hobbes' proportions are drawn differently depending on his role in a given panel. Sometimes he'll walk on two legs as a very cartoonish FunnyAnimal, with long arms and stubby legs. This stature is used mainly when he's doing something cerebral, like philosophizing or acting as StraightMan to Calvin's insanity, or else a task that requires manual dexterity, like throwing snowballs. At other times he'll go on all fours, usually for the purpose of pouncing on Calvin, and his body will take on more realistically feline proportions.
* {{Anvilicious}}:
** In-universe, when Dad says he's too busy to read Calvin a bedtime story and Calvin yells that he won't go to bed without one:
--->'''Dad:''' Once upon a time there was a boy named Calvin, who always wanted things his way. One day his dad got sick of it and locked him in the basement for the rest of his life. Everyone else lived happily ever after. The end.\\
'''Calvin:''' I don't like these stories with morals.
** Later, Calvin writes his own story "The Dad Who Lived to Regret Being Mean to His Kid" (in which the roles are reversed and the kid locks the father in the basement for the rest of this life), which he makes his father read to him.
--->'''Calvin:''' You know how a lot of stories have morals to them?\\
'''Calvin's Dad:''' I ''GET'' IT, I ''GET'' IT!
* ApatheticStudent: Calvin himself. He doesn't pay attention in class, constantly gets sent to the principal's office, rarely does his homework, and flunks almost all his tests. It's established that Calvin finds school immeasurably dull and hates being told what to do, so he actively avoids learning just for that reason. In fact, he finds it impossible that ''anyone'' would willingly go to school and enjoy the experience, thinking Susie must've been brainwashed into being a good student.
* ArchEnemy: Rosalyn the babysitter, whom Watterson says is the only person on Earth Calvin fears.
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Calvin tries to exploit this on a number of occasions.
** Invoked in one strip where Calvin tries to pad his request for a cookie by first asking for permission to do horribly dangerous things in order to make his actual request seem acceptable by comparison. It fails.
--->'''Calvin:''' Mom, can I set fire to my bed mattress?\\
'''Mom:''' No, Calvin.\\
'''Calvin:''' Can I ride my tricycle on the roof?\\
'''Mom:''' No, Calvin.\\
'''Calvin:''' Then can I have a cookie?\\
'''Mom:''' No, Calvin.\\
'''Calvin:''' ''(thinking)'' She's on to me.
** In another strip, Calvin tries to take advantage of the fact that his mother doesn't take his wilder fantasies seriously by rattling off a few to make her stop paying attention before getting to what he actually wants to do. Again, it fails.
--->'''Calvin:''' When I grow up, I want to be a radical terrorist.\\
'''Mom:''' Mmm-hmm.\\
'''Calvin:''' I'm going to inhale this can of pesticide.\\
'''Mom:''' Mmm-hmm.\\
'''Calvin:''' I'm going to watch TV all night.\\
'''Mom:''' That's what you think, Buster!\\
'''Calvin:''' You can never tell if they're listening or not.
** Another example of this, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick reversed]], has Calvin try to exploit his mom telling him to go check the answers to his questions by himself to trick her into giving him permission to drive the family car. This ''also'' fails, but comes closer than previous attempts.
-->'''Calvin:''' Mom, what time is it?\\
'''Mom:''' Go check the clock and see.\\
'''Calvin:''' Mom, what's the temperature outside?\\
'''Mom:''' Go read the thermometer and see.\\
'''Calvin:''' Mom, how fast can the car go?\\
'''Mom:''' Go... nice try.
** A minor version in the beginning of a Spaceman Spiff fantasy, Spiff is doing routine checks on his ship before taking off:
-->Altitude-o-tron... check. Gamma beam macerator... check. Windshield defogger... check.
** Reversed. According to Calvin, simple machines include the lever, the pulley, and the internal combustion engine.
* ArtEvolution: Acknowledged by Watterson in the 10th anniversary book, where he claims that sometime into the strip's second or third year, he intentionally made the art a little more cartoony and removed the pads from Hobbes' paws because they were "distracting."
** It was in 1986 (the strip's second year) that the character designs began to settle in. Compare Calvin and Hobbes in [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/01/08 January]] and [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/12/11 December]].
** The most drastic change over the strip's lifetime is in the increased realism Watterson put into drawings of animals, especially dinosaurs, feeling they helped convey the power of Calvin's imagination and enthusiasm for the subject. See ArtisticLicensePaleontology below.
* ArtisticLicenseBiology: In one strip, Calvin imagines himself drinking so much water, he goes from 80% water to 90% water and turns into a liquid. Not only can this not happen, but humans are less than 80% water anyway (it’s more like 60%).
* ArtisticLicenseEconomics:
** Occurs in-universe, and is justified because Calvin, as a six-year old, has no concept of how much things cost. For example, he thinks a dinosaur fossil can sell for ten billion dollars, while it only takes fifty dollars to build an autonomous robot from scratch.
** Another in-verse example occurs in one strip where Calvin's dad tells Calvin the [=ATM=] works by having a man sit inside it and manually print out the amount of money you ask for. It's meant to be a joke, but Calvin is naive enough to believe it.
* ArtisticLicenseEducation: The classwork done in Calvin's class ranges from single-digit addition to knowing about the Byzantine Empire, even though it's a first-grade class.
* ArtisticLicenseLaw: One strip has Calvin report to 911 that he's being held hostage after Rosalyn punishes him by sending him to his room which results in a single cop stopping by for a welfare check. Even before 9/11 and Columbine, police still responded to hostage situations with extreme force consisting of heavily-armed SWAT teams, armoured vehicles, and even helicopters rather than a friendly knock on the door. Calvin would be in an entire universe of trouble with his parents, provided they didn't disown him on the spot and ship him off to a group home over it, and possibly the law as well.
* ArtisticLicensePaleontology:
** Readily apparent in early strips where dinosaurs are concerned, which Watterson admits to drawing based on information he remembered from the '60s. After getting caught up on modern paleontology he was able to draw them much more accurately, reasoning that Calvin would probably be very up-to-date on the subject.
** Some of the later dinosaur strips included a gigantic brachiosaur sauropod known as ''Ultrasaurus''. There is a (dubious) sauropod called that but it's a different one from the species depicted in the comic, which was known as ''Ultrasaur'''o'''s'' ([[ScienceMarchesOn although now]] it's considered a diplodocid named ''Supersaurus'').
** In one story arc where Calvin tries to dig up dinosaur bones, he continuously refers to it as archaeology. Archaeology is the study of ancient human cultures and does ''not'' involve dinosaurs; that would be ''palaeontology''. A dinosaur enthusiast like Calvin really should've known better. Calvin also thinks palaeontologists make a lot of money, although that can be chalked up his general ignorance towards what adulthood is like.
* ArtShift: The usual simplistic style was occasionally replaced by a more detailed and realistic style [[{{Bathos}} for comedic effect]]. For example, this was used to create a Soap Opera strip atmosphere (imitating comics like ''ComicStrip/MaryWorth'' or ''ComicStrip/ApartmentThreeG'') whenever Calving was talked into PlayingHouse with Susie.
** LiteralMinded: A few Sunday strips have had Calvin stuck in a different art style, such as intense shades of black and white or one where "everything has suddenly gone Neo-Cubist!" as a literal metaphor for Calvin's mindset. You can tell Watterson had a lot of fun drawing these ones.
** Watterson even comments that the [[RealityIsUnrealistic real world is drawn cartoony]] while Calvin's fantasies are realistic, highlighting his perspective.
** To a subtler extent, the Sunday strips in general often have much more spectacular visuals, because the greater newspaper space, together with the color printing, allowed Watterson to really go wild with his illustrations, experimenting with water color paints and other techniques. Most of the really memorable images come from the Sunday strips.
* AsideComment: It's more rare for them to address the audience, but this is seen for example in one instance where Calvin and Hobbes begin a G.R.O.S.S. meeting with a recitation; Calvin then turns to the fourth wall and says, "You can tell this is a great club by the way we start our meetings!"
* AsideGlance: Used frequently, mostly from Calvin. Other characters, such as Susie and Miss Wormwood, occasionally give them in response to Calvin's latest shenanigans.
* AsleepInClass: Calvin is NotAMorningPerson and finds school extremely boring, so there are quite a few strips where he either falls asleep in class or looks like he's about to.
* AssimilationAcademy: Calvin sees his school as one. One Sunday strip, for example, has him imagining school as, alternately, a chain gang, a cattle pen, and a conveyer belt where green slime is poured into children's jar-like heads, and visualizing himself as a round peg being pounded into a square hole.
* AttackBackfire:
** When Calvin and Hobbes fought the first [[{{Snowlems}} Snow Goon]], they tried throwing snowballs at it. Not only was it completely ineffective, but it gave the goon the idea to pack more snow onto itself to grow bigger.
** Calvin throws a pine cone at Susie, but she happens to be carrying her lacrosse stick, so she just whips it back at him even harder.
** Calvin saved a snowball in the freezer for the exact purpose of throwing a snowball at her in June. He misses, and while he's grousing about it, Susie takes the opportunity to make a new snowball from the remnants of the old one, which she then clobbers him with before he has a chance to realize what happened.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: A recurring theme.
** One strip has Calvin imagining he drinks a magic elixir and grows to over 300 feet. He proceeds to rampage through an imaginary town. His mom is not amused when Calvin asks for replacements for the toy cars that were lost in the rampage.
** He also built several castles in his sandbox and said they were downtown Tokyo. Then he stomped across them with a growl and said he was Franchise/{{Godzilla}}.
** One winter day, he built about fifty tiny, foot-tall snowmen... at the base of a hill... and then went up the hill with his toboggan.
--->'''Calvin:''' For the townsfolk below, the day began like any other day...
** And, of course, the many strips involving a rampaging carnosaur qualify.
** In one of Calvin's Imagine Spots, he becomes "the size of a bug ''to'' a bug" and a giant bug starts trying to step on him. The trope is then inverted when a giant frog saves his life by catching and eating the bug.
** The back cover of ''The Essential Calvin and Hobbes'' shows a giant Calvin rampaging through what appears to be Watterson's home town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. This has lead to a popular interpretation that Calvin also lives in, or near, Chagrin Falls.
* AuthorAvatar:
** Calvin, Hobbes and Calvin's father (who is physically based partly on Watterson himself) all serve as Watterson's voice on different issues. More rarely, Susie, Miss Wormwood and Calvin's mother occasionally highlight other issues, often in the context of a larger story. Susie especially is based, personality-wise, on Watterson's wife.
** A literal example occurs in a one-shot gag where Watterson drew himself as a frustrated cartoonist interacting with Calvin:
--->'''Watterson:''' Come on kid, do something funny. I've got a deadline here.\\
'''Calvin:''' Maybe I don't feel like it. What's it worth to you?
* AuthorTract: Half the things Calvin and Hobbes say sound ''way'' too educated and ideological for characters who are expected to have childlike mindsets. Sometimes, it's like listening to grumpy old philosophical men trapped in youthful bodies. Depending on the author's mood, it can go from simple boyhood innocence that is truly believable, to a mountain of bitterly cold logical rambling betraying an innocent setting.
* AuthorFilibuster: Shows up in quite a few strips, particularly near the end of the comic's run, usually dealing with some issue Watterson had with corporate policy getting in the way of art, or how modern society couldn't appreciate nature or the power of the imagination.
* {{Autodoc}}: One of Calvin's daydream sequences has him visiting a robot neurosurgeon who gives him a "knowledge implant"; it provides him with all the wisdom he'll ever need, so he'll never have to go to school again. Of course, reality intrudes when the school bus arrives.
* AwesomeButImpractical: After Calvin "invents" the Transmogrifier Gun, Hobbes questions the usefulness of a "handheld iguana maker."
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: No matter how often Calvin and Hobbes might be [[VitriolicBestBuds at each others' throats]], or how often Calvin and his parents drive each other crazy, they all really do love each other, and there are numerous strips that confirm this.
** There are many strips which show that, despite the apparent tension and hatred between the two, Calvin and Susie really do care about one another.
** Likewise, despite all the stress he causes his parents, every now and then there's an overtly heartwarming moment reassuring us that they do have some good times. One [[NoDialogueEpisode wordless]] comic, in which Calvin's dad sets aside some paperwork in order to help Calvin build a snowman, is remembered especially fondly by fans.
* BabysittingEpisode: Periodically, Calvin would be babysat by Rosalyn, whom Calvin [[BabysitterFromHell fears very greatly]].
* BadassBoast: Combines with ButForMeItWasTuesday when Calvin introduces himself with several grandiose titles based on a random day's activities.
-->'''Calvin:''' I am the downhill tumble and roll champ, king of the toad finders, captain of the high altitude tree branch vista club, second place finisher in the 'round the yard backward dash, premier burper state division, sodbuster and worm scout first order, and Generalissimo of the mud and mayhem society!\\
'''Dad:''' Busy day?\\
'''Calvin:''' About usual.
* BadBadActing: Calvin comes up with a completely flawed plan to trick Susie into coming behind his house where he'll ambush her with water balloons. He makes a fake "coded message" to Hobbes then walks out in plain sight of Susie where he makes a very obvious speech of what he wants Susie to do while dropping the message as bait. The first time, Susie does pick it up, but returns it to Calvin, much to his annoyance. He tries his plan again, and even all but shouts out to Susie to take the baited message. This time, Susie decides to humor him and easily decodes the message ("Hobbes, if Susie comes to the back of our house, our plans will be ruined"). Of course, Susie wasn't stupid enough to believe such an obviously baited trap. Susie herself does a bad act of her intentions to go behind Calvin's house to "ruin his plans". Unlike Susie, Calvin ''is'' stupid enough to fall for it. He winds up getting drenched by Susie instead as a result.
* BadLiar: Due to his tendency to live in his own reality, Calvin can't make a convincing lie to save his life.
-->'''Dad:''' LOOK AT THIS BATHROOM! WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU DOING?\\
'''Calvin:''' Nothing, Dad! I was just in here looking for some dental floss, when PLOOIE! The faucet handle blows sky high all by itself! It... it... uh... (points to Hobbes) What I mean is Hobbes was fooling around with your tools. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. And sure enough, he went and... and...\\
'''Dad:''' ''(not fooled in the slightest)'' One more try.\\
'''Calvin:''' ALIENS, DAD! Big, evil, bug-eyed monsters from Pluto! They did it, and made me swear not to tell!
** Another example.
-->'''Mom:''' WHO MADE THIS MESS OUT HERE!? ''(glares at Calvin)''\\
'''Calvin:''' It wasn't me, Mom! It was... uh... it was... it was a horrible little Venusian who materialized in the kitchen! He pulled out this diabolical high-frequency device, pointed it at various objects and...\\
''(cut to Calvin in his room)''\\
'''Calvin:''' Mothers are the necessity of invention.
** Calvin once hit Hobbes with a pillow that tore open and left feathers all over the room. When Dad asked him about the mess, he said that a herd of ducks flew in the window and molted. Dad's response was to say Calvin couldn't have dessert for a week.
* BadMoodAsAnExcuse: Calvin sometimes uses this attitude.
-->'''Calvin:''' Boy, I'm in a bad mood today! Everyone had better steer clear of me! I hate ''everybody!'' As far as I'm concerned, everyone on the planet can just drop dead. People are scum. ''({{Beat}})'' '''WELL-L-L-L? Doesn't anyone want to cheer me up?'''
* BadSanta: In one strip, Calvin ponders if SantaClaus has an EvilCounterpart who rewards bad kids with [[MyLittlePanzer insane and outrageous presents that no sensible parent would allow their children to have]] and [[AndYourRewardIsClothes punishes good kids with socks and underwear]].
* BaitAndSwitchCompassion: Inverted when Calvin gets lost at the zoo, and Calvin's dad jokes to himself that he might be in the tiger pit because he likes tigers so much, but then realizes the possibility is very real and starts running to go save him.
* {{Balloonacy}}:
** A story arc had Calvin imagine he was being lifted into the stratosphere by a helium balloon.
** Attempted in an earlier strip, where he jumps off a stepladder while holding a balloon, and promptly lands flat on his face as the balloon floats away.
* {{Bambification}}: Inverted in a strip where a pack of rifle-toting deer [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath shoot a cubicle worker]].
-->'''Calvin:''' ''[Reading his creative writing assignment to the class]'' Needless to say, Frank's family was upset when he didn't come home that night. But everybody understood that the human population had doubled in just two generations to almost six billion, so some thinning of the herds was necessary to prevent starvation. ''(This parodies a common, and accurate, justification for deer hunting.)''\\
''(Next Panel)''\\
'''Calvin's Mom:''' Another parent teacher conference.\\
'''Calvin's Dad:''' Your turn.
* BangingPotsAndPans:
** Calvin does it in one strip to rile up his mother. When she yells at him to stop, he makes a check mark on a calendar and says, "...and a check mark for Tuesday!"
** Another time, Calvin says that he can't do any fun outdoor activities when it's raining, so "the only sport is driving Mom crazy." Then he picks up a pot and a wooden spoon.
* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace:
** If we take the "[[SneezeOfDoom sneezed himself into the atmosphere]]" strip at face value.
** The strip where he kept growing and growing until he outgrew the entire galaxy.
** In ''Weirdos from Another Planet'', Calvin and Hobbes use the wagon to travel to Mars, land, and then come back, and never even bat an eyelash at the inability to breathe in space, nor in Mars' thin, carbon dioxide filled atmosphere.
* BatmanGambit: [[http://assets.amuniversal.com/d52fdf68250b102d94d7001438c0f03b Susie pulls one off against Calvin]] during a story arc in which Calvin steals Susie's "Binky Betsy" doll and holds it for ransom, demanding $100 for her return (via an "anonymous" note signed "Sincerely, Calvin.") Susie puts an envelope by "the tree out front," as she was instructed to do, but hides behind the tree, out of Calvin's line of sight. Calvin sees the envelope and is overjoyed, thinking she caved and coughed up the money. However, just as Susie had planned, Calvin takes his eyes off of Hobbes for a few seconds to check the envelope, inside of which is no money, but a note that reads "Now we're even." Calvin is confused and has no idea what that means... until he turns to see [[{{Revenge}} Susie running off with Hobbes, whom SHE holds for ransom]]. Susie even comes out ahead, because in the ensuing [[PrisonerExchange toy exchange]], Susie gets both "Binky Betsy" ''and'' a quarter in exchange for Hobbes.
* BavarianFireDrill: Calvin's attempt to score some cookies:
-->'''Calvin:''' Quick, Mom! Aliens just landed in the back yard! They demand to talk to you! You go on out! I'll guard the cookies in the kitchen! Quick hurry!\\
'''Mom:''' Calvin, just how dumb do you think I am?\\
'''Calvin:''' *thinking* She's not buying this.
* BearsAreBadNews: When Calvin and Hobbes are running away from home after accidentally rolling the family's car into a ditch, they hear the sound of a large entity crashing through the brush towards them and assume it's a bear. The two fearfully climb a tree, but once the entity comes into view, [[SubvertedTrope it turns out to be Calvin's mom]].
-->'''Hobbes:''' Wait, that's not a bear. That's your mom!\\
'''Calvin:''' ''AAUGHH!'' EVEN WORSE! CLIMB HIGHER! CLIMB HIGHER!
* BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame: Once Rosalyn grasps the (lack of) rules of Calvinball, she maneuvers Calvin into going to bed willingly when it's half an hour past his usual time (she hits him with the Babysitter Flag, which means he has to obey the babysitter). This is possibly the only time they actually have fun together.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor:
** Bill Watterson experienced this trope once he was allowed to design his own formats for the Sunday strips. It turned out to be rather difficult, especially since the strip had to provide a logical path for the reader's eye. Watterson noted that Sunday strips with the new format took two or three times longer to draw than strips with the old format.
** It strikes Calvin's mother InUniverse when he's [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/10/11 feeling sick at 2 AM]].
--->'''Mom:''' Calvin probably just ate too much dessert. If he's going to get me up at this hour, he'd better '''really''' be sick. ''([[VomitDiscretionShot BARRRFF]])'' ''I didn't'' '''mean''' ''it''!\\
'''Dad:''' [[NoSympathy Honey, pipe down, I'm trying to sleep]].
** This trope also kicks off the "snow goons" story arc, when Calvin makes a snowman and commands it to come to life.
* BedsheetLadder:
** One strip had Calvin use one of these to sneak out of the house and phone his dad saying that it was three in the morning and asking whether he knew where Calvin was now.
** In one Rosalyn arc, Calvin and Hobbes climb out of the bedroom again with one of these.
* BedtimeBrainwashing: Calvin does this to Hobbes with the use of a cookie.
* BehindAStick: In the opening gag of one of the Sunday strips, Hobbes is slinking through the house, and somehow hides himself ''behind'' the pole of a floor lamp.
* BehindTheBlack: When Calvin cajoles Hobbes into helping him push the car out of the garage and onto the driveway, the car starts sliding backwards, even though according to ''every single panel,'' the ground is completely horizontal. Hobbes even says, "[[LampshadeHanging The driveway must be slanted downhill!]]"
** This is TruthInTelevision; a subtle grade that people don't really notice can still be enough to cause an improperly braked car to roll.
* BelligerentSexualTension: Calvin and Susie, as much as their ages allow.
* BerserkButton:
** Calvin may never live down the Noodle Incident (or possibly [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation was innocent for a change and cannot prove it]]; even ''Santa'' isn't sure what exactly happened), and ''hates'' it when Hobbes teases him about it. He also doesn't like being reminded about his height (see TheNapoleon below). He also explodes whenever Hobbes suggests that he likes Susie, and when his good duplicate starts sending Susie mushy notes.
-->'''Hobbes:''' Why do you wear long pants in the summer? Don't you get hot?\\
BeatPanel as Calvin fumes.\\
'''Hobbes:''' (Bewildered) What? What did I say?\\
'''Calvin:''' (Furiously pointing down) Short pants touch my ''feet'', okay?!
** This trope also applies to Watterson himself. Let's just say that he ''really'' does not like other people making money off of his creation.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Susie Derkins. Don't hit her with a snowball or water balloon, or you'll be beaten up like Calvin.
* BigBallOfViolence: Calvin and Hobbes' fights are often seen in clouds of dust.
* BigBrotherBully: Calvin tells his mom that he wants a baby brother. She's on board with it until she hears that he wants "somebody small [he] could beat up." The next panel, Calvin's mom interrupts a meeting with a phone call asking her husband about having an operation (presumably a vasectomy or something of the sort).
* BigNo: In one strip, Calvin's dad says that he has just fixed up Calvin's bicycle, and asks if he wants to learn how to ride it. Cue Calvin shouting "NO-O-O-O-O-O!!" in letters so big that they take up nearly half of a double-width panel.
* BlackBeadEyes: The normal state of the characters' eyes, although they can turn into normal eyes when a particular expression calls for them.
* BlackComedy:
** The infamous strip in which three deer hunt humans in an office building. Just think about it for a second: A man is shot to death for laughs in a comic that ran in the ''Sunday papers''. Yes, it was gore-free and meant to be satirical, but still, Watterson was pushing the envelope as far as it could go with that one.
** In addition, many of Calvin's snowman creations reveal a rather macabre sense of humor.
*** "[[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/01/06 Oh yeah? Define 'well adjusted!']]" Said in defense of a snow sculpture depicting a snowman beheaded by a giant, cackling chicken.
*** Another snowman one. [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/12/29 A snowman eating a snow cone]]... followed by another snowman with an ice cream scoop in his back.
---->'''Calvin:''' It's a sordid story.
*** [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/02/28 Perhaps Calvin's most disturbing snow tableau]] comprises a group of snowman gathered around his dad's parked car wearing expressions of anguish, while another snowman lies prostrate on the floor. Calvin's Dad's only comment: ''I think we'd better get that kid to a psychologist.''
** Perhaps the most disturbing strip of all time has Calvin [[AGodAmI imagining himself as a god]] and [[DisproportionateRetribution casting the entire human race into Hell simply because they "displease him."]] We then cut to what Calvin is actually doing -- playing with his Tinkertoys -- and [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant the proud, unwitting smiles on the faces of Calvin's parents]] make the strip even creepier.[[note]]To be fair, his parents couldn't hear what he was saying, as they were in the next room. Their only comment is to marvel that he is "building worlds in there."[[/note]]
* BlankBook: Invoked in one of Calvin's wild stories to avoid an assignment.
* BlanketTugOWar: Calvin and Hobbes sleep in the same bed so this happens from time to time. More than one time, Calvin took his pillow and went to his parents' bed, while another time they ended up fighting and getting so worked up and sweaty, neither of them wanted the blanket anymore.
* BlatantLies:
** Calvin, dressed as a Native American and carrying a toy bow, is confronted by an angry Susie who shows him a sucker-top arrow and demands to know if he shot it at her. His reply: "No. What is it?"
** Calvin digs in the dirt with a shovel, sprays the dirt with a hose to make mud, and jumps into the mud. When he comes into the house muddy from head to toe and Mom gives him a disgusted look, he tells her, "It couldn't be avoided."
** In one strip, Hobbes is watching Calvin writing a letter to Santa. When Calvin writes that he's "been extra good" this year, Hobbes can't hold in his laughter.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Bill Watterson used it as a joke in a poetic strip. According to [[MrImagination Calvin's perspective]], since his parents don't like or value things like fried foods and TV or even running as much as he does, they must be aliens from another planet.
* BodyHorror:
** In one strip, Calvin has a vision of inflating to unbelievably massive proportions [[MundaneMadeAwesome from eating too much dinner]].
** In response to a bubble of gum that popped and covered his entire head: "Good heavens! I think I blew my face inside out!"
** PlayedForLaughs when Calvin pours the school cafeteria's manicotti down his shirt. He then walks over to Susie, lifts his shirt (spilling the manicotti), and screaming "AAAGH MY INTESTINES ARE SPILLING OUT!" Susie screams and runs away.
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: When Susie notices Calvin signed up to play baseball at school because he was being teased about being a "wimp", he rants to her about how boys who don't play sports are called wimps and how girls supposedly have it easy. Susie doesn't necessarily disagree about the problems boys face, but she points out to Calvin that boys aren't the ones expected to spend their lives 20 pounds underweight, either.
* BloodsuckingBats: Discussed during an arc where Calvin has to write a report on bats. Having [[InUniverseFactoidFailure not done any research]], he claims that bats are blood-sucking bugs, which is immediately debunked by his teacher and classmates.
* BornInTheWrongCentury: You can count the things Calvin's Dad likes about the modern-day world on one hand. As Calvin himself puts it, "I'm a 21st Century kid trapped in a 19th Century family."
* ABoyAndHisX: The main characters are Calvin the boy and Hobbes, his stuffed tiger [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane that is either alive or just an]] ImaginaryFriend. Hobbes is technically Calvin's only real friend and generally acts the StraightMan to Calvin's more outlandish schemes and monologues.
* BoysLikeCreepyCritters: [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/03/13/ This strip]]:
-->'''Hobbes:''' Watcha doin'?\\
'''Calvin:''' Looking for frogs.\\
'''Hobbes:''' How come?\\
'''Calvin:''' I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul.\\
'''Hobbes:''' Ah, but of course.\\
'''Calvin:''' My mandate also includes weird bugs.
* BrainWithAManualControl: Two strips portray Calvin as a giant robot run by tiny versions of himself, [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/08/16 running around in a panic because he's falling]] or [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/05/28 having no clue what his dreams are supposed to mean.]]
* BrattyFoodDemand: In one strip, Calvin gives his mom extremely specific instructions for making a peanut butter sandwich. His mom, of course, doesn't put up with Calvin's pickiness and totally ignores his instructions.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: Calvin at first wanted to collect bugs. Then he wanted to collect stamps. He decides on stamped bugs.
* BreakoutCharacter: Watterson had no plans for Rosalyn beyond her initial story arc, but quickly realized the way she could completely intimidate Calvin, unlike any other character, offered a rich vein of material. As such, every Rosalyn appearance is an ''event''.
* BrilliantButLazy: Calvin, who generally refuses to put effort in to school work, but displays a very advanced vocabulary, has considerable artistic skills and has thoughts of those who are much older than six.
** He once explained himself to his father, however, when asked why he didn't do well in school despite being ''fantastically'' good at inhaling information about things he was interested in, such as dinosaurs. The answer? ''"We don't learn about dinosaurs."''
** Another strip had our heroes finding a garter snake and then asking questions about snakes. Hobbes suggests that they get Calvin's Mom to get them a book from the library, but Calvin protests that he doesn't want to learn anything because it's summertime. Hobbes replies that "if no one makes you do it, it counts as fun," and with that revelation Calvin genuinely enjoys himself.
** Another example where Calvin actually enjoys learning: One strip had Calvin tell his dad that he and his mom went to the library. Calvin checked out a book about insects and proceeds to talk about how mother wasps lay their eggs inside spiders so their larvae will eat the spider once they hatch. Unfortunately for Calvin's parents, he decides to tell them this with gross details [[GoneHorriblyRight at the dinner table]].
** {{Lampshaded}} by Mrs. Wormwood. "Calvin, if you put half the energy of your protests into your schoolwork..."
** Tellingly enough, in the "Good Calvin" arc, where Calvin modifies his Duplicator machine to create a single copy that embodies all his good qualities and none of the bad ones, said copy becomes a model student to the point where Mrs. Wormwood pats his head and kindly asks him to let the other students have a turn at answering a question in class correctly.
* BrokenTreasure:
** The broken binoculars arc, where Calvin accidentally breaks his dad's binoculars and becomes so wracked with guilt that he eventually confesses what he did. While his dad is pretty angry at first, he calms down after Calvin shows genuine remorse for what he did, and he later gets Calvin his own set of binoculars. Calvin, being Calvin, doesn't learn much from this, though.
--->'''Calvin:''' Maybe I should break Dad's power tools and see if I can get some of ''those.''
** There's also the "Propeller Beanie" arc when Calvin accidentally breaks a part while putting it together. However, this turns out to just be the battery casing, which Dad manages to glue back together (much to Calvin and Mom's utter surprise). However, this leads into a WorthlessTreasureTwist, when Calvin discovers, after ''weeks'' of anticipation, that the propeller on the beanie only spins and can't actually make him fly like he thought it would. In the end, he and Hobbes decide to [[KidsPreferBoxes play with the box it came in]].
* BugBuzz: In one comic, Calvin complains about how irritating bugs' characteristics are, including their noise. Hobbes snarks that a lot of the same things apply to human kids, leading the enraged Calvin to chase him.
* BulletTime: One strip did this long before ''The Matrix'' was even conceived; showing Calvin's point of view as Hobbes pounces on him as he comes home from school, and how to Calvin, time slows to a crawl. Hobbes, for his part, reflects that it's the opposite for him.
* BullyingADragon:
** A mild case where in one Sunday strip, Calvin spots a bees' nest, and decides to heave a rock at it. What happens next needs no explanation.
** Calvin often insults Moe right to his face, and in the instances when Moe actually knows what Calvin is saying, gets beaten up for it. It's justified in this case, since Moe was going to beat up Calvin regardless, so Calvin decided if he's gonna get pummelled either way, he might as well do something to deserve it.
** Calvin antagonizes Hobbes needlessly a lot, always seeming to forget Hobbes is not only bigger and stronger than him, but has sharp claws and teeth.
* BurlyDetectiveSyndrome: When fantasizing himself to be private eye Tracer Bullet, Calvin refers to people he encounters by concise descriptions, such as "the brunette" for his mom.
* ButtBiter: Once, while Calvin was fishing, a fish jumping out of the water just to chomp his bottom. Hobbes later shows up to innocently ask [[VisualPun if the fish were biting]].
* ByronicHero: Poor integrity? Check. Lack of respect for authority? Check? Self-exile? Inasmuch as one can do so in suburbia, check. Cynicism? Check. Unspecified past crime? NoodleIncident. A rare instance, however, where his self-entitlement is played for laughs, rather than drama.
* ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes:
** The monsters under Calvin's bed usually are only heard and not seen, but in a few strips their eyes were visible this way. On one occasion [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/08/20 the monster's fingers also appear reaching out of the dark]], overlapping with NightmareFuel.
** Hobbes occasionally has his eyes glow in the dark when hunting Calvin, crossing this over with GlowingEyesOfDoom.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:C-D]]
* TheCallsAreComingFromInsideTheHouse: A variant is played for laughs as Calvin is taunted by an anonymous prankster who sends him insulting letters in code. Only when his mother remarks on his habit of "writing to himself" and leaving letters out for the mailman every day does Calvin put two and two together and realize the culprit is actually Hobbes.
-->'''Calvin:''' Wait a minute! These are coming from '''our''' house??
* {{Calvinball}}: The TropeNamer. The only two rules: never have the same rules twice, and no one's allowed to question the masks.
* CannotTellAJoke: Calvin.
-->'''Calvin:''' OK, this guy goes into a bar. No wait, he doesn't do that yet. Or maybe it's a grocery store. OK, it doesn't matter. Let's say it's a bar. He's somewhere in the vicinity of a bar, right? So anyway, there's this dog, and he says something odd, I don't remember, but this other guy says, um, well, I forget, but it was funny.\\
'''Hobbes:''' I'll try to imagine it.\\
'''Calvin:''' Yeah, you'll really laugh.
* CapeSnag: Calvin gets wrapped up in his own cape pretending to be Superman in an early strip.
* [[BambooTechnology Cardboard Box Technology]]: Calvin used his box as the Transmogrifier (when upside down), Duplicator (when on its side) ''and'' a time machine (when right side up.)
* CassandraTruth:
** One of the subtler RunningGag[=s=] in the series is Hobbes trying to warn Calvin against whatever it is he's currently planning. Unfortunately, whether Calvin is trying to fix the leak in the bathroom faucet, pushing his parents' car out of the garage or duplicating himself to get out of cleaning his room, he never listens to Hobbes and HilarityEnsues.
** Some of the SilenceIsGolden Sunday strips use this too. Something happens to Calvin that apparently makes him do something bad (he gets kidnapped by aliens and a robot duplicate cause trouble, his dad's leaf pile attacks him, a gust of wind pulls him back into bed after he was told to get up) and his parents refuse to believe him when he tells them what happened. Of course, this being Calvin, there's a fair degree of UnreliableNarrator.
** In [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/09/16 the last strip]] of Rosalyn's final arc, Calvin's parents are so used to hearing about the [[BadlyBatteredBabysitter eventful aftermaths]] of Calvin being babysat by Rosalyn that Calvin's Dad doesn't believe her when she tells him they had a good night for a change.
--->'''Rosalyn:''' ''(cheerfully)'' Calvin did his homework, then [[{{Calvinball}} we played a game]], and Calvin went to bed.\\
'''Dad:''' ''(with a deadpan expression)'' It's awfully late for jokes, Rosalyn.
* CasualDangerDialog: Their reoccurring wagon and sled rides, where Calvin has rambling philosophical musings with Hobbes as they weave at breakneck speed through the woods and usually right off a huge cliff, straight into a tree or into a river. Even as they hurl to a painful stop, they never break from their discussion. A few strips play this for laughs; such as one where Calvin tries to hold a conversation about human nature with Hobbes, but Hobbes just wants Calvin to focus on steering, while in another Calvin asks Hobbes what happens after death, but Hobbes just tells him to steer.
* {{Catchphrase}}: "[Something that Calvin hates] builds character!" from Calvin's dad, which apparently is based off a catchphrase of Watterson's father. In one strip, Calvin copies this to mock his father, in combination with his glasses and hairstyle. The last panel is Calvin's Mom [[ActuallyPrettyFunny laughing uncontrollably]] in a chair and Dad trying to play it off.
* CatsAreMean: Hobbes has a few moments of this. He constantly beats Calvin up for no reason, mainly pouncing on him violently whenever he comes home from school.
* CatsAreSnarkers: Hobbes the tiger is the snarkiest character in the comic, mostly due to his judgmental view of humans. [[WorldOfSnark And that's saying a lot]].
* CaughtInASnare: Hobbes gets caught in a snare in the very first strip, lured by a tuna sandwich. It's implied that this is how Calvin met him, though Watterson ended up regretting this strip, feeling that it ruined the ambiguity of Hobbes, and later strips implied that Hobbes had been around when Calvin was an infant.
* CentralTheme: The uncertainty and imagination of childhood.
* CerebusRollerCoaster: Make no mistake, the comic is almost entirely light-hearted and comedic. But every so often, there are small storylines with much less comedy and much more drama. For instance, when the family comes back from a wedding and overnight hotel stay to discover that their house has been broken into, and the comedy is gone for several issues before it slowly returns to normal.
* CerebusSyndrome: This strip started as a comedy strip. Before becoming what is described above, it started with a more serious strip involving a dog taking Hobbes, leaving Watterson surprised how many letters of concern he was getting from emotionally-invested readers. One especially emotional story after that involves Calvin finding a badly injured raccoon [[spoiler: who does not make it]].
* CessationOfExistence:
** Calvin ponders this on a number of occasions, wondering what the point of human existence can possibly be if it's just going to end someday. In at least one case he concludes that since everyone is going to die and stay dead forever, there was no reason to abide by any rules, and he decides to [[TheUnfettered lead a life of shameless hedonism]]. [[TheAntiNihilist Hobbes is more accepting of this possibility, pointing out that life is quite wonderful even if it's finite, so we should be grateful.]]
** It's also very vague as to whether Hobbes experiences this [[NoOntologicalInertia when Calvin is not around or not looking at him]]. Evidence exists for both arguments.
* ChaosArchitecture: For the most part, individual rooms within Calvin's house are portrayed consistently, but the arrangement of his bedroom is sometimes flipped around, and the position of his bed relative to the window sometimes changes. Also, whether his window opens over the side of the house or is on a dormer over the roof changes depending on the needs of the strip.
* ChekhovsGun: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in a strip where Calvin finds his Transmogrifier gun during a mile-high plunge at the tail end of the Balloonacy arc. As Calvin himself puts it, "Boy, these things come in handy all the time!"
* TheChewToy: Calvin. Moe, Susie, and Hobbes are always beating him up, even when he does nothing to deserve it. (Although in Susie's case he almost always deserves it.) In stark contrast, Moe beats up Calvin almost always when he has done nothing. Hobbes tackles him at the end of every school day when he walks through the door, and while he's usually the voice of reason he can sometimes be as big a {{jerkass}} as Calvin ''to'' Calvin, and get away with it because he's bigger and has claws.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: One running gag is Calvin asking his dad a simple question, and then getting back a ludicrous response ("wind is trees sneezing"), which he takes at face value.
* ChickenpoxEpisode: In one story arc, Calvin comes down with chickenpox and has to be inside for a week during summer vacation. At least he thinks the spots are cool.
* ChildrenAreTenderHearted: A dead bird and an injured, dying raccoon, at different times, cause Calvin considerable anguish.
* ChristmasCreep:
** The first year of the strip features a short Halloween arc which ends the day after, with the duo deciding to go look at Christmas decorations. In 1985, Christmas decorations being available on November 1 was a joke rather than a sad reality.
** Calvin deliberately tries to spread Christmas Creep in one strip. He sings "Silver Bells" at the top of his lungs in mid-November. His parents respond by forcing him outside. Calvin shoots back, "Not thinking about it won't make it go away, you know!"
* ChronicallyCrashedCar:
** Calvin's little red wagon and the sleds he and Hobbes ride down steep slopes in the forest. Almost always, these rides end with them crashing into a tree or hurtling off a huge cliff at high speeds. This often leaves the wagon or sled absolutely mangled, but it's always back in tip-top shape very soon.
** Spaceman Spiff's little red saucer gets wrecked so often it's a RunningGag. Nine times out of ten times it appears, it's been shot down by hostile aliens, is about to crash into a planet at high speeds, or both. Spiff has lampshaded that this occurs rather often.
* [[CirclingBirdies Circling Stars]]: Often used whenever Calvin or, less commonly, someone else is hurt along with ringed planets and lightning bolts.
* ClassicalMusicIsBoring:
** Calvin originally thinks so, but is, after hearing it, willing to admit he quite liked the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbxgYlcNxE8 1812 Overture]]. When he finds out the piece is (in part) written for ''cannon'', [[ClassicalMusicIsCool he even becomes quite excited,]] though mainly because he imagines the mayhem of fully-loaded cannons being fired in a concert hall.
** A Sunday strip shows Calvin (wearing CoolShades) and Hobbes dancing, while his parents wonder why classical music is playing at 78 RPM, at 2 AM.
* {{Cloneopoly}}: In the strips had them playing TabletopGame/{{Monopoly}} in several strips, but with their own {{Calvinball}}-like rules. For example, Calvin once robbed the bank, causing Hobbes to dump all 12 hotels on Baltic Avenue. Another time, we find out that they write their own cards for the game. Hobbes launches a massive computer scam on the bank ("I think I'll buy a few dozen hotels"), and Calvin vows revenge once he lands on Chance.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Calvin. His vivid imagination makes him a bit of a goof, particularly to outsiders who have no idea what he's doing. Even Hobbes considers Calvin weird sometimes, and he might be a product of Calvin's imagination!
* ClingyCostume:
** In the school play story arc, Calvin gets his shirt stuck in the zipper for his onion costume when he tries to take it off due to a PottyEmergency. They ended up having to cancel the play and find the janitor just to get him out.
** Calvin comes home from school and tells Mom he got stuck in his snow pants. He couldn't get them unzipped because the zipper was covered in ice, then he tried to force open the zipper and got a mitten jammed in it, then he tried to pull his pants off, but he had forgotten to take off his boots, so they got stuck as well, then the pants got all twisted and he fell down. It took the teacher and two custodians to get him out. Since Calvin lives to create mischief, he finishes this story by enthusiastically saying that he'll be sure to wear the pants again tomorrow.
* ColonyDrop: Imaginary version during one of Calvin's daydreams. Spaceman Spiff uses his FlyingSaucer's grappling hook to drag one uninhabited planet into another "ForScience!" (He's trying to add 5+6, and ItMakesSenseInContext. Kind of.)
* ComebackTomorrow:
** From Calvin in [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1994/02/08 this]] strip:
--->'''Calvin:''' Oh yeah? Oh ''yeah??'' Well, remember what you said, because in a day or two, I'll have a witty and blistering retort! You'll be devastated ''then'', I promise!
** Lampshaded by Calvin in [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/03/24 this]] strip:
--->'''Moe:''' Wimp!\\
'''Calvin:''' ''OH... OH YEAH?''\\
* BeatPanel*\\
'''Calvin:''' What ''really'' bugs me is knowing I'll probably come up with a much sharper retort sometime tonight.
* CometOfDoom: Calvin tells Hobbes that the world will be ending soon because Halley's Comet is going to appear and comets are harbingers of doom. Hobbes says this is just a superstition, so Calvin decides he'd better write his book report after all. Ironically, this was during the 1986 passage, when Halley's Comet was at it's furthest, least visible path in recorded history.
* ComicBookTime: Despite the passage of summer holidays, Christmases, etc., Calvin and his classmates [[NotAllowedToGrowUp never age]]. Lampshaded, somewhat obliquely, by Calvin's father at one point:
-->''"Yeah, I know, you think you're going to be six all your life."''
** A popular subject for fanart is showing Calvin as an adult.
** A crossover with ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' showed an adult Spaceman Spiff using his spaceship to FlipTheBird at [[Creator/{{Amazon}} Jeff Bezos]].
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Openly lampshaded in Calvin actively resisting most {{A|nAesop}}esops being handed to him.
-->'''Hobbes:''' Live and don't learn, that's us.
** When Calvin is terrified of Rosalyn, he tells Hobbes that if he takes one step out line, she'll kill him, cut his head off, and stick it on a post in the yard as a warning to other bratty kids. Hobbes says he thinks that would be a violation of housing zoning regulations, instead of telling Calvin he's overreacting.
** In one of their "Time-Traveling Box" adventures, the duo encounter dinosaurs. Hobbes finds one, and asks what kind of dinosaur it is. Calvin turns around, [[OhCrap then recognizes what type it is]], and shouts "[[RunOrDie AN ALLOSAUR!]]" Hobbes doesn't get it.
--->'''Hobbes:''' I'm right here! You don't have to shout.
** During a story-line in which Calvin has to design a safety-oriented poster to win $5, he covers his poster in chunky spaghetti sauce to simulate the remains of someone run over by a car. He presents his poster to his class, which goes about as well as you'd expect. But this is ''Calvin'' we're talking about.
--->'''Calvin:''' I can see you're all sick about your chances of winning.
** Also:
--->'''Hobbes:''' ''(reading a newspaper)'' It says here that by the age of six, most children have seen a million murders on television.\\
'''Calvin:''' I find that very disturbing! It means I've been watching all the wrong channels.
** Calvin has decided the key to human flight is to tape construction-paper feathers to your arms and have a friend hurl you off a cliff. Hobbes isn't exactly sure about the idea:
--->'''Hobbes:''' You understand I assume no responsibility for this?\\
'''Calvin:''' Right. I get the patent.
* CompanionCube: Hobbes, at least as seen by everyone other than Calvin.
* CompetitionCouponMadness: Calvin wins a propeller beanie from Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs after sending in 4 proof of purchase seals.
* CompletelyOffTopicReport: Downplayed. Calvin ''does'' produce reports on the given subject, but they're either less than half-assed (his collection of fifty bugs consisted of a drowned earthworm, a squashed fly, a live ant and a piece of lint that ''looks'' like a bug), nonsensical (he needed to find fifty different types of leaves, but sold the planet to invading aliens to get fifty of ''their'' leaves instead, which look like maple leaves cut in weird shapes) or simply not even researched (his report claiming that bats are bugs). The one time he actually worked on a report that he was actually excited about (dinosaurs), it started out quite ambitiously thanks to his brain-enlarging device but became three sentences about how ''T. rex'' was a predator instead of a scavenger because it's cooler that way.
* CompositeCharacter: Calvin's father displays traits of both Bill Watterson's father (saying things "build character," [[HorribleCampingTrip taking his family on miserable camping trips]], jogging in the snow, having a job as a patent attorney) and Watterson himself (the visual appearance, the love of bicycling, the love of the outdoors, the apprehension about consumerist culture and his role in it.)
* ConflictBall: Calvin, ''constantly''. Because he's a bratty, impulsive kid, he constantly starts trouble with his parents, with Hobbes, with his teacher, with Susie, with Rosalyn, and so on, for no other reason than that it's simply in his nature to cause trouble (and also because [[RuleOfFunny it's entertaining to read]]).
* CongestionSpeak:
** In one story arc, Calvin's pressured into playing baseball at school. His dad offers to practice with him at home, and reassures Calvin that [[MiseryBuildsCharacter playing baseball "builds character"]]. Within minutes, Calvin [[NasalTrauma gets bopped in the face by a ball]], leaving him with a bloody nose, a funny voice, and the desire to never play baseball again.
--->'''Calvin:''' All by charagder id drippig out by node!
** When Hobbes catches hayfever, his sneezing [[SneezeOfDoom alerts Calvin]] whenever he tries to sneak up on him. When he complains, his voice is muddled from his congestion, depicted through the misspelled words.
--->'''Hobbes:''' You thig id's fuddy, bud id's dot.
* TheConscience: Hobbes will sometimes serve as one to Calvin. And maybe if Calvin listened a little more, he probably wouldn't get in as much trouble as he does.
* CounterfeitCash: In one strip, Calvin is trying to make fake dollar bills by drawing it on paper with crayons. Of course, he only has an average six-year old's drawing abilities, so his attempt at forgery is rather crude.
-->'''Hobbes:''' Ol' George has the gout, I see.
* ContinuityNod: Occurs in a September 1989 arc where Calvin locks Rosalyn out of the house; at one point, Hobbes recalls the last Rosalyn encounter with, "Do you think she remembers how last time we threatened to flush her science notes down the toilet?" Then in a 1990 arc where Rosalyn has been hired again, Hobbes says to Calvin, "Do you think she'll remember how you locked her outside last time?"
* ContinuitySnarl: Occasionally, usually for RuleOfFunny. For example, in one early strip Calvin attempts to fly using a helium balloon, but faceplants into the ground, but in a later arc he goes floating high into the atmosphere with no effort at all. For another example, in one Sunday strip Calvin is disappointed by the very small hill he's sledding off (with the implication he couldn't find a better hill), but every other sledding strip shows him finding many different giant hills without any issue.
* CoolButStupid: "Tyrannosaurs in F14's!"
-->'''Calvin:''' This is ''so'' cool.\\
'''Hobbes:''' This is ''so'' stupid.
* CoveredInGunge: A more family-friendly example occurs whenever our heroes have a sledding accident and end up covered in snow.
* CoveredInMud: This happens to Calvin on a regular basis. Sometimes Hobbes pushes him into the mud, sometimes he trips and falls into the mud, and sometimes he [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2012/03/10 jumps into the mud on purpose]] because he just feels like doing it.
* CountingToPotato: The scoring system in Calvinball. A few scores we see are oogie to boogie, and Q to 12.
* CreatorThumbprint: Bill Watterson cites [[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} Charles M. Schulz]] as one of his main creative influences, and it shows in his art style. A few of the stylistic twists Schulz used in his strip, such as profile shots of characters that show only their eyes and nose but not their mouths, or the use of the word "AUGH" when uttering a cry of surprise or dismay, were adopted by Watterson and later used in ''Calvin and Hobbes''.
* CreepyCentipedes: Calvin seriously underestimates just how scary centipedes are in one strip when he tries to have Hobbes guess what he's holding in his hands.
-->'''Hobbes:''' Is it some big centipede with poison pinchers?\\
'''Calvin:''' ...Centipedes have poison pinchers?\\
'''Hobbes:''' I think so. \\
'''Calvin:''' (''clutching onto Hobbes in fear'') Man, it's a good thing you guessed it so fast!
%% In-universe examples of Critical Research Failure go under In-Universe Factoid Failure.
* CrosswordPuzzle:
-->'''Calvin:''' I'm doing a crossword puzzle. Number three across says "bird."\\
'''Hobbes:''' Hmm...\\
'''Calvin:''' I've got it! "Yellow-bellied sapsucker!"\\
'''Hobbes:''' But there are only five boxes.\\
'''Calvin:''' I know. These idiots make you write real small.
* CryingWolf: In one series of strips, Calvin refuses to demonstrate a problem on the blackboard, but won't explain why, only saying it would cause "complete pandemonium." Mrs. Wormwood is used to such excuses, but on this occasion, Calvin has a huge hole in the back of his pants, causing him to moon the class, causing mass chaos as he predicted.
* CueTheRain:
** A camping trip that no one but Calvin's dad is looking forward to and it starts raining upon arrival. Calvin's dad [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Comically Misses The Point]].
--->'''Calvin's Dad:''' At least it's not snowing! Right? Right? (Later, as they sit in the rain eating cold canned ravioli.) I mean, say it was snowing so hard we couldn't make a fire.
** [[spoiler:And it stops raining the ''exact'' moment they decide to leave.]]
** In [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/05/14 another strip]], Calvin has a very bad day at school that ends with him missing the bus and having to walk home. And that's when it starts raining.
* CulturalPosturing: Hobbes, when talking about tigers (although it's rather ethnocentrism since tigers are not known to possess any culture at all.)
* CuriousAsAMonkey: Calvin. He throws water on his dad to test his dad's reflexes and drops an expensive compass out of a tree to study gravity.
* CutAndPasteComic: [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/11/11 This strip]] where Calvin talks about his grandfather complaining that all comics today are just xeroxed talking heads. The [[HypocriticalHumor joke]] being that that particular strip is just two poses copied and pasted four times. [[note]]In the strip proper, there are minor differences that indicate they were all drawn separately. Watterson was just that good.[[/note]]
* CutAndPasteNote: One story arc played it straight by having Hobbes cut up Calvin's Mom's magazines and send Calvin insults in the mail. Another gloriously subverts it when Calvin does the same... and the signs his note in the same manner, destroying the purpose of the anonymity.
-->'''Susie:''' ''(reading)'' Susie, if you want to see your doll again, leave $100 in this envelope by the tree out front. Do not call the police. You cannot trace us. You cannot find us.\\
Sincerely, Calvin.
* CutenessProximity: Calvin points this out at the end of the story arc with Rosalyn in ''It's a Magical World''.
-->'''Calvin:''' ''(looking a bit peeved)'' It seems like whenever we play with girls, you get caught a lot.\\
'''Hobbes:''' ''(with a smug grin)'' Some of us are just plain irresistable.
* CuttingBackToReality: Calvin's more immersive fantasy stories usually cut back to mundane reality once per strip at moments of situational irony. This was particularly common in older Sunday Strips, which would depict Calvin in all but one or two panels as Spaceman Spiff exploring an alien world, a Tyrannosaurus rex terrorizing prehistoric jungles, his six-year-old self trapped in an artistic nightmare or whatever.
* CyanidePill: When Calvin attempts to fix a dripping faucet without telling his parents, things naturally go awry, and he floods the bathroom by leaving the water on when he takes the sink apart. To avoid Mom and Dad's wrath, he looks for cyanide ''in the medicine cabinet.''
* DadsCantCook: There's a story arc where Calvin's mother was sick, so Calvin's father cooked, reassuring Calvin that he lived off his own cooking for 3 years before he married Calvin's mother. Calvin says that his mother claimed that his father lived off of canned soup and frozen waffles 3 meals a day; Calvin's father's response ([[ObliviousToTheirOwnDescription while holding a can of soup]]) was "Your mother wasn't living with me at the time, so she wouldn't know. [[HypocriticalHumor Now get the syrup out.]]" Interestingly enough, other strips showed Calvin's father cooking in their backyard grill quite competently (though Calvin complains in one strip that his burgers are "charred on the outside," "raw on the inside," and taste like lighter fluid).
* DameWithACase: There is a "dame" in each of the three story arcs featuring "Tracer Bullet", Calvin's imagined private eye alter ego. In one, she turns out to be an ImagineSpot stand-in for Susie Derkins, who won't give him the answers to a test in RealLife; in the two others, she is described as a "brunette" and is a stand-in for Calvin's mother.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Calvin's Dad occasionally got the spotlight and was often used to voice Watterson's concerns about consumerism and the rat race. The arc about the house getting robbed also had a few strips devoted to Dad's anxieties and trauma response. Calvin's Mom didn't get these as much, although she sometimes went through the frustrations of everyday life, such as poor customer service and long lineups.
* DeadlineNews: Happens in one of Calvin's fantasies where he's a T-rex rampaging through a crowded city, devouring people left and right.
-->''A camera crew from Channel 3''\\
''Arrived in town to give''\\
''A live report. At this they failed,''\\
''Because they didn't live.''
* ADeadlyAffair: Referenced in a 1985 strip when Calvin is unwell at home and watching a daytime soap opera.
-->'''"Darling":''' I've got to have you! Let's murder our spouses!\\
'''Mary:''' Murder?! You sick animal! I love it when you talk that way! Come here!\\
'''Calvin:''' ''[smiling]'' Sometimes I think I learn more when I stay home from school.
* DeadpanSnarker: Calvin's dad and Hobbes, though virtually every character has their moments.
** Hobbes especially. Calvin's dad doesn't seem to be sarcastic as frequently.
--->'''Calvin:''' Here's another ad with attitude. This guy didn't like his job, so he quit, and now he climbs rocks! See, he's his own man! He grabs life by the throat and lives on his own terms!\\
'''Hobbes:''' If he quit his job, I wonder how he affords those expensive athletic shoes he's advertising.\\
'''Calvin:''' Maybe his mom bought them for him.\\
'''Hobbes:''' I hope she'll pay his medical bills when he falls off that rock.
** Nearly everyone gets some snark now and then. Even a freakin' Ouija Board gets its moment.
--->'''Calvin:''' Oh, great Ouija Board, will I grow up to be President?\\
'''Ouija Board:''' G-O-D-F-O-R-B-I-D.\\
'''Calvin:''' When I want an editorial, I'll ''ask'' for it, you stupid board!!
* DeathIsASadThing: Calvin finds an injured raccoon and tries to nurse it back to health with his mother's help. Calvin [[spoiler:cries as the raccoon dies and becomes indignant about why this raccoon had to die when he didn't do anything wrong. Even the father breaks out of his sardonic routine to comfort Calvin over this.]]
* DeclarativeFinger: Used frequently by at least Calvin and his dad, and by Hobbes, who provides the page image.
* DefaceOfTheMoon: Calvin imagines himself doing this at one point.
* DeliveryStork:
** [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/06/10 One strip]] features Calvin hearing about and asking his father specifically about the stork. His father's response was that, yes, most babies were delivered by a stork, but Calvin was "unceremoniously dumped down the chimney by a big, hairy pterodactyl." Calvin is, needless to say, [[InsultBackfire thrilled]] (to his father's lack of surprise).
** In another comic, Calvin's dad informs him that kids come in kits (some assembly required) from Sears. Calvin is upset by this, but his father tells him not to worry as he was "a blue light special at K-mart. Almost as good, and a lot cheaper." Calvin is less than thrilled.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: In the arc during which Calvin renounces his status as a human and tries to live like a tiger, he learns that tigers are very secretive. Hobbes confirms, and won't tell Calvin any secrets he has because, in Hobbes' words, they're "secret secrets."
* DerailedFairyTale: When Dad is especially annoyed by Calvin's story-time demands, he'll alter the story. One notable example is when the cute Hamster Huey is unexpectedly decapitated.
* DescriptionCut: [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/05/06 Here.]]
-->'''Mom:''' Ugh, it's so creepy knowing these goons have been in our house. I don't feel safe at all.\\
'''Dad:''' I know, and this must REALLY be scary for a little kid like Calvin.\\
* meanwhile, in Calvin's room*\\
'''Calvin:''' Gosh, I can't wait to tell everyone at school how our house got robbed!\\
'''Hobbes:''' Be sure to say who scared the burglars away after they took the TV and jewelry.
* {{Determinator}}: Combined with a RunningGag. No matter how big [[{{Jerkass}} a jerk]] he can be or how [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} weird and offbeat]] his hobbies are, Susie keeps wanting (or at least trying) to hang out with Calvin.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: Calvin, oh so much.
** He doesn't think about where he's going to go after leaving Earth until Hobbes asks him.
** When he time travels to pick up a school project when it was done, he forgets the little detail that since he didn't do it in the past, it was not done in the future. When he (and his 8:30 self) attempt to threaten his future (7:30) self to do the project, 7:30 Calvin points out something they forgot: since they were all the same person, the 6:30 (original time traveler) and 8:30 Calvins would have to suffer whatever they did to him. If the 6:30 and 8:30 Hobbeses hadn't decided to write the story on their own, he would have been in trouble.
** Hobbes, as in the above examples, serves as the voice of reason, but usually not in time to avoid getting pulled into insane antics.
** Calvin makes the world's largest snowball, and is excited over plastering someone with it. Hobbes asks how he's going to pick it up.
--->'''Calvin:''' Reality continues to ruin my life.\\
'''Hobbes:''' Maybe you could put it someplace where someone will walk into it.
** In one arc, Calvin wants to gross out Susie by betting her a nickel that he'll eat a live worm. He wanted her to get disgusted and run away, but didn't count on Susie ''not'' being grossed out and actually wanting to watch Calvin eat the worm as proof that he would (actually, she wanted him to eat ''five'' worms to make it worth a nickel to her).
* DirtyCommunists: Parodied when Calvin calls his parents Communists for making him go to bed early, and when he had Hobbes play the part of the "Godless communist oppressor" in a game of war. After all, the strip first ran during the cold war.
* DirtyKid: Downplayed with Calvin. He expresses some interest in a sitcom with raunchy dialogue, but he doesn't seem attracted to anyone.
* DisproportionateCelebration:
** In one comic, Calvin gets an A on an assignment. He pictures the entire city celebrating his achievement with a parade, with the mayor even presenting the key to the city to him. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as Calvin usually performs horribly in school in subjects other than writing.
** In another strip, he sees the first robin of spring and excitedly tells his mom to call the paper while running around in circles, expecting a front page write up, a civic ceremony, and enough prize money for a trust fund. Unfortunately, not only does his mom tell him that it doesn't work that way, it turns out Hobbes already saw a robin the previous day!
* DisproportionateRetribution: Hobbes has mauled Calvin for very petty reasons. [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/03/23 Case in point.]]
* DIYDisaster:
** Done in two strips: One where Calvin floods the kitchen, the other getting bad enough to where it ''floods the entire house''. The next strip after even makes a ContinuityNod saying Calvin's dad didn't give him dessert because he flooded the house.
** There's also a story of Calvin's attempt to fix a dripping faucet in the bathroom.
* DoABarrelRoll: A common feature of Calvin's fantasies involving airplanes. Another time, he walked through the snow to make the message "do a barrel roll" visible to airplanes.
* DodgeballIsHell: In one strip Calvin as Spaceman Spiff frantically dodges alien blaster fire, while in the real world Calvin is playing dodgeball in gym class and Moe and another bully are deliberately trying to knock him over with the ball.
* DoingItForTheArt: InUniverse. In one story arc, Calvin and Hobbes are making things out of modelling clay. Calvin is obsessed with marketability and commercialism in his creation, but Hobbes just makes what makes him happy: a tiger. Calvin lambasts it for being bland and unmarketable, but Calvin's mom likes it far more than Calvin's creations, a hundred shrunken heads of popular cartoon characters.
-->'''Calvin:''' How will this ever appeal to the lowest common denominator?! It's completely unadaptable to merchandising tie-ins!\\
'''Hobbes:''' Who cares? I just wanted to make it.\\
'''Calvin:''' '''What?! Is this some snobby, elitist, ''aesthetic'' thing?!?'''
* DoItYourselfPlumbingProject:
** One strip has Calvin's dad trying to fix the sink, but at least he has the good sense to consult a manual. "Check the following list of handy expletives, and see that you know how to use them."
** One arc has Calvin attempt to fix a leaky faucet, only to break it open and spray water everywhere. HilarityEnsues.
--->'''Calvin:''' La da dee dee da / I think I'll get a bucket... Dum de doo... / [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Nothing's wrong...]] Da dee doo ba... / I just want a bucket to hold some... stuff. / Ta tum ta tum / Let's see, how many buckets do we have? Dum de doo... / [[BlatantLies No cause for alarm ... No need to panic ...]] / I just want a few buckets. La la.\\
'''Calvin's parents:''' (simultaneously) "'''Your''' turn."
* ADogNamedDog: Calvin attends an elementary school named... Elementary School. This is most likely because [[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield the name of Calvin's hometown is never revealed]].
* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: While Calvin is obnoxious and belligerent toward Susie, whenever it comes to violence more serious than the odd snowball, she ''always'' gets the upper hand. Though he does usually initiate the physical confrontation in relatively harmless areas like snowball or water balloon fights (and wind up getting plastered so severely it looks a lot less harmless), it's also quite common for him to just say something insulting to her and wind up with black eyes, bloody noses, or laying in a bruised heap on the ground.
* DownerEnding:
** Some of Calvin's Spaceman Spiff fantasies ended with Spiff being captured or killed by aliens. The original inspiration for Spiff, a sci-fi comic that Watterson drew for a high school German class, also ended with the protagonist getting eaten by a monster. He's always back in the fray without explanation soon enough though.
** Several of the arcs end rather disappointingly for Calvin, but go on for a little longer to allow him and the audience to reflect upon it. This includes the baby raccoon arc (where the raccoon ends up dying) and the baseball arc (where Calvin is peer pressured to join a baseball team at school, hates it, gets treated like an idiot, and quits).
* DreamWithinADream:
** Calvin dreams that he walks out of the house, trips over a rock and then find himself free-falling off a cliff several miles in the air, only to wake up, get out of bed, and find out too late that his ''house'' is several miles in the air. After falling again, he then wakes up for real, except by that point he's too scared to get out of bed.
** There's also the Reality Within a Dream, where he's woken up by his mother and gets ready for school and actually GETS OUT THE DOOR before being woken up again. He lampshades this by saying "My dreams are getting way too literal."
* DrearyHalfLiddedEyes: Calvin's eyes always droop to half-mast when he's watching TV. Apparently, he doesn't use any muscles at all to keep his eyes open (in one strip, he tells Hobbes "I can feel my neural transmitters shutting down").
* DudeNotFunny:
** When Calvin first sees his pediatrician, he keeps asking if the doctor's tools hurt. The doctor calls one of them a cattle prod and says it will hurt a little less than a branding iron. Calvin faints upon hearing this and the doctor says that "[[NeverMyFault little kids have no sense of humor]]".
** Calvin shows Hobbes an antelope...[[{{Pun}} an ant coming down the ladder into her boyfriend's car]]. Hobbes tells him it isn't funny. Less a case of the joke being offensive and more just being lame.
** One one occasion where Rosalyn babysits, she jokes that she brought a cattle prod. His parents laugh but Calvin, not amused in the slightest, reacts by deciding to run away. Later on in the same arc, Rosalyn grabs Calvin's shirt after he gave her a [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Nazi salute]].
* TheDreadedThankYouLetter: In one strip, Calvin writes a thank you letter for Christmas, but only because a woman sent a snarky message saying that she was checking to see if the mail was still working.
* DumbDinos: In the dinosaur strips, the carnivores are savage, violent monsters while the herbivores are dim, helpless victims. Justified in that the strips reflect Calvin's imagination, not real life, and this is how he imagines dinosaurs to be.
** One memorable strip has Calvin imagining Tyrannosaurs that are apparently smart enough to pilot fighter jets, although Hobbes finds the very idea "so stupid".
* DysfunctionalFamily: Calvin's family qualifies as one. Dad gets enjoyment out of mundane activities, Mom is constantly driven to her wit's end by both her son and her husband, and let's not get started on Calvin. This does, however, make the occasional AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther moment all the more touching.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:E-F]]
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:
** The strip trafficked quite a bit in shock value and dark humor during its first few years. The fantasies were more grotesque than fanciful, and one notorious 1986 strip even had references to terrorism and inhaling pesticide.
** Calvin started out as a member of a Boy Scouts-esque organization, which was quietly dropped after Watterson had more trouble coming up with material for them than he thought he would. Then he realized Calvin would never have joined such a group in the first place. These were replaced with the camping trips Calvin's dad forced the family to go on each summer.
** Hobbes started out with pads on his hands. Watterson removed them later on the grounds that they were "visually distracting."
** Though Calvin was always unusually precocious for a six-year-old, the first few years of the strip are quite a bit lighter on the philosophical moments than the rest of the comic, even in the occasional dramatic storyline such as Calvin losing Hobbes or the well-known injured raccoon story arc.
** [[DownplayedTrope On a more mundane note]], the very first strip is the only time Calvin refers to his father as "Pop" instead of "Dad".
** One early strip had Susie trying to cheat off of Calvin on a test. Later strips would characterize her as a diligent student who would never do that (not to mention being smarter than to trust any answer [[BookDumb Calvin]] came up with, even though it was (unintentionally) correct).
** One strip implied the family owned two cars. Before kicking off another Rosalyn arc, Calvin thought his parents were going to leave him home alone while they went out for the evening. Calvin suggested to Hobbes that they "get in the other car and learn to drive." This "other car" is never seen or mentioned again in future strips and the little purple hatchback the family is usually in remains their sole vehicle.
** Earlier strips had more explicit ShipTeasing between Susie and Calvin, including Susie often making attempts to socialize with Calvin, and Calvin actually giving her a valentine (albeit a vulgar and insulting one). Their relationship became more outwardly hateful later on (although a duplicator arc suggested it wasn't that Calvin stopped ''liking'' Susie, only that he stopped ''showing'' it).
** One 1986 strip had Calvin eating several bowls of cereal known as "Crunchy Sugar Bombs", rather than the ChocolateFrostedSugarBombs that became standard as Calvin's undisputed favourite.
** Some of the earlier story arcs incorporated the longer Sunday format into them (for example, the "Yukon Ho!" story and the camping trip where it rained the entire week), but this is absent in later long-form stories because it took too much effort to ensure Sunday strips lined up with the dailies to make it worth the effort.[[note]]In the 10th anniversary edition commentary, Watterson stated that Sunday strips needed to be done at least two months in advance (meaning if a longer story arc had a Sunday incorporated into it, the entire story needed to be done two months in advance) and couldn't be plot essential, since many newspapers didn't include a Sunday strip.[[/note]]
* EasilyForgiven:
** In one strip, Calvin steals a doll from Susie while playing G.R.O.S.S. with intent to hold it for ransom. In retaliation, she steals Hobbes. After Calvin apologizes and [[{{Irony}} pays up 25 cents for Hobbes's return]], he bombards Hobbes with demerits for not devouring Susie while he was captive. Hobbes claims he read Susie's diary.
--->'''Calvin:''' "You get 15 demerits for besmirching the club's reputation, plus 5 more for conduct unbecoming of an officer, and a censure in the club book for not devouring Susie when you had the chance.\\
...\\
'''Hobbes:''' "I read an open page of Susie's diary, it said 'Calvin is a pig-faced smelly fat-head!'"\\
'''Calvin:''' "Brilliant work Hobbes! Promotions for everyone! Welcome back!"
** {{Zigzagged}} in another strip. Calvin, feeling bad for hurting Susie's feelings with the same sort of offhand insult he'd toss casually with Hobbes, apologizes to her. Susie says that she forgives him, and Calvin sprints off, the weight of guilt lifted. Realizing that she suffered much more than he did, Susie is suddenly less inclined to be forgiving.
--->'''Susie:''' '''ON THE OTHER HAND, LET'S SEE YOU GROVEL A LITTLE!'''
* EasterEgg: Watterson occasionally slips some into the comics; for example, on at least two occasions he altered his signature to fit an ArtShift. [[http://www.theheartofgold.org/jumpstation/facts.html This page]] lists a few of them.
* TheEighties: The strip began in this era, as you can guess by the occasional nods to the UsefulNotes/ColdWar. It ran for [[TheNineties a whole decade]], and you'll occasionally see references to contemporary technology and social issues. Calvin often expresses frustration with his parents being behind the times.
* EldritchAbomination: Some of those snowmen would be head trips if they weren't made of snow.
* EleventyZillion:
** When Calvin is having trouble with his homework, Hobbes tells him that the problem requires calculus and imaginary numbers, such as "eleventeen" and "thirty-twelve." (Imaginary numbers are a real mathematical concept, but this isn't how they work.) And just to put the cherry on top, the question is ''eleven plus seven''.
** In one strip, Calvin and Hobbes are discussing the value of nature and wildlife. When Hobbes suggests that "we need to start putting prices on the priceless," Calvin replies, "Yeah. If our woods are worth a zillion jillion bagillion, think what Alaska is worth."
* EmergencyBroadcast: Calvin parodies one of these, with his attention signal being a loud, panel-filling scream.
--> '''Calvin:''' Had this been a real emergency, the scream you just heard would have been followed by lots more just like it.
* EnemyWithout / EvilTwin: {{Subverted}} and {{inverted}}. In one arc, Calvin creates a duplicate of himself to do his chores, but the duplicate is [[GoneHorriblyRight too much like him]] and refuses to help. Then it gets him in a bunch of trouble, not because it's more evil than him, but because it knows it can have fun and the original Calvin will get all the blame. In a later arc, Calvin manages to duplicate only the ''good'' side of his personality, who then masquerades as Calvin while the real article gets to slack off. (RunningGag: "If you're Calvin's good side, you ought to be a lot smaller.") This goes better, until the good duplicate tries writing romantic poetry for Susie, to the original's horror. The good duplicate eventually gets so frustrated with the original that it stops being good and just self-destructs.
* EnfantTerrible: Calvin, though nowhere near as evil as some others, is still a terror.
* EpicFail: Calvin's report on bats, which he thought was excellently and professionally worked on, turned out to be this. As a matter of fact, the story arc ends with this exchange:
--> '''Hobbes:''' What did your parents have to say?\\
'''Calvin:''' Nothing. And if you'll give me a hand here,[[note]]He's digging a hole with a shovel[[/note]] it will stay that way.
* EurekaMoment: When Rosalyn plays Calvinball with Calvin in her last appearance, she complains that the game makes no sense and it's like Calvin's just making it up as he goes. And then Calvin panics that she stumbled into the Perimeter of Wisdom, and it ''all'' falls into place.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Despite the rather minuscule nature of Calvin's good side, he never tries to actually hurt someone, and is always remorseful over any harm resulting.
* EveryManHasHisPrice: {{Discussed}} by the duo during one wagon ride. Calvin claims his price is: "[[ComicallySmallDemand Two bucks cold cash up front]]."
-->'''Hobbes:''' I don't know which is worse: That everyone has their price, or that the price is always so low.\\
'''Calvin:''' I'd make mine higher, but it's hard enough to find buyers as it is.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: Calvin's imagination would add dinosaurs to ''every'' situation.
* ExactWords:
** After Calvin comes into the house dirty, his mom demands he get into the bathtub. Calvin lies clothed in an empty bathtub, saying "I obey the letter of the law, if not the spirit." But then his mom yells that she wants to hear water running. Calvin realizes he's caught and gets ready to really take a bath.
** Calvin thinks a bee landed on his back and asks Hobbes to check. Hobbes says "That's not a bee," and Calvin is relieved. Hobbes meant that the insect was actually a hornet; Calvin soon gets stung.
** Calvin brags to Hobbes about his juggling skills, saying he can keep a dozen eggs in the air at once. He tosses the eggs up in the air; a second or so later, Calvin and the carpet are both covered in egg yolk and broken shells. Calvin says, "Notice I didn't say I could do it very long."
** One of Calvin's attempts to thwart Hobbes' daily "Calvin is home from school" pounces involves yelling "I'M HOME!" ''before'' he opens the front door.
--->'''Calvin:''' ''[as Hobbes holds his head in pain]'' You'll notice I didn't say I was inside.
** In the middle of class, Calvin lets the teacher know that he has "to go," and is allowed to leave. However, Calvin didn't specify that he had to go ''to the restroom'', and so walks all the way back home, to his mother's shock.
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: When Calvin gets assigned to give a report on a newspaper article, he chooses: [[LuridTalesOfDoom "Space alien weds two-headed Elvis clone."]]
-->'''Calvin:''' Actually, there's not much left to explain.
* ExcuseBoomerang: Similar to the Zeno of Citium story, Calvin claims that he can't be held accountable for his actions because he was fated to do them. Hobbes trips him, claiming Calvin was fated to fall.
* ExplainExplainOhCrap: Calvin defeats a [[AttackOfTheKillerWhatever carnivorous leaf pile]] by attacking it with a rake and spreading it across the whole yard. Back in the house, Mom tells Dad that she thought he was going to rake the yard today.
-->'''Dad:''' I '''''did''''' rake the yard. I spent all afternoo... '''where's Calvin?!'''
* ExpospeakGag: Calvin sometimes uses SesquipedalianLoquaciousness to summarize his childish ideas (although he also uses childish terms to describe more complex ideas). Probably the most famous example is his explanation to Hobbes for why he's wading a creek looking for frogs: "I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul."
* EyeShock: Usually with several extra pairs of eyes jumping out of shocked characters' heads.
* EyeTwitch: [[https://thecomicninja.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/calvin-and-hobbes-playtime-large.jpg Farmer Brown experiences one]] when he sees a train, an airliner, and a massive fissure all headed for his house -- right as he (unknowingly) tries lighting a match right next to a gas leak.
* TheFaceless:
** Susie's mom physically appeared in one strip (she was referred to in a few other strips and had an offscreen speaking role in one other strip), but only from the knees down.
** The sick baby raccoon. It's kept just out of frame for nearly all of its arc, except in two panels where part of it can just barely be glimpsed as a fuzzy outline.
** The monsters under Calvin's bed. We only see glimpses of tentacles, claws, and eyes in the darkness, but never get a good look at any of them.
* FacePalm: A common reaction to Calvin's shenanigans.
* FakeRabies: Calvin (Oct. 28, 1986) made an attempt to fool his mom into thinking he was rabid using toothpaste foam. She didn't fall for it; he leaves considering the possibility that "Maybe Dad will fall for it if I bite him first."
* FakingAmnesia: Calvin does this (unsuccessfully) in one story arc as an excuse for his bad grades:
-->'''Calvin:''' Gee, it was awfully nice of you strangers to have me over for dinner.\\
'''Dad:''' Calvin, knock it off.\\
'''Calvin:''' You mean me? Is my name Calvin?\\
'''Dad:''' You're not fooling anyone, young man. You do not have amnesia.\\
'''Calvin:''' This all seems vaguely familiar... And yet... And yet...\\
'''Dad:''' You're asking for an early bedtime, kid.\\
'''Mom:''' Well, he seems to remember he likes dessert anyway.\\
'''Calvin:''' This is "dessert" you say? Hmm... Perhaps my memory would return if I had some more.\\
'''Dad:''' That's it -- bed!
* FamilyFriendlyMatureContent: Sometimes played straight, sometimes discussed:
** While looking for a movie to watch:
-->'''Calvin:''' The TV listings say this movie has "adult situations". What are adult situations?
-->'''Hobbes:''' Probably things like going to work, paying bills and taxes, taking responsibilities...
-->'''Calvin:''' Wow! They don't kid around when they say "For mature audiences."
-->'''Hobbes:''' I've never understood how those movies make any money.
** One RunningGag involves Calving trying to watch movies which, going by the title, are very low-budget horror porn like "Vampire Sorority Babes", "Cannibal Stewardess Vixens Unchained", "Attack of the Coed Cannibals", or "Venusian Vampire Vixens".
** Calvin's comics come straight from UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks, and so are full of edgy content like exaggerated violence and improbable anatomy (indirectly naming MostCommonSuperpower).
** For one show-and-tell, Calvin claims his mother fights crime in "a patriotic [[LeotardOfPower leotard]], a cape, and knee-high, high-heeled boots". Calvin's mom wonders what they should do about it, Calvin's dad asks to see that outfit sometime.
* FanMyopia: InUniverse. Calvin shows Susie some of his "Captain Napalm" bubblegum cards and offers to trade with her.
-->'''Susie:''' I don't collect Captain Napalm bubblegum cards. (Leaves)\\
'''Calvin:''' It must be difficult going through life with no sense of purpose.
* FantasticAesop: "[[{{Snowlems}} Snow goons]] are bad news."
* FantasticRacism: Hobbes seems very proud of a perceived superiority of tigers over the rest of Earth's species.
* FashionHurts: When Calvin complains about a choking necktie (which an ImagineSpot compares to a hangman's noose), his father reminds him that some people have to wear ties everyday.
* FauxHorrific:
-->'''Calvin:''' Trick or treat!\\
'''Adult:''' Where's your costume? What are you supposed to be?\\
'''Calvin:''' I'm yet another resource-consuming kid in an overpopulated planet, raised to an alarming extent by Madison Avenue and Hollywood, poised with my cynical and alienated peers to take over the world when you're old and weak! (after getting a bunch of candy) Am I scary or what?
* FelonyMisdemeanor: Expulsion from G.R.O.S.S. can be done for such things as cavorting with the enemy (Susie)... or singing the anthem ahead of schedule.
-->'''Hobbes:''' OHHOHH GRO-HOSS, BEST CLUB IN THE COSMOS...\\
'''Calvin:''' '''Stop that, you anarchist'''!
* FilleFatale: A humorous variant occurs when Susie "charms" Hobbes into betraying Calvin during their water balloon fight. HilarityEnsues. More generally, Hobbes's crush on Susie is the in-story explanation of why he never hurts her despite Calvin's urging, if you go for the Hobbes-is-real explanation. It also seems Calvin has a suppressed crush on her as well (which he may project onto Hobbes, if he's imaginary).
* FilmNoir: Tracer Bullet's adventures are parodies of stock noir plots.
* FingerInTheMail: When Calvin captures Susie's doll, he threatens to do this.
* FilthyFun: In one strip, Calvin and Hobbes are playing in the mud and Calvin calls themselves "asthetes". In another, Calvin sees a mud puddle and gets some on his face and fingers, all while saying, "Ewww" but smiling.
* FloweryElizabethanEnglish: Calvin begins imagining people talking like this after being forced to watch some [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]] on TV.
-->'''Calvin:''' Holy schla-''moly'', isn't there a cop show on where they talk like ''real'' people?\\
'''Mom:''' Shh.
* FollowTheLeader:[[invoked]] One strip satirized this idea. Hobbes finds Calvin building a snowman. Not one of his usual grotesque snowmen, but a mundane snowman that a normal kid would make. Calvin says that he would only be successful if he stopped trying to be original and just copied what everyone else did.
* AFoolForAClient: Referenced in one strip: after Calvin nearly hits Susie with a snowball, he defends himself by saying "I didn't do it! I never threw that! You can't prove I threw it! [[AccidentalPublicConfession Besides, I missed, didn't I?]]" Cut to Calvin face down in the snow after Susie clobbers him with him saying "The defendant petitions the court for a new trial on the grounds that his lawyer is incompetent" (with Calvin, of course, having been his own "lawyer").
* FootnoteFever: In one strip, Calvin writes a letter to Santa saying: "I have been extremely good* this year." Hobbes reads it and says: "Obviously, you're hoping Santa won't read the long, fine-print disclosure in the footnote," to which Calvin replies: "I got the idea from car ads."
* ForgedMessage: Calvin attempts to leave school using a forged note signed by the President ("P.S.: Really."). Naturally, this fails.
* ForgottenPhlebotinum: The transmogrifier, transmogrifier gun, time machine and duplicator only made one or two appearances after their initial debuts, despite how they could easily get Calvin out of his many situations. The Cerebral Enhance-O-Tron never appeared again after its debut, as well.
** Briefly averted in the case of the transmogrifier gun, which returns to resolve another, unrelated story arc involving [[{{Balloonacy}} a helium balloon and the Earth's upper atmosphere.]]
* ForgotToPayTheBill: At one point, Calvin claims he didn't do his homework because his parents forgot to pay the gravity bill.
* FormallyNamedPet: Susie's stuffed rabbit Mr. Bun.
* FormerTeenRebel: Calvin's dad. ("Is this you with the keg and the "Party Naked" T-shirt?")
* FoulCafeteriaFood: Usually discussed by Calvin whenever he tries to gross Susie out at lunch. Played straight in a strip that depicts Calvin's cafeteria food as a gooey, revolting pile of tapioca that makes Calvin imagine it being a blob monster that eats Spaceman Spiff alive.
* FoulFirstDrink: A cigarette variation of this trope, where Calvin's mom [[SchmuckBait allows him to smoke a cigarette]] his grandfather had left behind. Calvin promptly reacts horribly to the taste and starts gagging.
* FourFingeredHands: Everybody has these sorts of hands.
* {{Fratbro}}: Calvin's Dad used to be one.
-->'''Calvin:''' Hey Dad, what does it mean to give something "the old college try"?\\
'''Dad:''' It means you get all your friends together, grab some cheap beer and order a pizza, and forget about tomorrow.\\
'''Mom:''' That's not what it means!\\
'''Dad:''' ''(proudly)'' Well where did ''you'' go to college?\\
'''Calvin:''' ''(walking away with a miffed look on his face)'' Never mind.
** Another strip has Calvin finding his dad's college yearbook.
--->'''Calvin:''' Is this you with the keg and the "Party naked" T-shirt?\\
'''Dad:''' *snatches the book* ''Give me thaaat!''
* FreakOut:
** Calvin had one of these in school when he realized he was trapped inside during a beautiful day. Miss Wormwood was surprisingly sympathetic, advising Calvin to "take a drink of water and a few deep breaths" as she took him back to his seat, alluding to a previous strip that establishes Wormwood as someone who consumes copious amounts of cigarettes in order to get through the day as she eagerly awaits retirement. Perhaps she may relate to Calvin in a shared dislike of school.
** As mentioned in AdultFear above, when the family came home from vacation, Calvin was freaked out that Hobbes might have been taken from him.
** On one occasion when Calvin learns that Roslyn is coming to babysit, he has one ("AAAAUUUUUGH!") that stretches out over all four panels of the strip, prompting his exasperated mom to shout, "For goodness sake, Calvin! Take a breath before you pass out on the floor!".
* FreeRangeChildren: Many strips involve Calvin literally getting tossed outside by his parents and being told to spend the whole day outside (and out of their hair/away from the television). Several strips also show or mention him walking into town by himself. This was of course an expectation of kids growing up in the '80s before societal attitudes involving children's safety started to change during the '90s.
* FriendlyWar:
** Calvin and Hobbes are often at each other's throats, but it's usually only in good fun.
** The comic also gives us Calvin vs. Susie Derkins. After a shouting match, Calvin [[BreakingTheFourthWall Breaks the fourth wall]] and says: "It's shameless the way we flirt!" Could be BelligerentSexualTension if they weren't 6 years old (Watterson has written that Calvin likely has a mild crush on Susie which he expresses by being obnoxious toward her.)
* FridgeHorror: Invoked. Calvin tells Rosalyn's boyfriend Charlie on two separate occasions that with her HairTriggerTemper and her unfair punishments against him, she would make a terrible mother later on in her life.
* FridgeLogic: InUniverse when Calvin decides that he doesn't want to inherit Earth because it's polluted and is leaving. Hobbes asks him: "[[ArmorPiercingQuestion Really? Where to?]]"
-->'''Calvin:''' You know, sometimes you're a real load to have around."
* FromTheMouthsOfBabes: For a six-year-old, Calvin is surprisingly knowledgeable about adult culture (he once asked his mom "Why would it be worth four dollars a minute to talk on the telephone to goofy ladies who wear their underwear on TV commercials?" and referenced the "It's Miller Time" commercials,) and repeatedly lectures his father on economics and society.
* FrozenBodyFluids: In one weekday strip, Calvin steps outside, does an EyeTake, clamps his mitts over his face, and complains about his boogers freezing in an AsideGlance. In the 10th Anniversary Book, Bill Watterson states his hope that a historian will confirm he's the first person to use the word "boogers" in a newspaper comic.
-->'''Calvin:''' Don't you hate it when your boogers freeze?
* FrozenFace: In one short arc, Calvin's mom tells him if he keeps making weird faces, it'll get stuck like that. Calvin, of course, [[ThreatBackfire thinks that would be great]] and keeps making an ugly face until Susie sarcastically asks if he got his head stuck in a blender and tells him that it's an improvement.
* FunWithAcronyms: G.R.O.S.S.: '''G'''et '''R'''id '''O'''f '''S'''limy girl'''S''', Calvin's [[GirlsHaveCooties no girls allowed]] club.
-->'''Susie:''' "Slimy girls"?!\\
'''Calvin:''' I know it's [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment redundant]], but otherwise it doesn't spell anything.
* FunWithFlushing:
** Calvin has an elaborate strip where he flushes a toy boat down the toilet. In another one, he and Hobbes dip the dangling paper from the roll into the toilet and flush it. At one point, Calvin himself [[PintSizedKid gets into the toilet bowl]], flushes himself around in circles, and then informs his mother that he'd finished his "bath."
** There was also the time he threatened to flush Rosalyn's school notes.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: The story arc where our heroes push the family car into a ditch has a strip like this. The first panel features Mom reading the newspaper with her back to the window, saying that she hasn't seen Calvin for about 15 minutes now. The second panel has the car rolling down the driveway as Mom sips her coffee. The third panel has our heroes chasing it frantically, again without Mom noticing. The final panel has her frown and say that means he's probably getting in trouble.
* FuzzTherapy: The TropeNamer. One time when Calvin was having a bad day, he sticks his face on Hobbes's stomach (who was sleeping at the time) and walks away in a better mood.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:G-H]]
* TheGadfly: Calvin's dad. He's told Calvin that [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1993/06/15 wind is caused by trees sneezing]], that [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/07/06 electricity is magic]], that [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/10/29 the world used to be black and white and changed to color in the 1930s (but photos were ''always'' in color)]], that [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/04/18 Calvin came from a Blue Light special at]] UsefulNotes/{{Kmart}}, [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/12/20 and that they were going to put the Christmas tree in the garage and not decorate it (and implied that Calvin wouldn't get a present).]] Most of these would result in him getting threatened by Calvin's mom, especially the Christmas one (after which [[NeverMyFault he complains that the season gets less jolly every year]].)
* GagHaircut:
** In one arc, Calvin complained that barbers never got his hair the way he wanted and thought it would be a good idea to let Hobbes cut his hair. As the haircut was progressing, it became clear that Hobbes was botching the job (though Watterson did not show the progression, drawing Calvin's head the same during the cutting and leaving the final result as a surprise). In the end, [[spoiler:Calvin's hair looked like it had been cut short with a weed eater. Neither this nor an attempt to fix the cut by drawing the hair back on amused Calvin's mom.]]
** In a later comic, Calvin showed up with a cowboy hat and a bushy mustache stuck on with tape. When Hobbes asked what he had used for the hair, [[spoiler:Calvin took off the hat to reveal that he had cut off his bangs for the purpose.]]
* GambitPileup: In one strip, Calvin and Hobbes are playing football. The center [Calvin] is secretly a quarterback for the other team, after which Calvin breaks for the goal. Hobbes yells that Calvin is now going for his ''own'' goal because Hobbes switched the goals and his is hidden. Calvin says he doesn't ''need'' to, because as a traitor, crossing his own goal will count as crossing Hobbes's. But Hobbes hid his goal on top of Calvin's goal, so the points will go to Hobbes. But Calvin is really a double agent who is on Hobbes's team after all, meaning his team will lose points if Calvin crosses his goal. Then Hobbes is a traitor ''too'', meaning he is really on Calvin's team, and the points will go to Calvin's team, which is really Hobbes's... then they toss the football aside and play {{Calvinball}}.
* GasolineDousing: In one strip, Miss Wormwood turns into an alien and pours gasoline on Calvin after his homework spontaneously combusts. It turns out to be AllJustADream.
* GenerationXerox: Calvin's mom was apparently just as wild as he is when she was his age (according to his grandmother,) and his father clearly has a highly active imagination in his own right, and the same inclination to mess with heads, based on his parental trolling.
* GentleTouchVsFirmHand: Just about everyone takes the old-fashioned disciplinarian approach to Calvin, admittedly not without reason, making it quite the surprise when Rosalyn finds a way to get Calvin to behave by simply agreeing to play his games.
%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.
* GettingSickDeliberately: In one strip, Calvin remembers that there's a test in school he didn't study for, so he [[CatchYourDeathOfCold opens the window so that he'll catch a cold]].
* TheGhost:
** Calvin's grandparents are mentioned a few times, but never appear. From what little is known, they're apparently nearly, if not just as eccentric and snarky as Calvin and his parents.
** Rosalyn's boyfriend Charlie, who is often calling Rosalyn while she is busy babysitting Calvin, although twice Calvin attempted to break them up over the phone. Of course, Charlie's non-presence is justified, since he has no real relevance to Calvin.
* GhostInTheMachine: Several strips depict the inner workings of Calvin's mind and body as being operated by a bunch of miniature doppelgängers.
* GiantFootprintReveal: "[[https://i.imgur.com/qlPriiu.jpg Spaceman Spiff]]" exploring an alien landscape. Spiff is flying over some suspiciously formed canyons until it hits him that these are giant footprints so he hits the thrusters to get away.
* GirlsHaveCooties: Why Calvin founds G.R.O.S.S. While he's verbose enough to come across as a HeManWomanHater, it's clear from the rest of the series that he's just acting on his six-year-old ignorance.
* GlobalIgnorance:
** While waiting for the school bus, Calvin says that instead of going to school, he could hitch a ride to the Serengeti and spend the rest of his life migrating with the wildebeests. Hobbes informs him that the Serengeti is in Africa, so he couldn't really hitch a ride there. Calvin is very disappointed.
** Likewise, the "Yukon Ho!" arc, in which Calvin attempts to hike to the Yukon, and seems to anticipate it taking no longer than a couple hours. Regardless of [[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield where exactly in the USA he lives]], this is a patently ridiculous suggestion - unless he lives in Alaska, which it's pretty clear he doesn't.
* GodOfEvil:
** [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/12/06 Calvin himself]], in one of his fantasies.
--->...But Calvin is no kind and loving god! He's one of the ''old'' gods! He demands sacrifice! [...] Yes, Calvin is a god of the underworld! And the puny inhabitants of earth displease him! [[EarthShatteringKaboom The great Calvin ignores their pleas for mercy]] and the doomed writhe in agony!
** Another strip has Spaceman Spiff about to be sacrificed to the evil god "[[FunetikAksent Nollij]]" (in this case, Calvin getting called to the blackboard).
* GodwinsLaw:
** In one strip, Rosalyn orders Calvin to go to his room, only to receive a fascist salute and "Jawohl, mein Führer!" in reply. She is not pleased.
** In another, Calvin's mom tells him that no, he will not be spending the afternoon at the comic book store as he announced. "And you can stop goose-stepping around the house!"
* GoingCommando: "The Valiant Spaceman Spiff is led by his captors to a secret dungeon to be debriefed! [[{{Pun}} Little do they realize that our hero doesn't WEAR briefs!]]"
* GoneHorriblyRight: In order to avoid doing his chores, Calvin clones himself using the newly-invented Duplicator. He succeeds in creating a perfect clone... who of course outright refuses to do the chores as well. HilarityEnsues.
-->'''Hobbes:''' He's a duplicate of you, all right.
-->'''Calvin:''' What are you talking about? [[HypocriticalHumor This guy is a complete jerk!]]
** Calvin's attempts to get out of writing a story for school by traveling into the future and picking it up from there. The scheme only succeeds because the future and present-day Hobbeses team up to write the story themselves...and make the story about how Calvin tried to get out of writing the story through his time-traveling shenanigans, portraying him as a complete idiot. Calvin managed to avoid doing his homework and even got a good grade for it, but became a laughingstock when he read it aloud to the class.
* GoofyPrintUnderwear: Calvin has lucky rocket ship briefs, which often do not improve his luck. He also has several pairs of underwear printed with cartoon animals.
* GoshDangItToHeck: "Gosh, I've never been a vandal before!" Calvin once noted that "[[ItMakesSenseInContext I'm only civil]] because I don't know any swear words."
* GravityIsAHarshSeamstress: In a more intentional version, Calvin fantasized about a machine that readied him for bed. To get him into his pajamas, it dropped him head-first into his shirt, then flip him so he would fall legs-first into his pants, all in one fluid arrangement. He apparently didn't think about that [[GroinAttack last part]] too hard...
* GreatWhiteHunter: Calvin had a one-shot imaginary personality named Safari Al who was this trope. He got captured by a gorilla (his mom) inquiring why his room hadn't been cleaned.
* GreenAesop: Probably the most of any newspaper comic. Some are good, and actually quite funny, but others (mostly from the later run of the strip) descend to almost ''WesternAnimation/FernGully'' / ''WesternAnimation/{{Captain Planet|AndThePlaneteers}}'' levels (see the {{Anvilicious}} entry on the YMMV page.)
** The best such story arc started with Calvin and Hobbes surprised and enraged to learn that part of the forest they love to play in is in the process of being razed to be the site of "Shady Acres Condos." It gave us the wonderful Hobbes quote, "The only shade I see is from that bulldozer." Another gem is when Calvin asks how humans would feel if animals bulldozed the condos to put in new trees... [[GilliganCut cut]] to Hobbes in the bulldozer, saying it's no good, as the driver didn't leave the keys.
** Another famous line; while looking at a pile of garbage in the forest, Calvin sadly says: "Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
** Another iconic strip involves the duo encountering litter in the middle of the woods. After Calvin rails about the pointlessness of this kind of waste, Hobbes quips, "Sometimes it's a matter of personal pride not to be human." After a [[{{Beat}} moment's thought]], Calving takes off his clothes, saying "I'm with you."
** The entire trip to Mars was an environmental analogue, with Calvin and Hobbes choosing to remain on Earth and accept for responsibility for pollution there rather than polluting Mars too.
** In one Sunday strip, Calvin writes a poem about aliens who steal the Earth's water and air for their own planet, not because they're actively malicious, but because they prefer the extinction of humanity to the loss of their jobs. Calvin asks Hobbes if it sounds too unrealistic, but Hobbes thinks it's ''too'' realistic.
* GreyAndGrayMorality: Most nobody in the strip is completely good or bad. Calvin is a bratty child who enjoys ruining people's days. Hobbes, despite being Calvin's best friend, constantly torments him, says rude things just to annoy him, and makes snarky comments. On the other hand, most of Calvin's other antagonists, such as Susie, Rosalyn, and Miss Wormwood, are just reacting out of Calvin bothering them. The only character shown without any redeemable traits is Moe, not counting imaginary foes like the bike or the monsters under Calvin's bed.
* GrillingPyrotechnics: Calvin once tried to talk his dad into invoking this. Natch, he concludes that he has the most boring dad in the world.
* GrossoutFakeout: In one strip, Calvin pranks Susie by stuffing pasta up his shirt, then lifting his shirt and pretending it's his intestines spilling out.
* GuiltInducedNightmare: In one story arc, Calvin dreams about doing some schoolwork. His answers to jump off his paper and his paper suddenly bursts into flames. Miss Wormwood then turns into an alien and [[GasolineDousing sets him alight with a jerrycan]]. This dream gets Calvin to [[OhCrap remember that he forgot to do his homework]].
* GunsAreWorthless: You can probably count the number of times that Spiff's "Death Ray Blaster" ''wasn't'' useless against an enemy on one hand.
* HairTriggerTemper: It doesn't take much for Calvin to get on Rosalyn's nerves. In one strip, he gets sent to bed early just for firing two Nerf darts at her and in another, the ''mere mention'' of how he threatened to flush her science notes is enough to get him into trouble.
* HalfwayPlotSwitch: A few story arcs did this...
** The "Yukon Ho" story arc from 1987 started out with Calvin and Hobbes attempting to secede from the family and strike out for the Yukon. But a while into the journey they fight, and Calvin heads back for home leaving Hobbes on his own. Then when it gets dark, Calvin realizes Hobbes is still out there and sets out to find him, and the plot is now about trying to find Hobbes in the woods.
** A spring 1989 story arc had Calvin and his parents go to a wedding, accidentally leaving Hobbes behind due to Calvin putting up a fuss about going, which Calvin keeps complaining about. When they return the next day, they find that their house was robbed, and the mood and plot suddenly changes, with the parents shaken up badly by the break-in, though once Calvin finds Hobbes (he was under the bed covers), he finds the whole robbery exciting... until he learns the television was stolen.
** The story arc after ''that'' (and the longest in the strip's run) had Calvin and Hobbes setting up their secret club G.R.O.S.S., but then when they decide to use the garage for their clubhouse, an attempt to push Calvin's mom's car out accidentally sends it rolling into ditch, and then Calvin and Hobbes attempt to run away from home after what they did to avoid getting in trouble.
** In a late 1989 story arc, Calvin is trying to do his homework when gravity reverses, causing him to get stuck on the ceiling. Just after everything reverts to normal (halfway into the arc), he starts to grow bigger and bigger until he falls off the Milky Way Galaxy. As he puts it, "this has been a very peculiar afternoon." The 10th anniversary book has Watterson admitting that the story was "weird for weirdness' sake".
* HalloweenCostumeCharacterization:
** Discussed in one strip where Calvin defines a Halloween costume as the scariest thing you can think of. Proud tiger Hobbes thinks [[ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself the scariest thing is himself]], while Calvin, the cynically gruesome child [[WiseBeyondTheirYears with frequent concerns about what humans do to the planet]], says his costume will be a barrel of toxic waste.
** Double subverted in another Halloween strip where Calvin appears to not be wearing a costume, but claims he's going as "another resource-consuming kid in an overpopulated planet" who will take over the world once the adults die out. This "costume" demonstrates his cynical but egocentric philosophy.
* HappilyMarried: Calvin's parents. [[ZigZaggedTrope Most of the time, anyway...]]
-->'''Mom:''' It's ''your'' fault we don't have a sweet little girl! ''Your'' stupid chromosome! NOT MINE!\\
'''Dad:''' (thinking) ''...I just live here...''
* HardTruthAesop:
** LifeIsntFair. You do better when you accept you have no control over a situation than trying to micromanage everything. Calvin notes constantly that he has little control over his life -- how much television he can watch, when bedtime is, why he has to go to school -- but because he chafes at everything, he makes things harder. Hobbes even lampshades this at several points that Calvin would be happier if he just tried to be good once in a while. The simple fact is that Calvin is too young to make decisions for himself, so he needs his parents and teachers to do it for him both for his safety and his health, no matter how much it frustrates him to have no real say in his own life.
** As Miss Wormwood once tells Calvin, you only do well in school if you apply yourself to evaluate the education in question. That means sucking it up when assigned boring, difficult, or complicated assignments. Calvin makes a face in response, but she's right.
** There are no shortcuts. Every time Calvin tries to find a lazy way to solve a problem, it backfires on him. While this happens in school -- he blows off a report about bats, a leaf collection, or a bug display-- there are cases when he suffers this at home. Case in point: the duplicate arc where Calvin's clones only got him in trouble rather than doing homework and chores for him.
* HarmlessLiquefaction:
** One of Calvin's {{Imagine Spot}}s involves it being so hot outside that he melts, leaving only his clothes behind. His melted remains then evaporate and then rain, restoring him to solid form, and a [[NakedPeopleAreFunny now naked Calvin]] runs off. The strip ends with Calvin's mother picking up his clothes off the sidewalk while muttering, [[OhNoNotAgain "Not again!"]]
** In another ImagineSpot, Calvin imagines drinking one glass of water too many, so that his body becomes 90% water and melts.
* HatOfAuthority: The paper hats Calvin and Hobbes wear during G.R.O.S.S. meetings may count. The snazzy "commander helmet" Calvin dons for their Yukon expedition definitely counts -- Calvin claims leadership by dint of the helmet, whereupon Hobbes promptly takes it.
* HelplessWithLaughter: In one strip, Calvin steals his dad's glasses so he can mimic him - complete with slicked-down hair and a line about how MiseryBuildsCharacter; the final panel of this strip reveals that Calvin's mom has slid out of her chair and is practically lying on the floor, howling with laughter.
* HerCodeNameWasMarySue: Calvin's many alter-egos. They're generally far more adventurous and successful than he ever is, although how successful they are is mostly theoretical, since they reflect his own reality. Stupendous Man has never actually done anything remotely heroic and Spaceman Spiff, described as an intrepid explorer, is about to be killed in every single one of his "adventures".
* HeroAntagonist: Just about every single character other than Calvin has their moments. Only Moe is a straight-up villain.
* HeyYou: Hobbes never refers to Calvin directly by name.
* HiccupHijinks: Drinking from the far end of a glass and eating spoonfuls of sugar didn't help. After they finally went away, Hobbes pounced on him in an attempt to cure them... [[NiceJobBreakingItHero and ended up bringing them back even worse]].
* HighSchoolSweethearts: Calvin's mom and dad. According to one strip they were prom dates.
* HistoricalInJoke: ''John Calvin'' established the republic of Geneva, a strict religious society that still affected the childhood of Creator/JeanJacquesRousseau, who was born in the town. When grown up, he wrote his ''Contrat Social'', inspired by ''Leviathan'', the work of Thomas Hobbes. Rousseau also wrote ''Emile'', a thesis on the upbringing of children, claiming that a child should have as much freedom as possible. Cue our titular character (like his namesake, he also believes in predestination-more specifically that he's destined for great things and everything revolves around him).
* HistoricalLongevityJoke: Calvin once asked his dad if dinosaurs were around when he was young. His dad confirms it before his mother tells him Calvin's grades are already bad enough.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard:
** Watterson torpedoed his own efforts to get rid of illegal merchandise by not allowing any legitimate products in the first place (i.e., if his relationship with his syndicate had not been so adversarial, Watterson could have called on the resources of a mighty corporate legal department to crack down on those Calvin-peeing-on-things stickers.)
** Watterson revealed in one of the anthologies that after winning the right to lay out his Sunday strips however he wanted, he discovered that crafting the new, more artistic strips took several times longer than the old, formulaic ones.
** In-universe: Calvin saves a snowball from winter in the freezer in order to throw it at Susie in June. Guess who ends up being hit by the snowball.
** Another in-universe example: Calvin and Hobbes are going to have a water balloon fight. Calvin starts filling balloons, but he keeps messing them up and splashing water on himself. Hobbes comes over and decides that there's no point in throwing his balloon because Calvin is soaked from head to toe already.
** Calvin ties a water balloon to a rope so that if he misses a throw, it'll swing back around and give him a second shot. He tries it on Susie, misses, and then Susie catches the water balloon as it swings back around, throwing it at Calvin.
* HollywoodGenetics: Calvin's mom has brown hair and Calvin's dad has black hair (his dad's brother Max also has black hair), but Calvin somehow has blond hair. It's not impossible if both his parents were recessive carriers, but it's still fairly unlikely.
* HollywoodPudgy: {{Discussed}} InUniverse in the baseball team arc. Calvin complains to Susie at the bus stop about how lucky she is to be a girl and not be expected to play sports, to which she comments, "On the other hand, boys aren't expected to spend their life 20 pounds underweight."
* HomeAloneAntics: One strip has Calvin's parents come home to find a house full of booby traps, because Calvin watched a scary movie while they were out and then rigged up defenses against a monster attack. Amusingly, this strip predates the TropeNamer by four years.
* HorribleCampingTrip: Calvin and his family have been on a number of these.
** The worst would probably be the trip where it began raining the moment the trip began and cleared up the moment the trip ended.
--->'''Calvin:''' (whispering gleefully) Do you know what all of Dad's words meant?\\
'''Hobbes:''' (whispering) No, but I wrote 'em down so we can look them up later.
** And then there's what Calvin's Mom had to say about the whole affair:
--->'''Calvin's Mom:''' Calvin, tell your dad that any judge would take this trip as grounds for divorce.\\
'''Calvin:''' Dad, Mom says...\\
'''Calvin's Dad:''' All right! All right!
** The one where they go camping on an island: Calvin drops a bag of very expensive equipment in ten feet of very cold water, his dad accidentally stacks a tackle box and bags on his glasses, and apparently he'd left the car headlights on back at the canoe rental place.
* {{Horrorscope}}: There's a story arc involving horoscopes. While the first horoscope he reads, "Many of your key policies will be implemented" isn't bad (even though it doesn't come true), his second one, "Opposite sex finds you irresistible" [[GirlsHaveCooties is very much a Horrorscope]]. (That one doesn't come true either.)
* HumanMail: Calvin sometimes attempts to run away by sitting in a box by the mailbox with a vague address written on it (for example, "To OS TRYLA"). It [[ForegoneConclusion doesn't work]].
* HumanoidAliens: Often encountered by Spaceman Spiff, although they're never ''too'' humanoid.
* HumansAreBastards:
** Used repeatedly, and one arc has Calvin as so disgusted with humans that he resolves to become a tiger. It's driven home when he decides to go back to being a human only because he finds out tigers are endangered because of humans, and he doesn't want to be killed.
** There's also a strip in this vein satirizing hunting, in which a trio of deer walk into an office with hunting rifles and kill an employee. Calvin claims that they do this to curb human overpopulation, a popular justification for deer hunting.
** Though the Sunday strip where Calvin explains why he hangs out with Hobbes instead of human kids is a heartwarming moment.
** One memorable comic strip...
--->'''Calvin:''' Hobbes, look! I caught a butterfly in this jar!\\
'''Hobbes:''' If people could put rainbows in zoos, they would.\\
''*beat panel as Hobbes walks away*''\\
''*Calvin opens the jar, releasing the butterfly*''
** Similarly, one strip has Calvin ask Hobbes if he'd like to visit the zoo, which Hobbes responds to by saying "Can we tour a prison afterward?"
* HumbleGoal:
** In one strip, Hobbes's wish is to have a sandwich. He achieves it. This is contrasted with Calvin, whose more extravagant wish for "a trillion billion dollars, my own space shuttle, and a private continent" goes unfulfilled.
** Another time, Calvin and Hobbes are outside and Calvin asks Hobbes what he would wish for if he could have anything. Hobbes wishes for "a big sunny field to be in." Calvin points out that Hobbes is ''already'' in a sunny field and says he should wish for something big like power or riches. Then he looks at Hobbes napping in the grass and admits that it's hard to argue with someone who looks so happy.
* HurtFootHop: There is a strip where the title characters hear a crashing noise on Christmas Eve and assume it's Santa. They listen to see if they can hear what he's saying. Cut to the living room:
-->'''Calvin's Dad:''' ''(stands on one leg, clutching his foot after dropping a heavy present on it)'' [[{{Angrish}} Slippin'-rippin'-dang-fang-rotten-zarg-barg-a-ding-dong!]]\\
'''Calvin's Mom:''' Quiet dear! Calvin will hear you!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:I-K]]
* InconsistentEpisodeLengths: When the strip first started out, the Sunday strips had to follow a standard layout that allowed individual newspapers to rearrange the panels to fit either a full page, half a page or a quarter of a page. Cartoonist Bill Watterson found this format restricting, and after his sabbatical he negotiated to have a freeform Sunday layout. These new strips had as many or as few panels as was required for whatever story Watterson wanted to draw, anywhere from twenty small square panels to one SplashPage taking up the entire page and anything in between. {{Downplayed|Trope}}, as they still had to fit in the same amount of physical space each week.
* IAteWhat: Some of the "dinner table" strips have an amusing variation on this trope, in which Calvin is ''more'' likely to eat his dinner if he is told it's made from some revolting ingredient (i.e., being told grains of rice are maggots, or that stuffed peppers are stewed monkey heads) and ''less'' likely if he finds out it ''isn't''.
-->'''Calvin:''' Is hamburger meat [[LiteralMinded made out of people from Hamburg?]]\\
'''Mom:''' Of course not! It's ground beef.\\
'''Calvin:''' I'm eating a COW?\\
'''Mom:''' That's right.\\
'''Calvin:''' ''[gagging]'' I don't think I can finish this!
* ICanExplain: Calvin panics as he tries to explain to his mother what he thinks Miss Wormwood told her. He almost confesses to the NoodleIncident in doing so, which his mother didn't even know about.
** Averted in a strip where Calvin is hammering nails into the living room table. His mother freaks and demands to know what he's doing, to which he simply retorts: "Is this a trick question?"
* ICantLookGesture:
** In one strip, Calvin hides his face as he and Hobbes go plunging off a cliff in their wagon.
--->'''Hobbes:''' We're headed for that cliff!\\
'''Calvin:''' I don't want to know about it.
** In one story arc, Calvin tries to push the family car out of the garage by himself and the car rolls away from him. He and Hobbes cover their faces and scream "I can't watch!" just before the car winds up in a ditch.
* IdenticalPanelGag: In one strip, Calvin tells Hobbes about his grandfather, who complains that modern comic strips are "nothing but a bunch of xeroxed talking heads." Every panel in the strip is the same two-shot of Calvin and Hobbes, with only the speech bubbles changing. (Although, on closer inspection, there are enough tiny differences to show that each "identical" panel was actually drawn separately.)
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: The three treasury volumes of the comic are, in order, ''The Essential'', ''Authoritative'', and ''Indispensable Calvin & Hobbes'', each re-collecting two books apiece up to ''Scientific Progress Goes Boink''.
* IDontLikeYouAndYouDontLikeMe: Calvin says this to his bicycle in one strip. It proceeds to run him over.
* IfIWantedXIWouldY: Calvin explains why he does not like organized sports:
-->'''Calvin:''' I hate all the rules and organization and teams and ranks in sports. Somebody's always yelling at you, telling you where to be, what to do, and when to do it. I figure when I want that, I'll join the Army and at least get paid.
* IgnorantOfTheirOwnIgnorance: Calvin constantly overestimates himself.
* IgnoredAesop: Understandable, since Calvin's imagination doesn't really work in such a way as to promote obvious, learnable lessons.
-->'''Calvin:''' Well, Hobbes, I guess there's a moral to all this.\\
'''Hobbes:''' What's that?\\
'''Calvin:''' 'Snow Goons are Bad News'.\\
'''Hobbes:''' ''That'' lesson certainly ought to be inapplicable later in life.\\
'''Calvin:''' I like maxims that don't encourage behavior modification.
* IgnoringBySinging: [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/09/21 In this strip]], Hobbes starts mocking Calvin's height, telling him he'll get even shorter and that his parents are planning to sell him to a circus sideshow. Calvin shouts "I'm not listening!" then puts his hands over his ears and starts singing "The Star-Spangled Banner."
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Calvin occasionally laments the fact that, as a human, he doesn't have any of the cool traits many animals do, like retractable claws, fangs, opposable toes, wings, the ability to light up his behind the way fireflies do, etc.
-->'''Calvin:''' I'm not even sure which muscle to flex. ''(as he tries to make his rear end light up like a firefly)''
* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: Calvin wanted to trick Susie so he could soak her with water balloons. So he left an easily decipherable "secret code" note for her to find (in backwards letters,) hoping she would go behind his house. [[spoiler:She caught on quickly and hid elsewhere to spray Calvin with the garden hose]].
* ImaginaryFriend: Hobbes. ''Maybe''. See NotSoImaginaryFriend below.
* ImagineSpot: Happens quite often, but most notably the Spaceman Spiff and Stupendous Man sequences.
* IMeantToDoThat:
** Calvin says this after his attempt to launch a giant snowball (by placing it on the end of a plank balanced atop a log and jumping on the other end of said plank) ends with him getting splattered. Hobbes' response: "Then it worked very well."
** Hobbes also invokes this when he's about to tackle Calvin, but then Calvin ducks down to pick up a dime, causing Hobbes to pass over him and crash-land on the floor. Hobbes then gets up and walks away with as much dignity as he can muster. Calvin's not fooled for a second.
---> ''"He would just love me to believe that somersault was intentional and innocent."''
* ImplausibleDeniability:
** Calvin is an artist, and BlatantLies and InsaneTrollLogic are his canvas. It doesn't matter if you photographed or video recorded him in the act, that's only circumstantial evidence.
** Any time the monsters under the bed try to convince Calvin that there are no monsters under the bed. At one point, Calvin asks who he's talking to if there aren't any monsters, and the monsters insist that they're just dust balls.
* ImpliedLoveInterest: Susie is one for Calvin. They're both little kids, so they can't actually date, but [[PuppyLove occasionally it's hinted that one has a crush on the other]]. For instance, when Calvin sends her a Valentine, even though the card disses her and is brought with dead flowers and leads to Susie throwing a snowball at him, both walk away concluding that the other one likes them. Complicating things further is the fact that they're friends, but with a great deal of rivalry, and Calvin thinks GirlsHaveCooties.
* ImpossibleShadowPuppets: Calvin makes a shadow puppet, which looks like, as Hobbes calls it: "A bug-eyed, tentacled thing." Turns out it's the real thing, [[HorrorStruck to the duo's horror]].
* ImprovisedParachute: In one Sunday strip, Calvin tries parachuting off the roof by using his blanket. [[SubvertedTrope Rather expectedly]], he instead drops like a stone. His fall is cushioned by landing in some thorny rose bushes, however.
* INeverSaidItWasPoison: Occurs in the September 1989 arc where Calvin locks Rosalyn out of the house. The arc begins with Calvin hiding his mom's shoes so she can't leave the house, and the second strip has this exchange:
-->'''Calvin:''' Hi, Roz. My parents changed their minds about going out, so we won't be needing your services. Goodbye.\\
'''Calvin's Dad:''' Hi, Rosalyn. What are you talking about, Calvin?\\
'''Calvin:''' You can't go out if mom can't find her ''shoes'', right?\\
'''Calvin's Dad:''' And what do ''you'' know about that?\\
'''Calvin:''' (''makes an OhCrapSmile'') Uh, nothing, ha ha! Um, why, are her shoes missing?
* IncrediblyLameFun:
** Calvin [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/04/08 plays a game]] where he asks Hobbes to guess a number between one and seven hundred billion. No "higher/lower" or "warm/cold"; only "nope, guess again". Hobbes wanders off after two guesses.
--->'''Calvin:''' What's the matter, don't you like games?!
** Similarly, Calvin asks Dad to pick a number that he will then try to guess:
--->'''Calvin:''' Is it 92,376,051?\\
'''Dad:''' By golly, it is!\\
'''Calvin:''' Wait a minute! You're just trying to get ''rid'' of me, aren't you?!\\
'''Dad:''' [[SarcasmMode No, you're psychic.]] Go show Mom.
* InformedAbility:
** PlayedForLaughs with Calvin's [[HerCodenameWasMarySue imaginary alter ego]] Spaceman Spiff. He's constantly described as a tremendous pilot, superb marksman and all round brilliant space explorer, but pretty much every story about him begins as his ship is crashing and/or he's captured by aliens. His "[[RayGun Death-Ray Blaster]]" also tends to be utterly useless, because in real life it's actually a squirt gun. Spaceman Spiff's piloting is also {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in one strip: "The intrepid Spaceman Spiff is stranded on a distant planet! ...our hero ruefully acknowledges that this happens fairly frequently."
** Same with Stupendous Man; after yet another blunder, Hobbes asks Calvin if Stupendous Man ever won any battle. Calvin replies they are all "[[DoomedMoralVictor moral victories]]".
** In one arc, Calvin uses a device to enlarge his brain and increase his intelligence. While his vocabulary becomes somewhat more verbose, he never actually makes smarter decisions than normal, still believing girls are gross, forgetting what his homework even was, thinking that RuleOfCool is a viable basis for a scientific argument, wasting his dwindling homework time drawing pointless doodles, and deciding that walking around with a bedsheet wrapped around his head would "allay any suspicion" from his massively enlarged head. Hobbes even notes snarkily how Calvin doesn't seem to know any more than him despite the massively increased brain.
* InformedFlaw: In one comic, it's claimed Susie eats sandwiches by taking them apart and eating each ingredient separately. Not only is this never referenced again, several later comics show Susie eating her sandwich normally.
* InherentlyFunnyWords: Hobbes likes the word [[http://dontknockmysmock.com/ "smock"]]. He also likes the word [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2013/03/26 "quark".]]
* InMediasRes: The second duplicator arc begins with three strips showing a well-groomed, well-behaved Calvin, but no indication of why he's acting that way. A few strips later, we find out that the Calvin from the beginning of the arc is actually a duplicate of Calvin's Good Side.
* InnocentProdigy: Calvin, who goes from his imagined personae to deep insight at the drop of a hat.
* InsaneTrollLogic: Calvin loves this type of logic.
** When he's doing a report on bats, he classifies them as bugs because they fly, they're ugly, and they're hairy. He also says he'll get an A on his paper because he's using a "professional" clear plastic binder.
** Calvin protests going to school because if ignorance is bliss, then his education is a violation of his right to the pursuit of happiness. He puts on a patriotic, American Revolution-esque shtick, and when his teacher chases him as he tries to leave the classroom, he yells "Monarchists!"
* InsignificantBlueDot: Played with by Calvin, usually to get out of answering test problems in school.
* InsomniaEpisode: One Sunday strip involved Calvin being unable to fall asleep, as late as 1:30 in the morning. He tosses and turns, and is really tired, but just can't get to sleep, until he hears his mom's voice. Turns out, it was AllJustADream. At breakfast, Calvin mutters to himself "This is going to be a bad day."
* IntellectualAnimal: Hobbes. "There are times when it's a source of great personal pride to not be human."
* IntentionalMessMaking: [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2018/08/25 In this strip]], Calvin won't allow Hobbes in his kiddie pool, saying that Hobbes will get his fur in the water. Hobbes then deliberately starts shedding before getting in anyway. Calvin then implies that [[PuttingThePeeInPool he peed in the pool]], much to Hobbes's horror.[[note]]Though Calvin may have been lying.[[/note]]
* IntolerableTolerance: In one strip, Calvin justifies refusing to improve his behavior by claiming that society needs to be as tolerant of vice as it is of virtue.
-->'''Hobbes:''' How are you doing on your New Year's resolutions?\\
'''Calvin:''' I didn't make any. See, in order to improve oneself, one must have some idea of what's "good". That implies certain values. But as we all know, values are relative. Every system of belief is equally valid, and we need to tolerate diversity. Virtue isn't "better" than vice. It's just different.\\
'''Hobbes:''' I'm not sure I can tolerate that much tolerance.\\
'''Calvin:''' I refuse to be victimized by notions of virtuous behavior.
* InUniverseFactoidFailure:
** When giving a report on bats, Calvin does no research and repeatedly calls them bugs. Despite everyone telling him otherwise, he doesn't listen, and fails the assignment.
--->'''Class:''' '''BATS AREN'T BUGS!'''\\
'''Calvin:''' Look, who's giving the report, you chowderheads, or me?
** Every time we see Calvin trying to do basic addition or subtraction math homework, or Hobbes trying to help him, it's truly a spectacle of InsaneTrollLogic. Never before would anyone guess that three plus eight equals six.
** Calvin believes that the simple machines consist of the lever, the pulley, the inclined plane, and ''[[ArsonMurderAndLifesaving the internal combustion engine]]''.
** Calvin and Susie are partners on a report on the planet Mercury. Calvin writes his portion the morning of, after having a week to prepare.
--->'''Calvin:''' The planet Mercury was named after a Roman god with winged feet. Mercury was the god of flowers and bouquets, which is why today he is a registered trademark of FTD florists. Why they named a planet after this guy, I can't imagine. ...Um, back to you, Susie.
** For one of history tests, Calvin wrote down that the first president of the United States was Chef Boyardee, among other errors. His teacher called Calvin's answers "preposterous" and "an absolute disgrace".
* InvisibleStomachVisibleFood: In one strip, Calvin imagines being turned into "a living x-ray" which makes his mealtimes "a disgusting ordeal" for everyone, given that they can see the chewed food. The comic ends in the real world with Calvin's dad yelling at him to close his mouth when he chews. "You think we want to see that?"
* InvisibleStreaker: In one strip, Calvin imagines he's become invisible, which results in his mother catching him trying to steal cookies while naked.
* {{Irony}}: The very first mention of "Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie," which becomes Calvin's favorite book.
-->'''Dad:''' You might like this story.\\
'''Calvin:''' Oh yeah? How good can it be if it hasn't been made into a TV show?
** Watterson entitled the three treasury books ''The Essential'', ''The Authoritative'', and ''The Indispensible Calvin and Hobbes'' purely for the irony, as, aside from some newer stories/poems included at the beginning of each, they contain only strips that had already been published in the smaller collections.
* IRejectYourReality: Calvin can be quotes thus: "It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept."
* IronicHell: After dozens of nights after having to read ''Hamster Huey'' over and over again, Calvin's dad muses:
-->'''Dad:''' Architects should be forced to live in the buildings they design, and children's book authors should be forced to read their stories aloud every single night of their rotten lives.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Calvin, very much so. While he'll occasionally show concern for others, for animals (the little raccoon), or for the environment, the majority of strips show Calvin only thinking about himself.
-->'''Calvin:''' I don't want to pay any dues in life. I want to be a one-in-a-million, overnight success! I want the world handed to me on a silver platter!\\
'''[[CatsAreSnarkers Hobbes]]:''' Good luck.\\
'''Calvin''' (Yelling after him)''':''' Surely you concede I ''deserve'' it!
* ItsQuietTooQuiet:
** Calvin's mom on a couple of occasions, has noted that if she doesn't hear from Calvin for a little while (one time she said in fifteen minutes, another time she said two), it means he's probably getting into trouble. She's always right with this assumption.
** Calvin tends to go into panic mode when he doesn't see or hear Hobbes, knowing this usually means Hobbes is planning to pounce him.
* IveHeardOfThatWhatIsIt: When Calvin is told that he'll be having tortellini for dinner, he doesn't allow his ignorance of what it is to stand in the way of a loud tirade about his dislike for it.
* IWantMyJetPack: Occurs in a late-1989 strip when Calvin is vocally disappointed at the lack of technological progress in the new decade:
-->'''Hobbes:''' A new decade is coming up.\\
'''Calvin:''' Yeah, big deal! Hmph. Where are the flying cars? Where are the moon colonies? Where are the personal robots and zero gravity boots, huh? You call this a new decade?! You call this the future?! '''HA!''' Where are the rocket packs? Where are the disintegration rays? Where are the floating cities?\\
'''Hobbes:''' Frankly, I'm not sure people have the brains to manage the technology they've ''got''.\\
'''Calvin:''' I mean, ''look'' at this! We still have ''weather?'' Give me a break!
* IWishedYouWereDead: Downplayed. In one strip, Calvin wakes his parents up in the middle of the night. The mother, cranky at having been awakened, says she hopes it's because he's sick (as opposed to some trivial reason). When Calvin throws up, however, she guiltily exclaims, "I didn't mean it!".
* {{Jerkass}}:
** Moe
** Calvin's teammates and ''especially'' the coach during the baseball arc. He becomes bullied (one of them threatens to ''hit Calvin with a bat'') to the point of not wanting to play anymore. The coach's response? "Ok, quitter! Goodbye."
** Calvin himself can be one several times due to his being [[ItsAllAboutMe a selfish]] [[BrattyHalfPint jerk]]. At one time, Calvin steals Susie's doll to use as a ransom for $100. Took it even further by including a photo of the doll tied to a chair along with the ransom note. He also knowingly attempted to try and infect Susie with his chicken pox. During one of his stints as Stupendous Man, Calvin drops a heavy bowling ball-sized snowball on Susie’s head from a tree, too oblivious to realize a stunt like that could’ve seriously injured her. When his mom confronts him about it, he tries to play it off, but the mom wasn’t having any of it. She drills into him what he could’ve done and threatens to take away his Stupendous Man costume for good if he ever tries something like that again.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Calvin's heart is well hidden, but Hobbes being damaged or an injured animal can bring it out. He can also get genuinely remorseful if one of his pranks goes too far.
* KarmaHoudini: Everyone but Calvin, although Moe is the most egregious example. He constantly tortures Calvin, despite being the only character to whom Calvin never does anything that would warrant such behavior. Although at times Calvin insults Moe anyway, figuring that, if he's going to get beaten, he might as well get the most out of it.
* KidsAreCruel: Calvin has been both the instigator and the victim of such acts.
* KidsHateVegetables: Calvin, a PickyEater in general, hates vegetables and vegetarian meals, claiming to be a [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/05/09 a dessertarian]]. To be fair, most of his mom's cooking appears to be lumpy green sludge -- but that might just be Calvin's [[MrImagination overactive imagination]]. He also once complained about having to eat a "slimy asparagus".
* KidsPreferBoxes: In addition to using cardboard boxes to make all sorts of devices, one time Calvin sent away for a motorized propeller beanie. When it finally arrives, he kicks it away after realizing that it doesn't let him fly around town as he had imagined and prefers to play with the cool cardboard box it came in instead.
* KidsShouldntWatchHorrorFilms:
** Calvin, allowed to stay up one night without a babysitter, decides to rent a VCR and a bunch of scary movies. The aftermath:
--->'''Calvin's Dad:''' Well, the house is still standing. Calvin must have gone to bed.\\
'''Calvin's Mom:''' His light is still on. Calvin? Are you awake? ''(opens bedroom door, gets hit by BucketBoobyTrap)'' EEP! ''Did you watch a scary movie?!?''\\
'''Calvin:''' [[BlatantLies No.]] Don't come in. The rug is rigged too.
** After reading a bunch of scary comics in ''A Nauseous Nocturne'', Calvin fears a monster is coming to eat him. He's right.
** He also gets pretty traumatized after reading a superhero comic where [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath the superhero gets his spine blown in half]]. He tries to cope by watching TV, but his mom responds "[[ComicallyMissingThePoint There's too much violence on TV. Why don't you go read something]]?"
* {{Knighting}}: Parodied [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1991/04/10 at the end of one story arc]] by Calvin's father. Calvin demanded that he be referred to as "Calvin the Bold", and his dad humoured him by dubbing him "Mud" instead, putting an end to it.
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Hobbes is always happy to help Calvin with his homework, but he resorts to feigning knowledge about the most basic things. In one strip, he "solves" a basic addition problem by calling the answer Y (as in "Y do we care?") guessing that Y might be a square number, drawing a square, and measuring the diagonal. When Calvin objects that the answer is too small, Hobbes draws a bigger square.
** Calvin himself in spades as well. He arrogantly thought he could fix a leaky faucet despite not knowing the first thing about plumbing (he actually considered using a hacksaw to take off the faucet head.) He also called Hobbes a moron for suggesting that he turn the water off BEFORE taking apart the faucet, then wound up breaking the faucet and flooding the bathroom.
* KnowYourVines:
** After Calvin utterly fails a report on plants, he angrily asks what good it does to identify plants while holding a branch. Hobbes then replies "I believe that's poison sumac you're holding."
** During a family camping trip, Calvin complains about how itchy his mosquito bites are. Hobbes tells him to think about something else, and when Calvin asks what, Hobbes says, "Like maybe stepping out of all that poison ivy."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:L-M]]
* LaboriousLaziness:
** In [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/06/19 a June 1989 arc]], Calvin's mom forces him to clean his room before he can go out and play. Calvin spends far more effort trying to weasel out of cleaning his room or [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/06/21 complaining about it]] than he would if he just did it. He ends making an even bigger mess by just stuffing everything into his closet, only for it to come spilling out like an avalanche when his mom gets suspicious and checks on it.
--->'''Calvin:''' It's going to take me all ''day'' to do this! Ooh, this makes me so mad! A whole day shot! Wasted! Down the drain! Gone! AARGH!\\
'''Hobbes:''' Are you kidding? How could this possibly take all day?\\
'''Calvin:''' Heck, it'll be another hour before I'm even through griping.
** In [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/08/28 an August 1989 arc]], Calvin didn't want to make his bed, so he and Hobbes spent all afternoon trying to build a robot to do it for him. They couldn't get the robot to work, but since they spent so long on it, the bed never got made. Mission accomplished!
--->'''Hobbes:''' Wouldn't inventing a robot be more work than making the bed?\\
'''Calvin:''' It's only work if somebody makes you do it.
** In [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/05/23 a May 1992 arc]], Calvin built a time machine to travel two hours into the future and get a copy of his homework from himself after it was already finished. Predictably, it doesn't work.
--->'''6:30 Calvin:''' Well, since we're ''you'' from the past, I suppose you know why we're here. Did you do the homework?\\
'''8:30 Calvin:''' Me?? No.\\
'''6:30 Calvin:''' ''No?!'' Why not??\\
'''8:30 Calvin:''' Because two hours ago, I went to the future to get it.\\
'''6:30 Calvin:''' Yeah, and here I am! Where is it?!\\
'''8:30 Calvin:''' That's what ''I'' said two hours ago!
* LamePunReaction:
** Calvin explains to Hobbes that he's taking a toy telephone into the woods to "try some bird calls." The next thing we know, the receiver's been wedged into his mouth and the cord is wrapped around his head and body by Hobbes.
** In another strip:
--->'''Calvin:''' Hey Hobbes, want to see an antelope?\\
'''Hobbes:''' An antelope?\\
'''Calvin:''' Come on! ''(goes to an anthill)'' See, she's climbing down the ladder to her boyfriend's car. ''(beat)'' You're not laughing.\\
'''Hobbes:''' It's not funny.
** In yet another strip, Calvin tells this joke to Hobbes: "What do you get when you cross a cantaloupe with Lassie? A mellon-collie baby!" Hobbes is not amused.
** Calvin laments that he doesn't have anywhere to dock his toy boat. When Hobbes remarks that Calvin is "a friend without pier" and suggests that he's "under a lot of pier pressure," Calvin responds: "Is there something wrong with you?".
* LampshadeHanging:
** Done with Hobbes' tendency to get 'captured' during games with other people, since he can't move when anyone besides Calvin is around. "I've noticed that when we play games with girls, you get captured a lot."
** There is also a strip where Hobbes asks Calvin why he wears "long pants" in the summer. His answer, and the punchline, is "Short pants touch my ''feet'', ok?!"
** "The intrepid Spaceman Spiff is stranded on a distant planet! Our hero ruefully acknowledges that this happens fairly frequently..."
* TheLancer: Hobbes sometimes acts as Calvin's sidekick.
* LargeHamTitle: Calvin briefly renames himself "Calvin, Boy of Destiny." Or as he puts it, "Calvin! Boy... of ''Desssss''tiny!"
* LastPlaceYouLook: During the break-in arc, Calvin is in a panic, tearing the house apart trying to find Hobbes because he feared his best friend was tigernapped. He failed to find Hobbes, but Mom does - tucked underneath Calvin's bed covers (or lying in bed safe and sound, if you're Calvin).
* LateToThePunchline: Finding that his playing cards are not complete, Calvin remarks that he's "not playing with a full deck," to which Hobbes smiles and responds, "That's what everyone says!" Calvin mutters that they should buy a new deck; HOURS later in bed, he sits up in realization and yells, "HEY!" The next day's strip, Calvin mentions that he lost his marbles, to which Hobbes responds, "Everyone suspected as much;" again, Calvin doesn't get it until the middle of the night.
* LaughingMad: Calvin once got a little too excited when making a snowball, to the point where he freaked himself out and wondered if he hadn't "tapped into some primeval well of the human psyche."
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall:
** The October 15, 1995 Sunday strip, which ran just two months before ''Calvin and Hobbes'' ended its ten-year run, has Calvin and Hobbes watching the leaves fall from the trees and wondering whether or not fall is beautiful or melancholy.
--->'''Calvin''': I dunno...I think autumn is melancholy. Summer is over and in a week or two, everyone will be hunkered down for the long, bleak winter. Nothing lasts. Fall is just the last fling before things get worse.\\
'''Hobbes''': If good things lasted forever, would we appreciate how precious they are?
** In one strip, Calvin complains to his dad about how obnoxious, foolish, and dimwitted the characters in the newspaper comics are and how there should be more politically correct, morally-upstanding characters in the funnies. Notably, Watterson received a lot of complaints about how mean Calvin's parents were, so this easily be seen as a jab towards those readers.
--->'''Calvin's Dad:''' Yes, [[SarcasmMode we all know how funny good role models are]].\\
'''Calvin:''' And look, [[ObliviousToHisOwnDescription all the kids are obnoxious brats]]!
* LeavingFoodForSanta: The throwaway joke of the Christmas Day 1988 [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/12/25 strip]] has Calvin telling his dad that he's leaving out a sandwich for Santa. Calvin then asks whether Santa would like some milk with it, and his dad responds, "I think 'Santa' would rather have a cold beer," much to his mother's annoyance.
* LethalChef:
** Calvin's mom, in Calvin's mind. Though her cooking really ''is'' usually depicted as a formless mass of goo on a plate, it's Calvin who often imagines her dishes having lethal consequences or unspeakable ingredients. At one point, even Calvin's dad (after some comments by Calvin) demands to know ''what'' exactly it is he's eating, and that whatever it is, he's not eating it (it's ''supposed'' to be stuffed peppers). In this particular strip, Calvin refuses to eat his dinner, so his Mom mentions that it's [[ReversePsychology monkey brains]]. Calvin, naturally, is [[NightmareFetishist eager to try it]], but now Calvin's dad has apparently lost his appetite...
** [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2009/12/29/ Another strip]] had virtually the same thing happening, this time with rice.
** Yet another had a variation of the joke, in which it's Dad who tries the ReversePsychology by whispering to Calvin in a confiding tone that he's right not to want to eat the food since it's actually toxic waste that will turn him into a mutant. Calvin gobbles it all up greedily in a fantastic flash. Mom remarks that there simply ''has'' to be a better way to make him eat.
** It also seems to run in the family. One story arc involves Mom getting sick and unable to cook dinner. Dad takes her place in one strip:
--->'''Dad:''' Since your mom is sick, I'll be cooking dinner tonight.\\
'''Calvin:''' YOU can cook?\\
'''Dad:''' Of course I can cook. As you can see, I survived two years of my own cooking when I had an apartment after college.\\
'''Calvin:''' Mom says you ate canned soup and waffles three meals a day.\\
'''Dad:''' Your mom wasn't there, so she wouldn't know. Get the syrup out, will you?
** And then there was the strip where Calvin tried to make breakfast in bed for his sick mom:
--->'''Calvin:''' I made toast, orange juice, and eggs for you all by myself!\\
'''Mom:''' Oh, that's wonderful, Calvin!\\
'''Calvin:''' The eggs got burned and kind of stuck to the pan, but you can probably chip them out with this chisel.\\
'''Mom:''' Um... Where is the toast and orange juice?\\
'''Calvin:''' Dad said not to tell you about that until you're all better.
** In one strip, Calvin tries to make pancakes. We see him dropping whole eggs, still in the shells, into the batter and pouring ''the whole bowl'' into the frying pan at once instead of in portions.
* LetsMeetTheMeat: In one strip, Calvin has to play an onion for the school play and talk about how nutritious onions are.
* LimitedWardrobe: Calvin typically wears a red and black striped shirt with black pants and white and purple shoes, although a couple of colored strips have shown he owns many other clothes that we never see him wear. Moe usually wears a black shirt and white pants. Everyone else changes outfits regularly.
* LiteralGenie: Calvin likes to carefully interpret things people say, especially commands, so that they seem to encourage him to do what he wants.
* LiteralSoapboxSpeech: Spoofed when Calvin retrieves a small, cardboard soap box to stand on so he can "harangue the multitudes."
-->'''Hobbes:''' You'd probably be more impressive if you tried using the soap.\\
'''Calvin:''' Let me know if you see any multitudes.
* LiterallyPrizedPossession: In one storyline, Calvin eats multiple boxes of ChocolateFrostedSugarBombs so he can send away for a beanie hat. He then waits for what seems (at least to him) like forever and suffers through trying to assemble it (and the trauma of thinking he broke it), because, being [[MrImagination an imaginative kid]], he thinks the beanie will enable him to fly. When it doesn't, it comes as a major disappointment.
* LiteralMetaphor: [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/07/17 One strip]] has Calvin and Hobbes drop a few of these in regards to some literature Calvin is perusing.
-->'''Hobbes:''' How's your book?\\
'''Calvin:''' I can't put it down.\\
'''Hobbes:''' Gripping?\\
'''Calvin:''' You said it!\\
'''Hobbes:''' Maybe you should wash your hands.\\
'''Calvin:''' It's peanut butter mixed with bubble gum.
* LiteralMinded:
** Calvin exhibits this in one strip where Susie points out a cloud in the sky and asks what it looks like, with Calvin replying that it looks like "a mass of suspended water and ice particles". Calvin's comment in the last panel ("Everybody hates a literalist," while [[BreakingTheFourthWall smiling to the reader]]), implies he was doing this on purpose.
** Similarly, after he saw a cloud take the form of his own head giving him a raspberry, he decided that it was an omen. Of "very peculiar high altitude winds, I guess... You know, some sort of cumulonimbal thing." Quoth Hobbes: "Science kinda takes the fun out of the portent business."
* LittleKnownFacts:
** Calvin occasionally asks his dad to explain some natural phenomenon, and his dad will draw on his vast knowledge of the real world as a patent attorney... And come up with something [[ArtisticLicensePhysics completely ludicrous]] instead. [[http://www.s-anand.net/blog/calvin-and-hobbes-dad-explains-science/ Behold his wisdom!]] A typical example:
--->'''Calvin:''' Why does the sun set?\\
'''Dad:''' [[LiesToChildren Because hot air rises. The sun's hot in the middle of the day, so it rises high in the sky. In the evening then, it cools down and sets]].\\
'''Calvin:''' So why does it go from east to west?\\
'''Dad:''' [[BlatantLies Solar wind]].\\
'''Mom:''' (off-panel) ''Dear!''
** Most of the time he just does this to screw with Calvin's head. Watterson was not a parent while the strip was running, but he imagined parenthood would be filled with this temptation.
** Granted, he did choose to provide an interesting lecture on relativity, using a record player to illustrate his lesson. Calvin ended up unable to sleep, with his brow knitted from trying to understand that.
* LittleMissSnarker: Susie Derkins.
-->'''Calvin:''' War is a [[TestosteronePoisoning manly]] art!\\
'''Susie:''' I suppose anything so idiotic would have to be. Can I play in your game or not?\\
'''Calvin:''' I don't know, it seems you'd rather be making smart remarks.
* LittleProfessorDialog: One of the prime examples of this trope, to the point where it almost becomes a RunningGag. Watterson explained in one author's foreword that his favorite thing about Calvin was "his ability to precisely articulate stupid ideas."
* {{Lobotomy}}:
** When Susie tells Calvin she enjoys going to school to learn, Calvin stares closely at her before declaring: "Your bangs do a good job of covering up the lobotomy scars."
** After Hobbes cuts Calvin's hair and messes up, he tries to cover it up by tying a cloth around his head. While Hobbes thinks he looks like Film/LawrenceOfArabia, Calvin thinks he looks more like a lobotomy patient.
** Calvin pretends to be giving one to a pumpkin while carving it into a jack-o-lantern.
** Susie abruptly ends a playdate in the snow with Calvin in disgust when Calvin begins sawing into the brain of the snowman the two built together.
* LockedInTheBathroom: In one strip, Calvin takes Rosalyn's science notes when she is babysitting him and locks himself in the bathroom with them, threatening to flush them down the toilet. [[spoiler:Rosalyn ignores Calvin for a while and, thinking she has gone to call the fire department to axe open the door, he comes out to see the fire trucks]].
* LongList: Calvin's Christmas lists. They've been shown to be so long that he needs to divide them into two volumes (Volume One: "Atom Bomb" through "Grenade Launcher") and create cross-referencing indexes for accessory items, and that they cost him $2.50 worth of postage just to mail.
* LookBothWays: The exact theme in a road safety poster contest that Calvin enters, to which his slogan is "Be careful or be roadkill!" While his father's suggested slogan is just a full-sentence rant about something else entirely but still related to road safety, his mother's is something much more coherent and tamer:
--> Before you cross, look each way, and you'll get home safe each day.
* LookMaNoPlane:
** In one story line, Calvin thinks a motorized propeller beanie will let him fly, complete with fantasy sequence where he waves at a plane. Another Sunday fantasy has his parents letting him drive the car, and he drives so fast he breaks the speedometer, goes airborne and passes a jet.
** Another strip had Calvin pretending he was the plane complete with a fantasy of him flying through the air with his arms out like a plane's wings. According to his mom, he was just running around in circles with his arms out in the backyard until he got sick (at that point, he was pretending the plane was stuck in a holding pattern.)
--->'''Calvin:''' From now on I'm playing "bus".
* LoopholeAbuse:
** When asked to explain Newton's First Law of Motion in his own words, he answers the question by interpreting the requirement touse "his own words"... creatively:
--->'''Calvin:''' ''[writing]'' Yakka foob mog. Grug pubbawup zink wattoom gazork. Chumble spuzz. ''[aloud]'' I love loopholes.
** Another example:
--->'''Miss Wormwood:''' (After Calvin has, as usual, been daydreaming:) Pay attention! Now, [[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield what state do you live in]]?\\
'''Calvin:''' Denial!\\
'''Miss Wormwood:''' ''(sigh)'' I don't suppose I can argue with ''that''... (Calvin happily goes back into his daydream.)
** When Calvin's mother tells him to get in the tub, he does so -- fully clothed, without running any water. She closes the loophole pretty quickly though.
** One G.R.O.S.S. meeting had our heroes drafting a list of what girls were "good" for. Calvin exploded when Hobbes suggested they were good for "smooching", and after the ensuing fistfight Hobbes reminded Calvin that his Mom kissed him goodnight the night before. Calvin was mortified, realizing that Mom is "sort of" a girl, and Hobbes pointed out that under club rules he should be excommunicated. Instead, they amended the club's rules to say that smooching a girl is accepting a girl if it's your mother.
* LopsidedDichotomy:
** From a Tracer Bullet story:
--->"Either she had a psychotic decorator, or her place had been ransacked by someone in a big hurry."
** Another earlier in the series:
--->"Either Mom's cooking dinner, or someone got sick in the furnace duct."
* LotsOfLuggage: Used in the 05/22/86 strip when Calvin is on a camping trip with his Boy Scout troop.
-->'''Hobbes:''' Grab the hot dogs and come on! The troop's cooking dinner over the fire.\\
'''Calvin:''' ''(rummaging in the tent)'' Oh, that's just great. Here we've been lugging this dumb microwave around for nothing.
* LovesSecrecy: In one arc where Calvin wants to be a tiger, he reads from a book that tigers are secretive. Hobbes then claims to know many secrets and refuses to tell any to Calvin, which drives him crazy. Eventually Hobbes tells Calvin one of his "secrets", which is that his parents bought him at the flea market for a nickel.
* MachineWorship: Parodied once when Calvin pledges undying worship of . . . the television.
-->'''Calvin:''' This bowl of lukewarm tapioca represents my brain. I offer it to you in humble sacrifice. Bestow thy flickering light forever!
* MadAtADream: After having a dream that his parents were replaced by aliens who were experimenting on him, Calvin greets his mother at his next meal with a great deal of suspicion.
* MagicalRealism: A textbook case. The strip seamlessly blends a mostly-realistic setting with things like time machines, Transmogrifiers, Duplicators, and aliens (not to mention [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane possibly Hobbes as well]]).
* TheMagnificent: Calvin enjoys giving himself grandiose titles:
** Calvin the Bold.
** Calvin, Boy... of '''DESSSSTINY''' (cymbal crash).
** Calvin the '''Super''' Genius.
--->'''Hobbes:''' This is how you sign your reports?\\
'''Calvin:''' It kinda encourages you to read them more charitably, don't you think?
* MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext: One strip involved Calvin's mom rushing in to stop him from hammering nails into their coffee table. When asked what he was doing, [[{{Beat}} Calvin stared at the coffee table for a moment]] before responding "Is this a trick question or what?"
* MakingASpectacleOfYourself: In one SundayStrip, Calvin tried to persuade his mom to buy him some CoolShades that any troper would testify were from the same manufacturer as [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Kamina's]].
* MaliciousMisnaming: Moe tends to refer to Calvin as "Twinky." This is presumably unconnected to the word's modern usage as a slur.
* MamaBear: Calvin's mother can and does do this whenever Dad's teasing goes too far:
-->'''Mom:''' I know somebody who's going to get a ''lot'' of coal in his stocking, buster.
* MammothsMeanIceAge: In one of Calvin's {{Imagine Spot}}s, a sudden ice age hits the world overnight, covering it in ice and snow and providing excellent sledding opportunities. Calvin realizes what is going on when he sees, besides a glacier covering a large part of his town, a herd of woolly mammoths passing by his house.
* TheManIsStickingItToTheMan:
** The strip has a [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/03/18 take]] on this:
-->'''Calvin''': Mom, can I have some money to buy a Satan-worshiping, suicide-advocating heavy metal album?\\
'''Mom''': Calvin, the fact that these bands haven't killed themselves in ritual self-sacrifice shows that they're just in it for the money like everyone else. It's all for effect. If you want to shock and provoke, be sincere about it.[[note]]Paradoxically, many heavy metal bands have used Calvin's mother's argument to their own ends, as a defense of their free speech rights. When Music/JudasPriest were accused of inserting secret messages into one of their songs to persuade listeners to commit suicide, they retorted that [[PragmaticVillainy making their fans kill themselves would be counterproductive to the band's fortunes, since no one would be left alive to buy Judas Priest albums]].[[/note]]
** Calvin was impressed by a shoe commercial with a rock climber who'd quit his job to go climbing. Hobbes dissects it immediately, asking how he could afford the shoes without a job, while ridiculing his status as a rebellious individual since he urges people to all buy these shoes.
* ManMadeHouseFlood:
** One strip has Calvin calling his dad at work, apparently to make small talk. The final panel reveals the real reason he's calling: He somehow managed to flood the house, and the waterline is high enough to reach the top of the ladder that Calvin is currently on. In another, Calvin manages to turn the stairs into a waterfall. Unlike the previous example, we see how the waterfall happened; Calvin was horsing around in the bathtub.
** Another time, Calvin calls Dad at work, but Dad is very busy and [[NotNowKiddo tells Calvin to hang up unless he's calling about something really important]]. Calvin hangs up, looks at the overflowing sink that is rapidly flooding the kitchen, and decides that this should qualify as "really important" in about 15 minutes.
** Still another example: Calvin rapidly swims back and forth in the bathtub and then happily exclaims: "Tidal wave!" Cut to Mom standing in knee-deep water on the bathroom floor and Calvin saying he doesn't know how this happened, [[BlatantLies maybe the seal around the tub leaks]].
** Yet another example, Calvin gets caught in a giant bubble due to using too much bubble bath and it pops causing water to cover the floor.
--->'''Calvin's Mom:''' How on Earth do you do this??!\\
'''Calvin:''' These things just seem to happen.
* MarsNeedsWater: Parodied in one infamous strip with a poem Calvin wrote about a FlyingSaucer stealing the Earth's water and air.
* MarshmallowDream: Hobbes and his "weasel dreams". Occasionally, it would be Calvin who gets torn up instead of the pillow.
* MathematiciansAnswer: One exchange between Calvin and Hobbes ends up running into difficulties due to the clash of Calvin's philosophical streak and Hobbes' extreme forthright prosaicness.
-->'''Calvin:''' Why do you suppose we're here?\\
'''Hobbes:''' Because we walked here.\\
'''Calvin:''' No, I mean here on Earth.\\
'''Hobbes:''' Because Earth can support life.\\
'''Calvin:''' No, I mean why are we ''anywhere''? Why do we exist?\\
'''Hobbes:''' Because we were born.
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane:
** The existence of Hobbes. Is he real, or an ImaginaryFriend? Debate on this question rages on, though Watterson has said it misses the point and Hobbes' nature is a matter of perspective.
** Some of the more surreal events of the strip. Was Calvin actually abducted by aliens and replaced by a robot double? Did he truly hijack the spaceship of a shape-shifting alien who took his place? How about the Snow Goons? Or the monsters under his bed? They could all be credited to Calvin's imagination, but there's never any proof that they're not real. Hobbes once wrote a good story for Calvin's homework assignment, and Calvin honestly had no idea what it was about until he read it to his class, though critics use this as proof of Calvin being mentally ill.
** Stupendous Man flew to a tree branch ten feet above the ground to drop a snowball witnesses state was the size of a bowling ball onto Susie Derkins. A cubic foot of well-packed snow weighs over ''twenty pounds.'' How could Calvin possibly have gotten it up a tree -- much less dropped it onto Susie's head -- without her noticing his presence in a red superhero costume with ground-trailing cape? Although skeptics could suggest that a combination of ToonPhysics and RuleOfFunny were at play.
** The incident that most fans point to is the time that Calvin asks Hobbes to tie him to a chair so that he can break free. Calvin is tied so tight that his parents are stumped as to how he got himself into the situation, despite Calvin's insistence that Hobbes did it.
** There are several strange things that have little explanation other than that Hobbes ''is'' real. As in ''photographic evidence''. When Calvin took a picture of Hobbes "pouncing" on him, it was indeed a picture of Hobbes flying through the air with seemingly no outside force (possibly a friend could have thrown him, but of course Calvin has no friends.) Hobbes once took a photo of Calvin while the boy was sneezing. There was no way Calvin could do this by himself -- setting the time right would be nigh-impossible and we can see Calvin's hands in the photo. Heck, it makes Hobbes pretty impressive; catching someone mid-sneeze would be an impressive feat for a professional photographer. That said, no one else except Calvin and Hobbes sees the photo so one could still say the picture was imaginary.
** The one scene where Susie sees Calvin fighting Hobbes, and ''losing''. Even she admits that she can't explain that one.
** There's the time that Hobbes was missing, and Susie found him, and decided to hold a tea party with him. Enter Calvin, asking Susie if she's seen Hobbes, and rushing over to thank her, kissing her hand. Now, Calvin was in front of Susie the whole time, in her line of sight. [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/05/31 But when she turns back to her tea party?]]
---> '''Susie:''' Hey! Who took all the cookies?
** There's Calvin's bicycle. He's clearly terrified of it and convinced that it wants to kill him. An easy explanation is that he's creating malicious fantasies to justify his fear of falling off the bike, yet on one occasion, he actually found it "hiding" in his room in an apparent ambush. Could Calvin have overcome his fear enough to move his bike in order to set up an imaginary attack, and then seemingly repressed the memory of having done so, when he normally runs away from it as a matter of course?
** On the other hand, it's [[ContrivedCoincidence incredibly convenient]] that Calvin's fantastical escapades never line up with what anyone else is seeing or end just as someone else comes into the situation. When Calvin's been transmogrified his mom still sees him as a regular boy, occasionally Hobbes gets cleaned in the washing machine and stitched back up despite Calvin thinking of him as a real tiger, when he showed his dad pictures of dinosaurs he took when he went back in time to the Jurassic, they just looked like plastic toy dinosaurs to him, during the arc where his personal gravity is reversed, he suddenly and inexplicably reverts back to normal the moment his mom appears, in the arc where Stupendous Man supposedly "vaporized" Calvin's school still followed up with Calvin continuing to go to the same school afterwards, it goes on and on.
* MayIBorrowACupOfSugar: The usual order of events is inverted in the June 3, 1990 strip (with the joke coming first), in which Susie Derkins goes over to Calvin's house and finds him caught up in one of his "Stupendous Man" fantasies, deciding to just leave after he runs off to continue it. It's not until the last panel shows her coming home that we find out it's this trope, when her mother asks "Did they have an egg you could borrow?", and Susie claims nobody was home.
* MeaningfulName: Averted in early strips. The characters both share the names of philosophers, but a read through the early strips shows that any real significance once the strip itself got philosophical is a coincidence. (Calvin was, in fact, originally going to be named Marvin until [[ComicStrip/{{Marvin}} a strip of the same name]] launched.) Later characterizations played this trope straight. John Calvin was a theologian who believed in predestination, similar to how Calvin often ponders destiny and blames his faults on other forces. Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher who after going through the English civil war wrote the book ''Leviathan'', which advanced a very dim outlook on human nature. Likewise, Calvin's tiger often finds problems with humanity's stupidity, saying that tigers are superior. Other parallels exist, as well.
* MenagerieOfMisery: Hobbes hates the zoo and sees it as equivalent to a prison for animals, as shown in one strip, when Calvin asks to go to the zoo, Hobbes asks Calvin if they can visit a prison afterwards.
* MentalStory: Even leaving aside the question of whether or not Hobbes is real, a lot of stories take place in Calvin's imagination.
* MesACrowd:
** Subverted in the duplicator machine arc. Calvin ''tries'' to make copies of himself to do his homework for him, but since they all have his personality, the copies don't want to do it either. Calvin is so egotistical he never even considered this possibility. He eventually gets tried of them constantly getting him in trouble and turns them into earthworms (they're okay with this, however).
** Played straighter when Calvin tries again with morality setting on the duplicator, and makes a "good" clone which willingly does all his homework and chores without any reward. Unfortunately, Calvin and the clone eventually come to blows and he disappears in a PuffOfLogic when he states his intentions to tear Calvin limb from limb.
* MessOnAPlate: Calvin's mom's cooking is usually presented as unidentifiable lumps of mush, although it's likely a case of UnreliableNarrator from Calvin's perspective to visually convey that he tends to imagine his mom's cooking being lethally disgusting no matter what it is.
* MidairMotionShot: Both Calvin's wagon and the family car are often shown bouncing in the air to suggest motion (especially in earlier years.)
* MirandaRights: Parodied. Mom sends Calvin to bed, but he comes right back downstairs to play with his toys. When Mom confronts him, he says, "You didn't read me my rights."
* MisanthropeSupreme: Calvin's fantasies often tend in this direction.
-->"I'm sick of everyone telling me what to do all the time! I hate my life! I hate everything! I wish I was ''dead!'' ...Well, no, not really. I wish everyone ''else'' was dead."
** At one point, Calvin fantasized about being an ancient god who brings whole worlds into existence and torments those who don't appease him. "The doomed writhe in agony!" The only thing keeping the strip from being mega-creepy is the fact that it ends with the reveal he's playing with Tinkertoys.
** Unintentionally invoked in a Sunday strip in which a daydreaming Calvin uses an F-15 to bomb his school off the face of the Earth. Watterson, upon receiving angry letters about how depicting such a thing was inexcusable, commented that some readers must have never been children themselves.
* MiseryBuildsCharacter: It's practically Calvin's dad's motto.
* MisplacedWildlife: An early strip has hippos and crocodiles in the Amazon (it's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caiman caimans]] that live there, which are more like alligators.)
* MistakenForBrooding: In one strip, Calvin finds his mother tearing up because [[OnionTears she's cutting an onion]]. When she tells him about this, he thinks she's MourningAnObject.
* MistakenFromBehind: In one strip, Calvin is following his mom around the zoo. When he tugs on her skirt to ask her a question, she turns around... and it's not his mom. In fact, the woman isn't even wearing the same blouse as his mom, only the same skirt.
-->'''Strange woman:''' Are you lost? What does your mom look like?\\
'''Calvin:''' From the knees down, she looks just like you.
* MobileSuitHuman: A strip wherein Calvin trips down the stairs has him crewed by little spaceman versions of himself, who forgot to open the blast shields on the viewports and overcompensated when they found out where they were (in "reality", he was simply too tired to open his eyes and missed the first step).
* ModernStasis: Spoofed in a strip from early 1990, which begins with Hobbes remarking that TheEighties are over and TheNineties have begun. But Calvin is unimpressed, because [[IWantMyJetpack there are still no flying cars or moon colonies, and humans still haven't learned how to control the weather]]. Hobbes notes that "The problem with the future is it keeps turning into the present."
* MonochromeCasting: Every single human character, including nameless background characters, are white. It's more obvious in the colored strips, but nobody in the black-and-white ones had any pen shading for darker skin. The fact the {{deuteragonist}} is an anthropomorphic tiger does make it less noticeable, however.
* MonochromeToColor: One [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2011/02/06#.Uv5ZNvldV8E Sunday strip]] was drawn in black-and-white (without lines even) as a visual metaphor for BlackAndWhiteMorality, with only the last panel being colored after the metaphor ended.
* MoodWhiplash:
** The poem "A Nauseous Nocturne" has Calvin, certain that a monster really will get him in the night this time, bidding a sad goodbye to a sleeping Hobbes...only to realize that, wait a second, he has a fearsome tiger in bed with him who he can use to get rid of the monster, whereupon he yells frustratedly at Hobbes to get up. "HEY! WAKE UP, YOU STUPID CRETIN! YOU GONNA SLEEP WHILE I GET EATEN?!" Hobbes wakes up and scares off the monster.
** Rosalyn's last appearance [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/09/06 has her make Calvin an offer]], but he's too busy screaming at her to pay attention until she mentions that he'll also be allowed to stay up half an hour past Calvin's bedtime. Cue Calvin instantly sitting down quietly.
* MoralityDial: The "Ethicator" that Calvin added to his second Duplicator. He makes a "good" duplicate of himself that is compelled to do good things like brush his hair, do his homework, get up without being asked, and answering questions at school correctly. It also prevents the duplicate from doing evil by instantly destroying him the second he has an evil thought.
* MorallySuperiorCopy: Enforced when Calvin duplicates only his good side (after learning from [[CopiedTheMoralsToo his first time copying himself]]). Unfortunately for him, his good side turns out to have a crush on Susie, horrifying the original Calvin.
* MrImagination: Calvin. Most of the strips involve him imagining something.
* MrViceGuy: Calvin. While a bit bratty, he's a nice boy.
%%* MundaneMadeAwesome: Calvin and Hobbes are masters at this.
* MundaneObjectAmazement:
** Calvin shares with Hobbes his bafflement at the workings of a toaster -- [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/03/12 where does the bread go?]]
** Calvin digs for buried treasure in the back yard and is thrilled to find rocks, a root, and some grubs: "There's treasure everywhere!"
* MundaneWish:
** In a Sunday strip, Calvin asks Hobbes what he'd wish for; Hobbes says he wants a sandwich. Calvin doesn't understand why and wishes for enormous wealth. Hobbes gets his wish, and Calvin obviously does not.
** Another strip had Calvin ask a similar question, to which Hobbes replies that he'd wish for "a big sunny field to lie in." Calvin is aghast at how mundane this is, but then observes Hobbes sleeping in the grass. "Actually, it's hard to argue with someone who looks so happy."
* MustacheVandalism: Discussed by Hobbes. Calvin's scheme to avoid getting attacked by Hobbes when he comes home by putting a dummy of himself in front of the door backfires, with Hobbes inviting the dummy inside and locking the real Calvin out. Calvin then overhears Hobbes asking the dummy: "May I draw mustaches on all the superheroes? I ''may''? Oh joy!"
* MyBrainIsBig: This happens to Calvin when he invents a "thinking cap" to make himself smarter. It ends up shrinking back to normal a few hours later, to the detriment of his assignment.
* MyFutureSelfAndMe: Calvin's third and last adventure with the time machine features ''three'' Calvins, from only a two-hour timespan.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: There are times when Calvin realizes his shenanigans have gone too far and he genuinely feels bad about it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:N-O]]
* NakedPeopleAreFunny: The [[AccidentalInnuendo strip]] became notorious among some early on for showing Calvin completely in the nude (although usually just from the back.)
* NameAndName
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin Calvin]] and... [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hobbes Hobbes]].
** Following in this convention, in one strip Calvin invents a fake little brother named [[Creator/HermanMelville Melville]] to try to trick extra presents out of Santa.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Doom Drop, Pallbearer's Peak, Dismemberment Gorge, Lookout Hill (which is not named for its view; rather, the name comes from Hobbes's tendency to yell "Look out!" while sledding down the hill), Mount Maim and Suicide Slope. These are the names Calvin gives to the various cliffs and hills he and Hobbes go down in the sled or the wagon, depending on the time of year. Possibly a joke on Watterson's hometown (and ambiguously the setting for the comic; see WhereTheHellIsSpringfield) of ''Chagrin'' Falls, Ohio.
* TheNapoleon: In one summer strip, Hobbes asks Calvin why he's wearing long pants on a hot day and wonders why he doesn't wear short pants instead. Calvin immediately gets very angry. When Hobbes asks him what's wrong, a frustrated Calvin screams, ''"Short pants touch my ''feet'', okay?!"''
* NationalGeographicNudity: Parodied in one strip, where [[FunnyAnimal Hobbes]] claims he only reads the trope namer for the hot ''tigress'' babes. Calvin is confused, since he can't tell the difference between male and female tigers.
* NegatedMomentOfAwesome: In the arc where Calvin plays baseball during recess, he catches a fly ball... only to discover too late that his team was actually ''batting'' (and boy do [[SoreLoser his teammates]] [[JerkAss rip on him]] [[NeverMyFault about that]]).
* NegativeContinuity: Spaceman Spiff apparently suffocates to death in one of Calvin's daydreams, but still reappears later on. Then again, it ''is'' just a daydream...
* NeverHeardThatOneBefore:
** In the "Calvin's Good Side" story arc, Good Calvin say something similar.
--->'''Good Calvin:''' Strictly speaking, I'm not Calvin. I'm the physical manifestation of Calvin's GOOD side.\\
'''Susie:''' If that was true, you'd be a lot smaller.\\
'''Good Calvin:''' Boy, have I heard THAT joke a lot.
** The "Nutrition and the Four Food Groups" play arc had Susie apparently sick of people making a predictable joke about her role:
--->'''Calvin:''' What are you?\\
'''Susie:''' I'm "fat."\\
'''Calvin:''' No, I mean in the play.\\
''[Next panel: Calvin is lying on his back.]''\\
'''Susie:''' ANYONE '''''ELSE''''' WANT TO SAY IT?
* NeverMyFault: Calvin will invent entirely new realities rather than admit he made a mistake in this one. He also tends to blame others for his getting in trouble. He's also a big fan of any sort of philosophy that absolves him of responsibility for his actions, such as astrology and fatalism.
* NewMediaAreEvil: Sometimes used, sometimes criticized. The combination almost seems hypocritical on Bill Watterson's part. Generally speaking, Watterson tended to defend ''newspaper'' comics. They weren't necessarily less stupid at the time, but in his view comic strips had far more potential to convey deep meaning than the comics from the then-ongoing UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks, which often seemed to be in a competition to cram the highest possible death toll into twenty pages.
** Various remarks by Watterson in the Tenth Anniversary Book include:
--->"I would suggest that it is not the medium, but the quality of perception and expression that determines the significance of art. But hey, what would a cartoonist know?"
** Yet from the same book...
--->"[[NinetiesAntiHero You can make your superhero a psychopath]], [[LudicrousGibs you can draw gut-splattering violence]], [[InsistentTerminology and you can call it a graphic novel]], but comic books are still incredibly stupid."
** He refers to television as the "20th century drug of choice" as well. And then, in ''There's Treasure Everywhere'', there's a strip where Calvin gets so shaken reading a violent comic book that he puts it down and turns on TV instead, and then in the last panel:
--->'''Calvin's Mom:''' No, you don't. There's too much violence on TV. Why don't you go read something?
** And for that matter, ''There's Treasure Everywhere'' is the same comic collection that brought us:
--->'''Calvin:''' I resent the quality of network programming! It is all fluff, violence, sensationalism and sleaze! I hunger for serious, tasteful entertainment that respects my intelligence!\\
'''Calvin's Dad:''' Then turn off the stupid TV and read a book.\\
'''Calvin:''' All right, ILied. Sue me.
** There's also a strip in which the TV appears to be broken, and Calvin and Hobbes are reading a book. Calvin reads Creator/KarlMarx's famous "religion is the opiate of the masses" quote and ponders the meaning; a thought bubble from the TV reads: "It means Karl Marx hadn't seen anything yet."
** See also [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1993/07/20 this strip]] on "high" art vs. "low" art.
* NewYearHasCome: Famously employed in the very last strip.
-->'''Calvin:''' A new year... a fresh, clean start!\\
'''Hobbes:''' It's like having [[MediumAwareness a big white sheet of paper to draw on]]!
* NewYearsResolution: A near-annual RunningGag has Hobbes asking if Calvin is making any resolutions for the new year, and Calvin angrily declaiming as to how he doesn't need to change a thing about himself.
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: Several times Calvin's built scenes of snowmen who suffered a horrible death, causing his parents to question his sanity.
* NightmarishFactory: Calvin imagines his stomach to be like this, with gut flora wading waist-deep in a vat of acid set into a dungeon floor, breaking food down with sticks, and getting blown to pieces every time he belches.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: "Tyrannosaurs in F-14s!!" He once doodled in the margins of his new school textbook, creating an animated flip sequence in which "T-Rex drives the Batmobile and [[EveryCarIsAPinto explodes]]."
* NobodyLikesATattletale:
** Calvin's mother once called the school to report that Moe was stealing money from him, even though Calvin begged her not to because he knew what Moe would do to him if he found out he'd squealed. Moe never finds out, but he does mention to Calvin when he's forced to return the money that, "Somebody ratted on me, and it's gonna be a dark day if I ever find out who."
** In another series of strips, Susie got sent to the Principal's office after the teacher caught her reacting to Calvin's provocations. At first Calvin is relieved that she got blamed instead of him, then he starts to panic inside when he suddenly realizes she might actually tattle on him. When she comes back, the first thing he asks her is, "You didn't snitch on ME, did you?" She did, and she shrugs it off when he calls her a "stoolie" and a "canary" because she's so mad at him that she doesn't care.
* NoEnding: The first camping/vacation story arc from the summer of 1986 concludes this way. The arc just ends on a strip where Calvin and Hobbes attempt to roast hot dogs over a campfire only to burn them, and then in the next strip they are suddenly back home in their own backyard with no explanation or resolution. Subsequent camping trips usually do wrap it up properly, usually with the family starting to pack up to head back home, something Calvin had been anticipating the whole trip.
* NoFullNameGiven: Calvin's last name is never revealed. Susie Derkins is the only major character with both a first and a last name. Several background characters who don't appear but are only mentioned, and then usually just the once, have full names: This includes three of Calvin's classmates and the author of his favorite book.
* NoNameGiven:
** Calvin's parents. Watterson once commented that he did this because the strip is presented from Calvin's viewpoint, and as such his parents are only important ''as'' his parents. Part of the reason that Uncle Max never made any further appearances in the strip was that Watterson found it awkward that Max couldn't refer to Calvin's parents by their names.
** The doctor which Calvin occasionally visits. Despite being one of the few reoccurring characters, his name is never mentioned.
* NoSell: While Calvin's parents -- and especially his mom -- will occasionally indulge in his fantasies and games, there are also times when they simply refuse to put up with his bad attitude and ignore him.
** In one strip, Calvin covers himself with a cardboard box and pretends to be a robot probe from Jupiter in an attempt to steal some chocolate from the pantry. Calvin's mom doesn't even look up from her coffee and tells him no, then remarks "Go back to Jupiter, X-3 whatever" when he threatens her with a dart gun.
** Calvin once claimed to have a stick of dynamite (really a hot dog with some string attached) and threatened to blow the house up if he didn't get cookies. His mom saw through the ruse, scolded him for wasting food without even acknowledging what he said, and threw him outside.
* NoYou: On Calvin's photograph of Hobbes:
-->'''Hobbes:''' It's kind of fuzzy.\\
'''Calvin:''' ''You're'' kind of fuzzy!
* NoodleIncident: Has [[NoodleIncident/CalvinAndHobbes its own page]] (which makes sense, considering it's the TropeNamer).
* NoPeekingRequest: Calvin comes up to his dad with something in his hands and tells him the old "Open your mouth and close your eyes and you will get a big surprise," adding "No peeking!" when Dad complies. Then comes the big surprise:
--> '''Calvin:''' Hold on, he got away.
* NoPokerFace: In one strip, Calvin and Hobbes are playing poker. Hobbes is able to hold a perfect poker face, but [[TheTell his]] ''[[TheTell tail]]'' [[TheTell on the other hand...]]
-->'''Calvin:''' I fold.\\
'''Hobbes:''' Are you cheating?!
* NoseNuggets: Calvin walks outside in the cold, then wrinkles his nose before making an AsideGlance and saying, "Don't you hate it when your boogers freeze?" [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in an anthology, where Bill Watterson wrote, "I hope some historian will confirm that I was the first cartoonist to use the word 'booger' in a newspaper comic strip."
* NotActuallyTheUltimateQuestion: Played straight in a few strips, but also inverted once; Calvin and Hobbes are sitting under a tree when Calvin asks why we're here. Hobbes replies with "because we walked here" before Calvin clarifies that he meant here on Earth. Hobbes continues giving mundane answers to the philosophical questions until Calvin gives up.
* NotAllowedToGrowUp: Nobody in the strip ever ages up, despite celebrating Christmas each year, referencing upcoming dates, and the passing of multiple seasonal cycles; Calvin and Susie remain perpetually six years old (complete with an AgelessBirthdayEpisode for Susie). This is occasionally lampshaded with a few LeaningOnTheFourthWall moments.
* NotAnAct: One arc begins with Calvin willingly leaving for school and acting disturbingly nice to his mother. She's left in complete confusion, while the reader learns that Calvin has used his cardboard box to make a pure good(y-two-shoes) clone of himself.
* NothingIsFunnier: Has [[NothingIsFunnier/CalvinAndHobbes its own page]].
* NothingIsScarier: The monsters under Calvin's bed are never seen, only heard, though [[StupidEvil often they aren't that scary]]. However, the monster from the anthology poem ''A Nauseous Nocturne'' ''IS'' scary, and we only see hints of its body.
** The last panel in [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2009/08/22 this]] strip (part of the [[{{Balloonacy}} out-of-control helium balloon]] arc) uses a very minimal approach to convey what happens when the balloon pops.
* NotAMorningPerson: It's a struggle for Calvin's parents to get Calvin out of bed on a school day, commonly having to resort to multiple calls, and sometimes, even physically dragging him out of bed. Inverted on non-school days, where Calvin is up at the crack of dawn and running wild before his parents even stir from bed. One strip has Calvin's mother lampshade this.
--> '''Calvin's Mom:''' ''(as Calvin is already running off with Hobbes to play)'' Just once, I'd like to see you manage this during the school year.
* NotSoAboveItAll: While Susie is generally more well-behaved than Calvin, even she was impressed with [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/02/26 his idea to style his hair with Crisco for Class Picture Day]]. She even muses out loud that she wished ''she'' had some Crisco.
* NotSoDifferentRemark: One strip has him do this with his mom -- she remarks that she hopes that someday, ''he'' has a bratty kid to put him through hell, and Calvin snaps back that his maternal grandmother wished the same thing for her.
* NotSoImaginaryFriend: Hobbes may or may not be one of these. Interestingly, Calvin seems not to know or care that other characters don't "see" Hobbes as he does.
* NotWhereTheyThought: In [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/02/05 this strip]], Calvin appears to be in his house as usual and he notes that there's a door that wasn't there before. A puppet version of his mother comes out holding a bowl of oatmeal, [[OhCrap which gets him to realize he's not at home]]. He looks out the window and sees that it's just a fake house that two aliens have put him in. This turns out to be AllJustADream.
-->'''Calvin:''' Oh no! That's not our yard outside! It's...it's a ''cage''! '''Aaaughh!''' I'm trapped in a lab and they're trying to get me to imprint on my own species before they return me to the wild!\\
'''Alien scientist 1:''' ''(holding the puppet)'' He's on to us, Wayne.\\
'''Alien scientist 2:''' ''(giving an AsideGlance)'' There goes our funding.
* NutritionalNightmare: ChocolateFrostedSugarBombs.
-->''"They're crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and they don't have a single natural ingredient or essential vitamin to get in the way of that rich fudgy taste!"''
** In some strips, Calvin likes to add ''more'' sugar to the already super-sweet cereal. One shows [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome the consequences]] of him doing so:
--->'''How Calvin's Mom really said it:''' Calvin, that's enough.\\
'''How she said it from Calvin's perspective:''' Caaaaaaallllllvvinnnnn, thaaaaat's eeenouughhh. (while shaking like she's standing on a paint mixer)\\
''(later, Calvin is incredibly jittery with a dazed look on his face)''\\
'''Calvin:''' M-Mom s-sure was m-movingg st-strangellly t-toddayy.\\
'''Hobbes:''' Maybe she's right about how much sugar you put on that cereal.
** In the "Yukon Ho!" Calvin makes two sandwiches for the trip, but makes sure they pack plenty of energy: one is filled with chocolate syrup, and the other with marshmallows and honey.
* {{Objectshifting}}: One strip features a helium balloon carrying Calvin into the stratosphere, before abruptly popping and sending him plummeting back to the ground. Fortunately, Calvin finds his transmogrifier gun in his pocket on the way down, and transforms himself into a cast-iron safe to survive the impact.
* ObliviousToLove: Calvin and Susie Derkins. WordOfGod says (in the Tenth Anniversary Book) that Calvin likely has a mild crush on Susie. Calvin apparently doesn't know how to deal with it, so he does his best to gross out and anger Susie, who then always gets mad at him. They are, after all, six year-olds.
** Strangely enough, in the strip it's Hobbes who is attracted to Susie and is always persuading Calvin to go play with her.
--->'''Calvin:''' So what happened to the mandibles of death, you sissy fur ball?!?\\
'''Hobbes:''' I was beguiled by her feminine charms. Yow. Go soak your head.
** Evidently, this romantic channel seems to work both ways, seeing how Susie even sent a Valentine's card addressed to ''Hobbes''.
** It's not like Calvin never gives any indication of liking Susie himself. In fact, before you ever ''see'' her, the first strip to ''mention'' her features him comically blatantly bringing her up for no apparent reason and loudly [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial protesting too much]] that he doesn't like her, with Hobbes teasing him about it.
** Perhaps the most obvious example of their mutual crush is when Calvin sends Susie a "hate-mail" valentine and a bouquet of dead flowers, to which she replies by yelling at him and hitting him with a snowball. As she's walking away, she smiles and thinks "A Valentine and flowers! He ''likes'' me!" while Calvin simultaneously thinks, "She noticed! She ''likes'' me."
** And another strip in which Susie and Calvin run into each other, do nothing but trade insults, and walk away. Calvin observes: "It's shameless the way we flirt."
* OddlySmallOrganization: Calvin and Hobbes are the only members of the '''G'''et '''R'''id '''O'''f '''S'''limy Girl'''S''' club. As such, the two have many high-ranking positions, including Dictator-for-Life, President, Top Scout, Strike Force Commander, Chief Strategist, cartographer, and Munitions Officer, among others.
* OddShapedPanel: Arguably one of the TropeMakers for newspaper comics.
* OffendingTheFool: Downplayed. Moe is a [[DumbMuscle musclehead]] who [[StealthInsult usually fails to realize when Calvin's insulting him]]. There are a few exceptions, however, like when [[BullyingTheDragon Calvin tells him that his mother has taped a note to his back with "Somebody run this boy over with a truck" written on it.]] Calvin gets beaten up for that.
* OffIntoTheDistanceEnding: The last ever strip, on Dec. 31, 1995, has Calvin and Hobbes contemplating a fresh new snowfall. The next to last panel has Calvin saying "It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy..." before the last panel has them sledding away as Calvin says "...let's go exploring!".
* OffingTheOffspring: Never actually happens for obvious reasons, but Calvin has imagined his parents trying to kill him on two separate occasions -- one where they serve him a plate of living green glop for dinner that eats him alive and burps out his bones, and another where they turn out to be aliens from Neptune and make him into "Earth boy waffles".
* OffTheChart: Calvin gives his dad a talk about approval ratings that includes a chart like this.
* OhCrap:
** Calvin's Mom reacts this way when Calvin gets the chicken pox and the doctor tells her Calvin will have to stay inside for a week. The doctor expresses concern about the nasty twitch she suddenly develops.
** Calvin reacts this way when Mom tells him she's going to meet Miss Wormwood. He reacts that way again when she comes home. When he panics and tries to explain away what he thinks Miss Wormwood told her, he lets slip about the NoodleIncident, marking its first reference in the strip.
* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Hobbes repeatedly brings up something Calvin apparently did at school that is the TropeNamer for NoodleIncident. When he does this, Calvin gets angry and claims he was framed.
* OneMillionBC: Some of Calvin's earlier dinosaur fantasies took place in this sort of imaginary setting, where tyrannosaurs would coexist with cavemen and sabre-toothed cats in a generic prehistoric jungle landscape. [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness These got phased out after Watterson did some more research on dinosaurs.]]
* OneTwoPunchline: Bill Watterson was fond of these, with Hobbes adding another punchline on the far right of the last panel, often a mockery or lampshade hanging on what Calvin was saying.
* OnionTears: In one strip, Calvin mistakes the reason for his mother sobbing over an onion she's cutting:
-->'''Calvin:''' Whatcha doin', Mom?\\
'''Mom:''' ''(sobbing)'' I'm cutting up an onion.\\
'''Calvin:''' It must be hard to cook when you anthropomorphize your vegetables.
* OnlyOneFindsItFun:
** Calvin's dad drags the family on a HorribleCampingTrip each summer despite Calvin and his mom openly complaining about it each time. Calvin's dad justifies the trips as being a chance to get away from the bustle of civilization and [[MiseryBuildsCharacter build some character]]. Of course, [[EveryoneHasStandards even he has his limits]] and each trip always ends when he's suffered enough misery.
** The arc where Calvin's home gets broken into starts with Calvin and his parents going to a wedding. Calvin hates being there because he doesn't know anyone and they forgot Hobbes at home, while Calvin's dad just looks bored, yawning and checking the time on his watch. Calvin's mom is the only one who's actually enraptured by the ceremony (since it's implied that the person being married is someone who only she knows).
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** Mom and Dad tend to be hard on Calvin when he breaks something in the house, usually because of the repairs and his lying about it. During the car arc, Calvin thinks they'll kill him for rolling the car into a ditch by accident, and runs away into the woods with Hobbes. When Mom sees the car in the ditch and realizes what it must mean, she runs to find Calvin in the woods. Her first reaction is to ask if he's okay. She tells him the car is fine, she's more worried about ''him'' because the car could have easily run him or Hobbes over, or if he had gotten injured in the woods no one would have known where to find him. Dad apparently had the same reaction offscreen, much to Calvin's surprise as he and Hobbes discuss this in bed.
** Dad is normally sarcastic towards Calvin or facetious. When the whole family tries to take care of an injured raccoon, he calmly tells Calvin the raccoon died. As Calvin starts to sob, Dad hugs him and comforts him, telling him they all did the best they could. It's one of the few times Dad is sincere and loving.
** Despite normally being inconsiderate and lazy, Calvin demonstrates compassion and strong initiative as he tries to save the raccoon in the same arc.
** Calvin's mom finally panics about Calvin being sick when she says it's Saturday and therefore he won't be missing school, to which he simply replies "I know" without being upset about losing leisure time.
** The break-in story arc is one of the few occasions in which Calvin is depicted as [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2010/06/16 anything other than an explosive ball of hyperactivity]] -- the contrast is quite jarring.
** The last Rosalyn arc is a rare one where Calvin actually behaves in her presence, to the point where his parents think she must be joking when she said that she and Calvin played a game and he went to bed with no troble. Even Hobbes is shocked when Calvin asks him calmly to check his homework as he works to get it done before it gets done. The reason? Rosalyn said that Calvin could choose any game he wanted, and went along with it when he made her a mask for Calvinball.
* OrificeInvasion: In one strip, Calvin imagines this is how he gets a 'frog in the throat:'
-->'''Calvin:''' [[ThirdPersonPerson Calvin wakes up staring into the eyes of a big frog]]. Seeing Calvin awake, the frog scrambles down and forces open Calvin's mouth! Calvin tries to fight, but the slippery amphibian instantly slides in and is swallowed! How disgusting!
* OriginsEpisode: The very first strip establishes how our heroes supposedly met. Calvin catches Hobbes by baiting his tiger trap with a tuna fish sandwich, which tigers can't resist. This was later {{Retcon}}ned when Hobbes recalls what Calvin was seemingly like as a toddler.
* OrwellianRetcon: A handful of strips had their dialogues altered in ''The Complete Calvin and Hobbes'' boxed set:
** A strip from January 7, 1987 had the dialogue "Was I adopted?" changed to "Was I genetically engineered or cloned?".
** A similar change was done for the November 25, 1988 strip, where mentions of "biological mother" was changed to "a good mother".
** A strip from November 24, 1987 had Calvin's dad's explanation for why the weather is getting colder altered so that it's more scientifically correct.
* OtherMeAnnoysMe: Calvin's "Good Duplicate". The good one also thinks this of his original after realizing how much of a complete {{Jerkass}} he is.
* OuijaBoard: One early arc had Calvin and Hobbes asking an Ouija board different questions. First, "who is smarter?", which didn't have a definite answer because the two of them kept trying to force the planchette to go to the first letter of their name. Second, Calvin asked "will I become president?", which got the answer "G-O-D-F-O-R-B-I-D", causing Calvin to kick the board in anger. Lastly, Calvin asked how it knew all the answers to life's mysteries, which it just answered "3", to the pair's confusion.
-->'''Calvin:''' You know, I didn't ask for this last Christmas. I asked for a computer.
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: In late April 1987, Calvin got bored with his homework and started walking around sticking his eyes and tongue out, pretending to be a zombie. Hobbes saw this and decided to follow along, thinking "When in Rome." The April 30th strip had them staring at each other pretending to be zombies until they started laughing at the sight of each other.
-->'''Calvin:''' "Heh heh... Of course, '''REAL''' zombies '''NEVER''' get the giggles by looking at each other."
* OutOfCharacterAlert: The second duplicator story arc begins with a seemingly well-groomed Calvin announcing he'd better hurry up and take a bath if he wants to get to bed on time. Later, the bathroom is cleaned and Calvin is already in bed, and asks Mom to check his homework for him. Then the next morning, Calvin is up and out of bed without being called and eager for school. Mom is completely confused. Watterson admitted in the tenth anniversary book of deliberately invoking this trope, noting that he knew that fans of the strip would know right away that something is up, but he took his time [[InMediasRes revealing what]].
* OutOfCharacterMoment:
** In one strip, Calvin asks his dad why the sky is blue and how clouds stay in the air. His dad can't remember why, only being able to guess vaguely and can't answer his questions. Very strange considering his usual glee in [[LiesToChildren deliberately giving Calvin the wrong facts]].
** There is also a time when Susie asks Calvin for the answer on a test, versus the other way around, and Calvin supplies the correct answer, albeit accidentally.
--->'''Calvin:''' Krakow! Krakow! Two direct hits!
* OutOfControlPopcorn: In one daily, the duo decides to see what happens when you pop a normal amount of corn with the lid off, and it fills up the entire kitchen.
-->'''Calvin:''' That's more fun than exploding a potato in the microwave!
* OutSick:
** In one strip, Calvin tries to invoke this by [[CatchYourDeathOfCold sticking his head out the window to catch a cold]] so that he'd not have to go to school and take a test he didn't study for.
** In another strip, Calvin's mother gets sick so his father cooks the food ([[DadsCantCook badly]]).
** Subverted in an OOCIsSeriousBusiness moment described above. The fact that it's Saturday, and there is no school to miss, means Calvin must ''really'' be sick.
* OverlyLongScream: Calvin [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/03/28 does one upon learning that he is going to have Rosalyn as his babysitter]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:P-R]]
* PaddingThePaper: One story arc has Calvin doing an assignment about bats. When Hobbes points out all he has is one "fact" that [[InUniverseFactoidFailure he made up]] (claiming that [[ArtisticLicenseBiology bats are bugs]]), Calvin replies that once they add a few illustrations and a conclusion it will look like a graduate thesis. It... does not go well.
* PaintingTheMedium:
** The aforementioned black-and-white, un-outlined strip led to a punchline of Calvin's dad telling him "The problem is, you see everything in terms of black and white." Actually, that's more like ''not'' painting the medium.
** Another example is Moe, who always speaks in mixed-case instead of all-caps.
* PaperPeople: Deconstructed in one strip where Calvin imagines himself to have turned into one; he can't move unless he wriggles on the floor and is susceptible to the slightest gust of wind, but can hide by standing sideways.
* PaperThinDisguise: Calvin, after breaking a vase and bringing bugs in the house -- wearing a pair of [[Creator/TheMarxBrothers Groucho glasses]] and his regular clothes: "[[FunetikAksent Who ees thees Kählveen?]]"
* PaperTiger: Parodied. Calvin asks Hobbes what a paper tiger is. Despite being a tiger himself, [[KnownothingKnowItAll Hobbes responds that]] a paper tiger delivers newspapers. Calvin is thus completely confused by his book that used the term.
* ParasolParachute: In the strip that inspired the cover of the very first collection, Calvin attempts a form of land parasailing by tying himself to the little red wagon while holding an umbrella and wearing roller skates. He only gets airborne for a few seconds as the wagon shoots off a dock into the pond, but that's good enough for him. The trope is later referenced again when Calvin is carrying a "be prepared" kit with him, which includes an umbrella that "doubles as a parachute".
* ParentalOutfitVeto: Despite Calvin normally having a LimitedWardrobe, several strips involve Calvin's mom disagreeing with his style choices:
** In one strip, Calvin's clothes gain sentience and force themselves on him, leading to him trying to leave in horribly mismatched outfit. Calvin's mom says "You're wearing that?" and is implied to make him change.
** Another strip involves Calvin trying on TriangleShades, only for his mom to refuse to buy them.
** In one strip, Calvin decides to invert his pants and shirt when headed to school, but his mom has none of it.
* ParentsAsPeople: Back in UsefulNotes/TheNineties, it was pretty shocking to show a father openly regretting having children unless he was a villainous character. What's more, Calvin goes to great lengths to instill this antipathy in his parents (hiding dead bugs in his own mother's shampoo, blockading his dad's driveway with snowmen so he'll be late to work). The pair can't even have a nice dinner out without Calvin destroying the house in their absence. Hence, when badgered with letters regarding Calvin's cruel parents, Watterson simply said, "They do a better job than I would." On the other hand, there are things that Calvin's parents could be criticized for that seem to be independent of the possible effects of his brattiness on them. Good examples are found mainly with Calvin's father, who drags his family on camping trips they hate and can be preachy, like all the times when he tells Calvin that doing things he hates builds character. Makes you wonder if Calvin's misbehavior is not at least in part a reaction to some of his parents' behaviors.
* ParentalBonus: [[ParentalBonus/CalvinAndHobbes Has its own page]].
* PerpSweating: Calvin's parents can do this without even trying. Like when he broke Dad's binoculars.
* PerfectlyCromulentWord: Calvin has a vocabulary that any adult would be proud of, but that doesn't stop him from making up words when the opportunity arises.
* PetTheDog: Even in her first appearance, Rosalyn locked Calvin in the garage for an unknown misdemeanor, so her kind moments are few and far in-between.
** During an arc where Calvin and Hobbes tried to run away from her, she actually offered to make popcorn with him. Rosalyn rescinded the offer when she saw they had flown the coop.
** Her last arc has her bribe Calvin that if he gives her no trouble, they'll play his favorite game and he gets to stay up half an hour past his bedtime. She actually keeps her word (and has fun) when she grabs the nuances of Calvinball is to make up as you go along. While Calvin isn't thrilled that she won and took Hobbes, hostage, he honored the rules and went to bed without complaint.
* PickyEater: Calvin provides the image for the main page.
* PintSizedKid: Calvin and his six-year-old peers aren't much taller than their parents' ankles.
* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Roughly two-thirds of all G.R.O.S.S. meetings consist of Calvin and Hobbes arguing over procedural matters, getting into fistfights and then declaring a truce, rather than actually doing anything to get rid of any girls, slimy or otherwise.
* APlanetNamedZok: Several of the planets Spiff crash-landed on followed this structure.
* PlanetaryRelocation: In the strips for [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/09/24 the week of 24 September 1990]], Calvin has an ImagineSpot of Spaceman Spiff towing the sixth planet of the Mysterio System out of its orbit and smashing it into planet 5; planet 5 is shattered. The big joke being, [[ComicallyMissingThePoint this is prompted by the question "6 + 5 = ?" on a math quiz]]: Calvin spends so much time in the ImagineSpot that Mrs. Wormwood calls the end of the quiz just as he writes down "6" for the answer.
* PlotArchaeology: In one storyline, Calvin needs to make a report on leaves, which he gets two aliens named Galexoid and Nebular to make for him in exchange for ''ownership of planet Earth''. He flunks, of course. Several strips later, when winter comes, Calvin gets excited to go sledding, when Galexoid and Nebular show up at his front door, covered in snow and apparently angry over not knowing about winter being a thing on Earth. Hobbes helps by giving them his and Calvin's Christmas stockings to wear, which is all it takes to warm them up and placate them.
* {{Pluralses}}: "Thanks, Hobbeses! You guys are life savers!"
* PoorMansPorn: Parodied when Hobbes admits to checking out tigresses in ''Magazine/NationalGeographic''.
* PottyEmergency:
** In one Sunday strip, Calvin has an ImagineSpot where he drinks one too many glasses of water and dissolves into a liquid. Cut to Calvin sitting in the back of the car telling his parents he doesn't think he's going to make it.
--->'''Calvin's Dad:''' Didn't I tell you not to drink so much before we left?!
** In a different Sunday comic, the monsters under the bed make splashing sounds to force Calvin to jump off the bed to go to the bathroom. Cut to his parents outside noting how the bushes growing under the window of Calvin's bedroom don't grow very well.
** One comic has Calvin putting on his numerous layers of winter clothing, taking one step out and realizing he needs to go pee, then taking everything off again just to go to the bathroom.
** Hobbes doesn't like that Calvin's taking up too much room on the bed, but Calvin refuses to move, so Hobbes forces Calvin off the bed by describing things involving flowing water, making him go to the bathroom.
** One Sunday strip has Calvin seeing increasing amounts of water, from a dripping rainspout up to being swept up in a raging storm at sea. It ends with Calvin springing awake from his dream and rushing to the bathroom.
* POVCam: Ever wonder what it would be like [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/02/19 to go sledding]] with Calvin?
* PrisonerExchange: When Calvin "kidnaps" Susie's doll, Binky Betsy, and holds it for ransom, Susie "kidnaps" Hobbes in retaliation. Calvin ends up paying the ransom by giving Susie both her doll and a quarter in exchange for Hobbes.
* PrivateEyeMonologue: Tracer Bullet speaks entirely in this.
* ProneToVomiting: Not now, but when he was a baby Calvin spat up most of his time, at least according to Hobbes.
* PuffOfLogic: When a good-side-only duplicate of Calvin desires to "tear [him] limb from --" at which point he instantly evaporates for desiring the "evil" of violence. Thereafter, with no small degree of wry humor, Hobbes points out that of everyone he knows, Calvin's the only one whose good side is prone to badness.
* PteroSoarer: Averted with the various pterosaurs that appear in Calvin's fantasies, [[ScienceMarchesOn at least for their time]].
* PunnyName: Mable Syrup, author of "Hamster Huey."
* PuppyDogEyes: Calvin tries to use these to get a flamethrower. Doesn't work.
* PuttingThePeeInPool: Heavily implied in [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/08/27 this]] strip.
* PushPolling: Calvin tends to employ this when discussing his dad's "approval ratings."
* PutOffTheirFood:
** In one strip, Mom tells Calvin that the icky stuff on his plate is monkey brains in order to get him to eat it. But now Dad can't eat it because it {{Squick}}s him out.
** Mom uses this tactic on another occasion as well, telling Calvin his dinner is "spider pie." Calvin is momentarily shocked, then decides he likes it. Mom says she believes they're going to have a quiet dinner for once. Dad looks queasy and says ''he'' doesn't feel like opening his mouth.
** Mom brings home jelly doughnuts, and Calvin doesn't want one because he says jelly doughnuts gross him out: "They're like eating giant, squishy bugs. You bite into them and all their purple guts spill out the other end." He tells Mom she can eat the doughnuts instead, but she pushes the bag away, saying, "My friends ask me how I stay thin."
** There's a RunningGag about Calvin tormenting Susie at lunchtime by pretending his lunch is something unbelievably gross, such as slugs or phlegm. "And my mom wonders why I'm so hungry after school."
* PutOnABus: One story arc features a visit by Calvin's Uncle Max, whom Watterson first intended to be a recurring character. But while writing the story he realized Max wasn't bringing out any new sides to Calvin, and also found it awkward to write around Max not addressing his brother and sister-in-law by name, so Uncle Max boarded a plane and went home, [[LongBusTrip never to appear in the strip again]].
** Rosalyn disappeared halfway through the strip's run but [[TheBusCameBack returned]] [[BackForTheFinale for one final story arc]] in September 1995.
* QualityOverQuantity: In a water balloon fight, Calvin brags to Hobbes how he has the overwhelming advantage because he's got three water balloons as opposed to Hobbes' one and taunts about how he will drench Hobbes thoroughly. Hobbes simply tosses his balloon to Calvin, who screams that his hands are full, resulting in him getting quadruple-drenched. Hobbes then taunts Calvin that rather than stocking on water balloons, he should've stocked on brains instead.
* RadishCure: Calvin's mom lets Calvin smoke a cigarette his grandpa left behind. He really doesn't enjoy it, but the [[SpoofAesop Aesop]] he learns was ''not to trust his mother''.
* RainDance: Calvin attempts a "snow dance" to get school cancelled. It doesn't work.
* RandomEventsPlot: In one of the story arcs in ''Scientific Progress Goes "Boink"'' Calvin suddenly has his gravity reversed while doing his homework, and it just as suddenly stops on its own once his mom walks in. Then he inexplicably starts growing, eventually getting so big that he outgrows the universe, where he finds a door floating in a void that leads back to his room. Watterson admits in retrospective that it was just "weird for weirdness' sake"
* RaptorAttack: Calvin writes a report about Susie being attacked and killed by a pack of ''Deinonychus'' as a means of curbing overpopulation. [[ScienceMarchesOn Science hadn't marched on yet]] and the raptors lack feathers, but are definitely closer to real size than, say, ''Film/JurassicPark'' velociraptors (which, Watterson noted in commentary on the strip, caused him to put the dinosaur fantasies on hiatus because he didn't want to compete too much with cutting edge CGI and animatronics, which he feared would make Calvin's imagination appear "less vivid by comparison").
* RealPlaceBackground: Much of the art is based on the artist's home town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, including the suburban atmosphere and the local trees, especially in [[http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/essential.jpg this large graphic that appeared on the back of an early collection]]. See WhereTheHellIsSpringfield.
* RecursiveReality: Calvin once grew to the size of a galaxy and found a door that led back to his own room.
* RedOniBlueOni: Calvin is red, Hobbes is blue. Aptly, Calvin's favourite colour does seem to canonically be red, though Hobbes seems to prefer orange to blue.
* ReducedToDust: Calvin is playing with Dad's binoculars when he drops them and breaks them. When Hobbes asks how bad the damage was, Calvin reveals a box of dust.
* RefugeInAudacity: Several examples. Calvin would occasionally do this, often in an attempt to baffle Miss Wormwood and get out of doing actual schoolwork.
--> '''Calvin:''' Miss Wormwood, could we arrange our seats in a circle and have a little discussion? Specifically, I'd like to debate whether cannibalism ought to be grounds for leniency in murders, since it's less wasteful.
* ReligiousRussianRoulette: In a couple of strips.
* {{Retcon}}: A subtle one. In the comic's first strip we see Calvin captured Hobbes in a tiger-trap. Later comics would occasionally reference Hobbes having known Calvin since he was a baby, implying the two have been together for far longer. The reason is probably because Watterson later regretted showing Calvin and Hobbes meeting for the first time and thought the comic might've been stronger not showing it. That being said, many readers have decided to interpret Calvin "catching" Hobbes was just another one of their many role-plays.
* RevealingCoverUp: In one arc, Calvin accidentally floods the bathroom trying to fix a leaky sink. While trying (badly) to fix the mess without his parents noticing, he starts singing that [[BlatantLies everything's fine, there's no trouble, and he's just carrying a few buckets to the bathroom for... nothing bad]]. His parents, who hadn't noticed anything amiss yet, are ''immediately'' clued in that Calvin's done something ''really'' bad.
* RevengeViaStorytelling: Calvin writes an illustrated poem about a kid named "Barney" who locked his father in the basement after his father made him eat his peas; Calvin's father is ''not'' pleased with the depiction. In a different comic, the dad would tell Calvin a story about a boy who got locked in the basement for not going to bed on time.
* ReversePsychology:
** Calvin writes a letter to Santa saying that he doesn't want any gifts this year, he just wants love and peace for his fellow man. He tells Hobbes he's using ReversePsychology, but Hobbes thinks this is "kind of risky," so Calvin crumples up the letter.
** After repeatedly yelling "SNOW!" at the sky fails to bring any snow, Calvin tries a different approach:
--->'''Calvin:''' OK, then, DON'T snow! See what I care! I LIKE this weather! Let's have it forever!
%%* RightHandCat: Hobbes.
* RhymingEpisode: Several of the Sunday strips (such as one where Calvin imagines himself as a rampaging ''Tyrannosaurus'' or another where he has a dream about Santa Claus) were told through rhyming couplets, as were two illustrated stories in the beginning of the treasuries. There are also a few weekday strips where Calvin starts spouting poetry unprompted.
* RightUnderTheirNoses: Calvin's mom demands he take a bath, so he hides from her. He avoids being caught by hiding in the bathtub, saying "she'll never look here."
* RogerRabbitEffect: It never happened in the actual strip, but Watterson drew a one-panel strip where he interacted directly with Calvin:
-->'''Bill Watterson:''' Come on kid, do something funny. I've got a deadline here.\\
'''Calvin:''' Maybe I don't feel motivated enough. What's it worth to you?
* RoguesGallery: Calvin imagines many of the people he knows as Stupendous Man's enemies: Susie becomes Annoying Girl, Miss Wormwood is the Crab Teacher, Rosalyn mutates into Baby Sitter Girl, and Calvin's Mom is his ArchEnemy [[ADogNamedDog Mom-Lady]].
* RottenRoboticReplacement: In one strip, Calvin is abducted by aliens and replaced with a bad-behaving robot, who proceeds to smash a lamp, raid that TemptingCookieJar, dump his textbooks in the garbage can, and more. His parents, of course, don't believe that this is what happened...
* RuleOfFunny: There's no justification in-universe for Calvin's SesquipedalianLoquaciousness or freakish intelligence in general, Hobbes' MaybeMagicMaybeMundane nature is never explained, and his classroom curriculum spans the entire elementary school in difficulty. But so what?
** Certain aspects of Calvin's personality are inconsistent. In particular, in some strips he only wants to play outside, while in others he can't imagine doing anything but watching TV, usually dependent on which one his parents [[ConflictBall least want him to do]], or just for an opportunity to mock television. Sometimes he hates eating the food his mother cooks because he thinks it's made of something nasty, other times he gobbles it up after being tricked to believe something nasty ''is'' in it, but the end result is still that ''someone'' is disgusted (whether that be Calvin or one of his parents).
* RunningGag: ''Many''. The Transmogrifier, the bicycle, the NoodleIncident, Calvin's "snow art," and the recurring bedtime story ''Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie'', to name a few.
** The ''Hamster Huey'' gag is played on when his dad snaps from being forced to read it ''[[RantInducingSlight every single night]]'' and instead gives them a [[DarkerAndEdgier new take]] on the story.
--->''(Calvin and Hobbes are lying in bed, eyes wide open)''\\
'''Calvin:''' Wow, the story was different ''[[DerailedFairyTale that]]'' time!\\
'''Hobbes:''' Do you think the townsfolk will ever find [[OffWithHisHead Hamster Huey's head?]]
** Other notable running gags include Calvin's annual struggle to be "good" enough in December to avoid the wrath of Santa, Calvin being ambushed by Hobbes at moments when he least expects it, and of course Calvin's alter egos.
** Calvin's hatred of baths and his tendency to hide or throw tantrums at bath time.
*** And on the occasions when he does bathe, his tendency to flood the bathroom or otherwise cause trouble.
---->'''Calvin:''' The oil tanker crashed, Mom.\\
'''Mom:''' You poured ''ink'' in the bath water??
** A minor one: Calvin really wants a flamethrower.
** Calvin performing various incantations and rituals that he hopes will bring snow.
** Calvin and Hobbes riding a wagon or toboggan and driving over a cliff or into a tree.
** Additionally, a good number of running gags revolve around Calvin's dad:
*** Calvin's political polls on his dad.
*** Dad's camping trips, that always make Mom and Calvin miserable.
*** Calvin asking his dad a question, and Dad responding with an elaborate answer that is complete nonsense. For example, why do you close your eyes when you sneeze? Because otherwise the force of the explosion would blow your eyeballs out of their sockets, they'd dangle on your face by the optic nerve, and you'd have to aim them with your hands when you want to look at something.
*** And of course, his dad's firm belief that MiseryBuildsCharacter.
** Calvin grossing Susie out at the school lunch table:
--->'''Calvin:''' Processed lunch meat is pretty scary. What are those little specks anyway? Lizard parts? Who knows? And this "skin." I heard it used to be made of intestine, but I think nowadays it's plastic. Of course, they dye and wax fruit so it looks better. It's like eating a candle. Yep, we'd probably be dead now if it wasn't for Twinkies.\\
'''Susie:''' And Mom wonders why I'm so hungry after school.
** Calvin annoying his parents to the point where they kick him out of the house (literally.)
** Spaceman Spiff's adventures often take him to the dangerous Planet Zog.
** Calvin ''always'' wakes his parents at a ridiculously early hour on Christmas morning.
--->'''Dad:''' ''(squinting at the alarm clock)'' Quarter to 6. He let us sleep in this year.
** Calvin's rocket ship underpants.
* RunningGagStumbles: One of the {{Running Gag}}s was Roslyn the babysitter coming to babysit Calvin, only for Calvin to misbehave egregiously--in one strip he steals Roslyn's school work, and in another he locks her out of the house. However, in Roslyn's last appearance (near the end of the run and after a long absence) she figures out another tactic, and instead of trying to discipline Calvin she plays a game of Calvinball with him. In return he is no trouble, doing his homework and going to bed when he's told. When Mom and Dad come back from dinner out and Roslyn tells them that Calvin was no problem, Dad says "This is no time for jokes, Roslyn."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:S-T]]
* SadistTeacher: Calvin sees Miss Wormwood as being one of these. In truth, Miss Wormwood is a [[SternTeacher stern-but-decent]] teacher who's just too boring for a hyperactive kid like Calvin, which of course is what makes her classes so hard for him to sit through. Kids like Susie who study hard have no problem with her. As Bill Watterson puts it, she seriously believes in the value of a good education, so needless to say, she's an unhappy person when she has to put up with the likes of Calvin.
-->'''Calvin:''' I want a high-paying job when I get out of here! I want opportunity!\\
'''Miss Wormwood:''' In that case, young man, I suggest you start working harder. What you get out of school depends on what you put into it.\\
'''Calvin:''' Oh... then forget it.
* SafeUnderBlankets:
** One occasion had Calvin's parents go out for an evening and decide to leave him by himself, so, naturally, he and Hobbes get a scary movie. When his folks come home, they find him upstairs hiding under the covers and the room booby-trapped.
** One time Calvin and Hobbes hear a monster under the bed. It claims to be alone, so Calvin thinks he and Hobbes can take it, but then they hear the monster arguing with others and they pull the covers over and yell for Mom.
* SanityBall: When Calvin and Hobbes are interacting, Hobbes has the ball. When Calvin's parents, Miss Wormwood, or Rosalyn enter the scene, overly imaginative Calvin usually has the ball. When it's just Calvin's mom and dad, [[WomenAreWiser Mom has the ball]]. When Susie shows up, Calvin's typical reaction is throwing the SanityBall at her and running away.
* SantaAmbiguity:
** An early strip actually depicts Calvin's parents setting out presents for him on Christmas. Some {{Imagine Spot}}s depict Santa Claus, but there is never any proof given that Santa Claus might be real.
** There was that time Santa Claus watched him from the North Pole while deciding whether he was "good" or not but this seems to end up being Calvin's imagination. Calvin even [[LampshadeHanging hung a lampshade]] on it once by asking why Santa doesn't just reveal himself, and even [[HaveYouSeenMyGod compares it to God]].
** There's also the strip where Calvin's dad hints that "Santa" would rather have a beer left out for him than milk and cookies.
* SantaClaus: Most Decembers Calvin spends a lot of time thinking about ways to convince Santa that he's been good all year, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
* SantasSweatshop: Discussed in a strip where Calvin claims that Santa's secretarial staff must be "a bunch of underpaid and woefully unprepared temps".
* SarcasmBlind: Calvin can't detect sarcasm sometimes.
-->'''Calvin:''' This whole business of Santa rewarding ''good'' kids and neglecting ''bad'' kids really bugs me... not that I have anything to worry about.\\
'''Hobbes:''' A paragon of virtue, that's you.
%%* SarcasticDevotee: Hobbes.
* SayingTooMuch: Calvin accidentally makes his mother aware of the NoodleIncident when he panics and tries to explain what Miss Wormwood told her at the parent-teacher meeting.
* ScaleModelDestruction:
** Several times Calvin makes sand box communities and then devastates them.
** Calvin gets frustrated trying to build a model airplane and smashes it to shrapnel with a hammer. Then he tells Hobbes that the plane "got hit by anti-aircraft guns."
--->'''Hobbes:''' Your planes do tend to run into those, don't they?
* {{Scandalgate}}: In one strip, where Calvin pretends that his dad is an elected official, he mentions major scandals during his dad's administration, such as "Bedtimegate" and "Homeworkgate."
* ScaryLibrarian: [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/12/26 Discussed]] in one strip, though it seems in reality, the worst they may have done is give a DeathGlare.
* ScaryStingingSwarm: Calvin has a lot of painful encounters with bees and hornets and other stinging insects. Of course, he brings some of them upon himself by throwing rocks at their nests.
* ScavengersAreScum: Calvin once made a report that defended the carnivore-vs.-scavenger aspect of ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' while super-intelligent. While he intended at first to go into scientific detail ("to argue that tyrannosaurs were predators and not scavengers, we'll need to write a brief overview of carnosaur evolution. Then we'll delve into skeletal structure, skull design, arm strength, potential running speed, and environmental factors") to defend his theory, his brain shrank and his bedtime came up, and he ended up going with RuleOfCool as his sole argument.
-->I say tyrannosaurs were predators, because it would be so bogus if they just ate things that were already dead. The end.
* SceneryPorn: The Spaceman Spiff segues often include amazing arid alien landscapes. Bill Watterson admits that he didn't make them up on his own, but they're illustrations of the desert scenery of the United States, which he figures are as wonderfully alien a landscape as Mars.
** Also subverted in a strip where Calvin is WatchingTheSunset, there is a great panoramic drawing of the scene, and he's complaining about the shows he's missing.
** The strips featuring Calvin's wagon typically exploit the liberty of the Sunday strip to give us some great visuals of the hilly forest, while Calvin and Hobbes discuss some philosophical matter.
* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: Calvin and Hobbes manage to reach Mars from Earth and back within a single afternoon. In reality, it takes about seven to nine months for a spacecraft to reach Mars from Earth (and of course the same amount of time to go back). Then again, the entire journey [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane may just be happening in Calvin's imagination]], since he also managed to escape Earth's velocity in his little red wagon and the issue of there being no oxygen in space is never brought up either.
* ScrabbleBabble:
-->'''Calvin:''' Ha! I've got a great word and it's on a "Double word score" box!\\
'''Hobbes:''' "ZQFMGB" isn't a word! It doesn't even have a vowel!\\
'''Calvin:''' It is ''so'' a word! It's a worm found in New Guinea! Everyone knows that!\\
'''Hobbes:''' I'm looking it up.\\
'''Calvin:''' You do that, and I'll look up that 12-letter word ''you'' played with all the Xs and Js!\\
'''Hobbes:''' ...What's your score for ZQFMGB?\\
'''Calvin:''' 957.
* TheScream: Calvin, for five panels, upon learning Rosalyn is coming over.
-->'''Mom:''' Take a breath before you pass out on the floor!
** Calvin again, out of fear, as his dad attempts to teach him to ride a bike:
-->'''Dad:''' Think about how impressed your friends will be! Think about how much fun you'll have! ...Think about inhaling.
** Spaceman Spiff, faced with the ultimate weapon of interrogation: a '''calm discussion of wholesome principles'''!
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: In [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/04/02 this strip]], Calvin decides to go into Stupendous Man mode while Rosalyn is babysitting him. Hobbes leaves and comments "I'm going to get in bed now and avoid the rush."
* TheScrooge: Calvin's dad is a penny-pincher, particularly when it comes to heating the house. Once, when Calvin asks him to turn the heat up, he instead tells Calvin to go and stand outside for a few minutes so when he comes back in it will seem warm by comparison.
-->'''Calvin (from outside):''' I'm telling the newspapers about you, dad!
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: This is Calvin's attitude in regards to the school safety poster contest. His "Be careful or be roadkill!" poster loses out (for obvious reasons) to Susie's entry, leading him to rant to both Hobbes and his dad about this.
* SecretIdentityChangeTrick: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in an arc where Calvin [[ItMakesSenseInContext become Stupendous Man to pass a history test,]] so he climbs into his locker to change into his costume. [[DidntThinkThisThrough Unfortunately it's too dark to see anything,]] [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2013/03/02 so he's trapped in the locker]] [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2013/03/05 until Miss Wormwood lets him out.]]
* SecretMessageWink:
** One sequence has Calvin faking amnesia to get out of doing homework. He keeps up the act throughout dinner and bedtime. When he's closed inside his bedroom, he knowingly winks at Hobbes before yelling to his dad, "MISTER, THERE'S A TIGER IN MY ROOM!"
** When Calvin and Hobbes get invited to Susie's birthday party, Hobbes insists on dressing up for it, to Calvin's disgust. At the party, Susie acts indifferent to see Calvin but gives Hobbes a big hug and compliments his tie. Calvin admits Hobbes was right and begs him to stop winking to show his self-righteousness as Susie carries him around.
* SecretTestOfCharacter: Calvin would be given chances to tell the truth, which he fails big time due to his insistence that everyone will be stupid enough to believe his obvious lies.
-->'''Mom:''' While your dad is taking Rosalyn home, perhaps you can explain what happened tonight.\\
'''Calvin:''' Gee, Mom, I don't know what to tell you. At eight o'clock, I brushed my teeth, put on my pajamas, and went to bed. Nothing happened.\\
'''Mom:''' (pulls out written confession Rosalyn made him write of what he did) And ''this''?\\
'''Calvin:''' Uh... lies! All lies! She made me do that just to get me in trouble! None of that's true! I went straight to bed!
* SecurityCling: UpToEleven after Hobbes [[JumpScare feigns a lethal pounce on Calvin]], scaring him half to death. Calvin holds onto Mom so tight that it looks like he's attached to her with velcro. His parents think the little guy is scared out of his mind because of the comic book he was reading at the time (bonus -- Hobbes, in "stuffed animal" form, is in pounce position in the last panel, just as he would be in "real tiger" form.)
* SeesawCatapult:
** The trope's page image is from a comic in which Hobbes turns Calvin's improvised skateboard ramp into a catapult with expert timing.
** In another strip, Calvin tries to use this mechanism to launch a giant snowball. The predictable result is that he gets a facefull of snow himself. The result is the current page image for IMeantToDoThat.
** In yet another strip, Calvin tries to use the same configuration to make a springboard so that he can jump into a pile of leaves. Predicably, the rock that he uses as a counterweight flies up and hits him in the head.
-->'''Hobbes:''' Why wouldn't your mom get you a springboard?\\
'''Calvin:''' She was afraid I'd hurt myself.
* SelfImposedChallenge:[[invoked]]
-->'''Calvin ([[TemptingFate cracking an egg above the stove with only one eye open]]):''' The secret to making life fun is making little challenges for yourself.\\
'''Hobbes:''' Like the challenge of explaining the stove and floor to your mom?\\
'''Calvin:''' Rats. See if there's another carton in the fridge, willya?
* SeriousBusiness: Chewing gum, which has as many as 12 consumer magazines dedicated to it. Calvin completely buys into it wholesale, but Hobbes think the whole thing is patently ridiculous.
-->'''Hobbes:''' What kind of nut would ''care'' about all this?!\\
'''Calvin:''' ''Everyone!'' This is hard data! It lets you quantify your enjoyment!\\
'''Hobbes:''' I thought fun was supposed to be ''fun''.\\
'''Calvin:''' Well ''I'' prefer to trust the experts.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness:
** Calvin frequently uses this to mess with Moe, typically by [[StealthInsult insulting him without the latter realizing it]], as it's generally the only way he has to get one over him. For just one example:
--->'''Moe:''' Gimme a quarter, Twinky.\\
'''Calvin:''' Your simian countenance suggests a heritage unusually rich in species diversity.\\
'''Moe:''' What?\\
'''Calvin:''' Here you go. (''tosses him a quarter'') That was worth 25 cents.
*** Also in an earlier strip -- from Moe's first appearance, in fact:
--->'''Calvin:''' Moe, I was wondering something. Are your maladjusted antisocial tendencies the product of your berserk pituitary gland?\\
''(BeatPanel)''\\
'''Moe:''' What?\\
'''Calvin:''' (''looks out to the FourthWall'') Isn't he great, folks? Let's give him a big hand!
** When Calvin increased his brain size in order to become more intelligent, his vocabulary becomes even more complicated than usual as a side-effect.
--->'''Hobbes:''' What happened to your head??\\
'''Calvin:''' Evidently, an unanticipated physiological consequence of cerebral augmentation. My brain swelled.
* SeveredHeadSports: Calvin builds a snowman that plays ten-pin bowling with another snowman's head.
* ShapeShifterShowdown: Calvin and Hobbes using the Transmogrifying Gun on each other.
* ShoehornedAcronym: The title characters make a club called GROSS-- Get Rid of Slimy [=GirlS=]. Calvin, who came up with it, knows the acronym is bad... [[ComicallyMissingThePoint but he thinks]] that it's [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment redundant]] because [[GirlsHaveCooties all girls are slimy]], yet he wanted to have it spell something.
* ShootTheMessenger: Lampshaded by Calvin when he is sent to the principal's office for shouting "BORING!" at one of Miss Wormwood's lectures.
* ShoutOut: [[ShoutOut/CalvinAndHobbes Has its own page]].
* ShrunkenHead:
** Calvin has an interest in them.
** [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2013/07/07 Among the ingredients]] Calvin's mom uses to make dinner, [[UnreliableNarrator or so he thinks]].
** He also makes [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2014/01/25 snow scupltures]] of them.
** "[[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2012/06/30 A hundred shrunken heads of popular cartoon characters]]."
--->'''Mom:''' Eww, [[MouthStitchedShut you stitched their mouths shut]]?
* SickeninglySweethearts: Susie attempts to enforce this when she and Calvin play house. Calvin's not having it.
* SickEpisode:
** One strip had Calvin being told that it was Saturday and he doesn't have to go to school. Calvin says, "I know," which causes his mom to freak out and call the doctor.
** In one storyline, Calvin's mother is unwell.
** Another series of strips had Calvin with [[ChickenpoxEpisode chicken pox]].
* SilenceIsGolden: Watterson said that the change to his SundayStrip format allowed him to further explore the ability to tell a story without dialogue. (For an example, visit the trope page, which uses one such strip for its image).
* SingleBiomePlanet: Every single planet Spaceman Spiff crashes on is an arid, rocky desert planet, without fail (although in one case he landed in a body of water adjacent to the desert, and in two different strips he came down on an alien metropolis).
* SingleServingFriend: An early arc introduced Max, Calvin's uncle on his father's side, visiting from out-of-state. He gets along with Calvin better than any other adult, but after he gets on the plane back home, he's never even mentioned again. (Bill Watterson had wanted to make Uncle Max a recurring character, but changed his mind after writing this one story arc: he felt that Max didn't have much personality, didn't bring out any new sides of Calvin, and required some awkward writing to [[UnnamedParent avoid mentioning Calvin's parents by name]].)
* SkyFace: One episode has Calvin look at a cloud that forms into his head, and he sees to his shock that it's sticking its tongue out at him!
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: For a story about [[ABoyAndHisX a boy and his tiger friend]], which sounds like something that could be [[TastesLikeDiabetes horribly saccharine]], it's ''very'' close to the middle, just barely leaning more towards the idealistic end. The world is full of wonders, but it's also unfair and sometimes cruel.
* SmartAnimalAverageHuman: Played with: Calvin is a reckless six-year-old boy, while his stuffed toy tiger Hobbes is more mature and has more common sense. On the other hand, Calvin has precocious grasp of vocabulary and artistic terminology, while Hobbes is lacking in certain basic areas of study, such as mathematics.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Lampshaded in a September 10, 1989 Sunday strip. Calvin and Hobbes play a very physical game of football that ends with Calvin battered and filthy. The last panel has the two of them playing chess, with Calvin explaining that "I've decided to become an intellectual."
* SmiteMeOMightySmiter: Calvin's religion, so much as he can be said to have one, is Santa Claus. He's been known to beg forgiveness at the sky when threatened with the "Naughty" list, though his arguments boil down to half-truths and legalese.
** He also attempted to overpower ''bad weather'' with the sheer force of his words. Twice.
-->"It's man against the elements! Conscious being versus insentient nature! My wits against your force! WE'LL see who triumphs!"\\
''(gets hailed on)'' "Ow! Ow! Hey! What's with the hail!? That's fighting dirty!"
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: A lot of it, usually with Calvin on one side and his dad, Susie, or Hobbes on the other.
* SneakingSnacks: A RunningGag involves the many elaborate and often ill-conceived plans Calvin develops in his attempts to raid the cookie jar.
* SneezeOfDoom:
** Done in one strip, where Calvin sneezes so hard that he ''launches himself into space'', and then sends himself back with another sneeze.
** There's also this one strip where Calvin's head [[YourHeadASplode explodes]] from a particularly violent sneeze. Turns out, he was pretending.
* SnootySports: Discussed in ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' several times.
** One strip had Calvin playing [[{{Calvinball}} a bizarre version]] of golf with Hobbes, and remarking that "if you don't want to play with old geezers, you have to make golf a contact sport."
** Another strip had Calvin playing croquet with Hobbes and claiming it was "a gentleman's game". . . shortly before getting into an argument that culminated in a BigBallOfViolence.
* SnowballFight: A recurring trope, most often Calvin vs. Hobbes or Susie.
* SocietyIsToBlame: Calvin tries to pull this excuse on his dad, saying that he's a pawn of unfortunate influences and the culture is to blame. Calvin's dad responds that that means he needs to build more character and [[MiseryBuildsCharacter sends him to shovel the walk.]]
* {{Snowlems}}: The Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons.
* SolarPoweredMagnifyingGlass: Stupendous Man uses a giant magnifying glass from an observatory telescope in order to fry Calvin's school off the map. Calvin's mom doesn't believe him when he says that the school got fried, and still makes him do his math homework.
* SoldHisSoulForADonut: [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/01/22 Calvin claims he sold his soul in exchange for a single snowball]] to hit Susie right in the kisser. He only says this after the fact, though.
* SophisticatedAsHell: Calvin is a soft-PG example.
* SoundDefect: "Scientific progress goes 'boink'?" This became the title of one of the anthologies.
* SpiritualSuccessor: Some readers have remarked that the current comic ''ComicStrip/{{Frazz}}'' features a main character that looks and talks like a grown up Calvin would. In online chats the creator admitted to the similarities, but said that they were unintentional, although Watterson was a huge influence on his work.
** To some fans, ''ComicStrip/PhoebeAndHerUnicorn'' is seen as a {{Gender Flip}}ped version of ''Calvin and Hobbes''.
* SplashOfColor: The [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/12/31 final strip]] places the brightly-colored title characters against a white snowscape.
* SpontaneousHumanCombustion: {{Discussed}} in one strip, which has Calvin ask his dad whether this ever happens. When he says no, Calvin bursts a blown-up paper bag around the corner, asking whether he was fooled.
* SpoofAesop: All over the place. The lesson Calvin learned about the snow goon incident was "Snow goons are bad news." He then {{lampshades}} that one with a comment to the effect that he prefers morals that don't actually suggest a change to his behavior.
* SplittingPants: In one strip, when Calvin is on the swings, the bell rings signalling everyone that recess is over. As Calvin gets off the swing, his pants snag on the swing chain and rip open. He tries to hide it from everyone, but unfortunately, he's exposed when Miss Wormwood makes him come up to the front of the classroom to solve a math equation on the chalkboard.
* SprayingDrinkFromNose: Calvin attempts to explain why something that happened at school was so funny, before ultimately admitting it was because it caused milk to shoot out of a kid's nose.
* SquirrelsInMyPants: Subverted: Calvin actually had a hole in his pocket that some pennies dropped through.
* StableTimeLoop: Shamelessly subverted: Calvin goes two hours forward to try to get an essay that he should have written assuming that he got it done, only to discover that his future self did the same thing two hours ago to no avail. Rather than giving up, they then decide to go back in time with the intention of beating up Calvin's self from somewhere in the middle for the same reason. While all this is worked out, past and future Hobbes both write a story about the whole time travel debacle, and it gets an A+.
* StarfishAliens: With Calvin's imagination? You bet. A lot of his aliens end up having rather human personalities, though.
* StatusQuoIsGod: Since all of Calvin's adventures [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane may or may not be occurring in his imagination]], all of them end with his parents not noticing anything supernatural happening and Calvin back to his normal life at the end. On a more mundane note, Calvin also suffers intentionally from AesopAmnesia; no matter how often his harebrained schemes get him into trouble, he'll deliberately avoid learning from his mistakes.
* StealthInsult:
** Hobbes gets in a lot of these. One example, from a strip where Calvin made wings for himself out of construction paper:
--->'''Hobbes:''' If paper feathers are all it takes to fly, don't you think we'd have heard about it before?\\
'''Calvin:''' It takes an uncommon mind to think of these things, Hobbes.\\
'''Hobbes:''' I'd agree with that.
** And a more blatant example, after Calvin [[LiteralMetaphor cannot find the marbles he'd been playing with]]:
--->'''Calvin:''' I've lost my marbles.\\
'''Hobbes:''' [with a huge grin] Everyone suspected as much.\\
'''Calvin:''' Well, I hope somebody finds them, then.\\
''(Cut to nighttime, when both are in bed and the [[LateToThePunchline realization suddenly dawns on Calvin]])''\\
'''Calvin:''' ''[angrily]'' HEY!
** The same joke, substituting an incomplete set of playing cards for marbles, is used in the next strip:
--->'''Calvin:''' I'm not playing with a full deck!\\
'''Hobbes:''' That's what some people say.\\
'''Calvin:''' Really? then why didn't someone just buy new cards? ''(cut to nighttime)'' '''HEY!!'''
* StealthParody: InUniverse. In one strip, Calvin builds a perfectly normal looking snowman, which surprises Hobbes, since Calvin was attempting avant-garde snow creations. Calvin states "it's secretly ironic".
* StopCopyingMe: A few examples.
** When Calvin does it to Hobbes, he is stopped by Hobbes quoting from an incomprehensible philosophy text. (But first he tries insulting himself, and Calvin answers, "At least you have the courage to admit it.)
** When Calvin does it to his dad, his dad stops him by saying, "I forfeit all my desserts for a week." So Calvin accepts his dad's "forfeited" desserts.
* StoryArc: One of the regular features of the strip, to the point where there were probably more of them during its run than there were one-shot gags.
* StrawNihilist: Calvin has some moments like this: "The problem with people is that they don't look at the big picture. Eventually, we're each going to die, our species will go extinct, the Sun will explode, and the Universe will collapse. Existence isn't only temporary, it's pointless! We're all doomed, and worse, nothing matters!" Of course, he's using this as an excuse to not do his homework.
** Hobbes can usually be counted on to issue a retort to these grumblings:
--->'''Calvin:''' [[CessationOfExistence Suppose there's no afterlife.]] Suppose this life is all you get.\\
{{Beat}} as Hobbes looks around.\\
'''Hobbes:''' [[TheAntiNihilist Oh, what the heck. I'll take it anyway.]]
* StuffedIntoALocker: In one story arc, Calvin shuts himself into his own locker to change into his Stupendous Man costume, and manages to get stuck until his teacher lets him out (and is clearly surprised at his change of appearance).
* StylisticSuck: The comics Calvin reads generally come off as ultraviolent shlock.
* SuckinessIsPainful: At least in Calvin's mind, in which his parents' cooking is portrayed as inedible sludge at best and small-scale {{Eldritch Abomination}}s at worst.
* SuddenlyShouting: "For the next sixty seconds, I will conduct a test of my emergency broadcast equipment. '''''AAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!'''''"
* SundayStrip: After doing normal Sunday strips for the first few years of the series ("normal" meaning in this case that they were designed so that the first two or three panels could be left off at the discretion of individual page editors without changing too much,) Watterson negotiated the right to lay out his Sunday strips however he wanted. This resulted in unique strips, such as some with only three panels (an inset in the top left, the joke itself as a panorama, and a small punchline in the bottom right, like the "Tyrannosaurs in F-14s" strip mentioned above and some strips with dozens of panels.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: Calvin, on numerous occasions.
* SuperheroesWearCapes:
** ''Calvin and Hobbes'' presents: "'''''[[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/06/04 This]]''''' is a job for..."
** Outside of the above example, one of Calvin's alter-egos, Stupendous Man, also wears a cape.
* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: PlayedForDrama when Calvin joins the baseball team. In a more conventional strip, Calvin would've practiced until he was a champion, then scored for his team. Instead, he gets hit in the nose with a grounder when he tries playing with his dad, then, when he actually plays for the team, he ends up making them lose (due to them not bothering to tell him that they're switching places), causing them to [[SoreLoser harshly yell at him]]. Then, when an unrelenting stream of abuse makes him quit, the coach calls him a "quitter".
* SymbolSwearing: Used exactly once, when Calvin spells "be" in Scrabble and is frustrated that it's only worth two points.
* TakeOurWordForIt: Calvin's favorite bedtime story, "Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie." As Bill Watterson explains in the comic's 10th anniversary book, "Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie (like the NoodleIncident I've referred to in several strips) is best left to the reader's imagination, where it's sure to be more outrageous."
** And taken to another level where Calvin's father is frustrated with Calvin wanting to hear the story every night despite having heard it enough to have the whole thing memorized, so he changes it a bit. The only clue we get is a terrified Hobbes asking Calvin "Do you think the townspeople will ever find Hamster Huey's head?"
** Maybe inspired by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_i_Lönneberga Emil]], who's Calvin a hundred years earlier, and has been involved in one incident the narrator repeatedly informs us he or she "Has promised the parents not to talk about."
** Rosalyn has been known to do this in-universe for her nights baby-sitting Calvin. ''We'' see what happens, but when Calvin's parents come home and ask how Calvin's been behaving, she'll just give them a look and leave it to their imagination — and then ask for more money than before.
* TakeThat:
** Bill Watterson has used ''Calvin and Hobbes'' to mock modern art, art criticism, and {{superhero}} comic books. Either Calvin uses phrases copied verbatim from art journals to describe his snow men, or his breathless praises of comic books as an art form are interrupted by comments like: "Oh no, Captain Steroid's getting his kidneys punched out with an I-beam!" Watterson's career peaked during UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks, which likely influenced his opinions quite a bit, but as to why he didn't seek out fellow "comics can be art" proponents such as Creator/DaveSim and Creator/ScottMcCloud and join up with the GraphicNovel movement is a mystery.
** Watterson directed a few Take Thats at ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' creator Creator/JimDavis over the years. In a rare 1987 interview, he harshly condemned Davis' comic strip ''ComicStrip/USAcres'', calling it stupid and badly done. In ''The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book'', Watterson extensively discusses why he hates merchandising, and how it robs a comic strip of its heart and soul. He even writes about how a cartoonist risks becoming a "factory foreman," remarking on how he went into cartooning "to draw cartoons, not to run a corporate empire." He disgustedly remarks on how he would have sold out his own creation if he'd done this. Given the context, it was pretty clear who he was talking about. Granted, since Jim Davis stated that he created Garfield for the purpose of making money, and probably didn't intend there to be much of that deeper significance in which Watterson puts so much stock, it's unlikely that Watterson would have liked it anyway.
** Bill Watterson's foreword to Creator/BillAmend's first ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' book is an extended take that against Jim Davis. For example, Watterson champions Quincy the Iguana for not thinking "the cute thoughts that quickly get most comic strip animals in the greeting card business."
** Watterson had Calvin reading from ''Chewing'', a magazine that rated chewing gums in excruciating detail (e.g., "[T]he top five brands of chewing gum based on flavor retention, elasticity, bubble capacity, and chewing rebound,") offered advice for chewing it, and otherwise was a spot-on parody of ''every'' review mag. Specifically, Watterson based ''Chewing'' off a lot of bicycling magazines he'd read.
** Watterson made several strips with subtle jabs at his editors and the syndication people. In "The Complete ''Calvin and Hobbes''", Watterson writes that the heavy pressure from the syndicate to do merchandising (greeting cards and Hobbes plush dolls and such), and his categorical refusal to allow this, played no small part in his decision to end the strip in 1995.
** There is a Take That related to ''Calvin and Hobbes'', although not in the strip itself. For strips in ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' that parodied cartoon cats that featured characters such as ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} and Hobbes, Bill Watterson retaliated hilariously with [[https://web.archive.org/web/20030516031339/http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cimages/cbreathedsketch.jpg this comic]]. In response Berkeley Breathed said this:
---> "I have committed other thefts with a clean and unfettered conscience. ''Garfield'' was too calculated and too successful not to freely raid for illicit character cameos. ''Calvin and Hobbes'' was too good not to. ''Calvin'' creator Bill Watterson took these thefts in stride and retaliated in private with devastatingly effective illustrated salvos, hitting me in my most vulnerable places. Bill's sketch is an editorial comment on my addiction to the expensive sport of power boating and the moral compromises needed to fund it. That's me doing the kicking. The chap on the dock represents my cartoon syndicate boss, which says it all, methinks."
** In one comic Calvin talks about wanting to be a talk radio host. It ends with him saying "Imagine getting ''paid'' to act like a six-year-old!" The strip in question was published in 1994, right around when Radio/RushLimbaugh was first beginning to attract a wide audience.
** Watterson has very choice words about his disdain for "graphic novels" in the collection books. Given what Watterson says about the term "graphic novel" in the Tenth Anniversary Book, it's possible he had a very cynical viewpoint of the term and had his impressions of comic books too colored by the contemporary examples he had in front of him to listen to anyone talking about it being a legitimate art form.
** In one strip, he also took a jab at comic book collectors of the time, which eventually became vindicated by the [[UsefulNotes/TheGreatComicsCrashOf1996 comic industry crash of the mid-90's]], which was in part caused by the oversaturation of the market with worthless "collectors" comics.
** Watterson makes it clear in the collection books that the appeal of sports is completely lost on him, which is also best summed up by the cruel treatment Calvin goes through during the baseball arc.
* TalkingHeads: in one strip, Watterson complains about the prevalence of this in NewspaperComics. (Because it's Watterson, the [[LampshadeHanging strip's art is identical in all four panels]], and the character who brings it up is Calvin's curmudgeonly [[TheGhost grandfather]].)
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: All of Calvin's fantasies are narrated by himself out loud and no-one else in them notice or care. Calvin is also able to casually continue on long monologues even as he and Hobbes are free-falling off a cliff.
* TastesBetterThanItLooks:
** In a [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/09/04 strip]]:
--->'''Calvin:''' ''[looks at the AlienLunch dinner in disgust, takes a bite, and has a WildTake reaction]''\\
'''Calvin's mother:''' Oh, knock it off, Calvin. It's hamburger casserole. There's not a thing in there you don't like.\\
'''Calvin:''' This is ''hamburger?'' ''[takes another bite]'' Hmm... ''This'' bit wasn't so bad, for some reason. [[BlatantLies I was able to choke it down, anyway. My stomach is still cramping up, but the pains aren't as sharp any more. The secret is to suppress the gag reflex. After I swallow it, I can stand it.]]\\
'''Calvin's mother:''' [[SarcasmMode Good. I'm glad this is such a hit]].
** On some occasions, Calvin's mom jokes that she's made something over-the-top disgusting for dinner, like fried monkey heads or spider pie. Invariably, this intrigues Calvin enough that he tries it with an open mind and actually likes it, but Calvin's dad gets grossed out and can't finish his meal.
* TeachersOutOfSchool: At one point Calvin's mom mentions seeing his teacher Ms. Wormwood at the supermarket. Calvin remarks that he just kind of assumed that teachers slept in coffins all summer.
* TechnicallyASmile: [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/12/16 Calvin does a grotesquely awful/hilarious one for a photograph.]]
* TellHimImNotSpeakingToHim: One camping trip leads the family to get rained on for an entire week. The last strip of the arc consists of Calvin's Dad trying to rationalize the trip on the ride home, but Calvin's Mom is so angry she isn't speaking to him. Calvin, of course, is happy to pass on the message.
-->'''Calvin's Mom:''' Calvin, tell your father that any judge would take this trip as grounds for divorce.\\
'''Calvin:''' Dad, Mom says...\\
'''Calvin's Dad:''' All right, all right, I get it!
* TemptingCookieJar: A natural RunningGag. One strip in particular depicted a giraffe using its tall frame to reach the tastiest leaves on the treetops... the scenario being an ImagineSpot and the punchline being Calvin using stilts to reach the cookie jar on top of the fridge.
* TemptingFate: In [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/01/22 a January 1989 strip]], Calvin attempts to hit Susie with a snowball and whiffs a couple dozen throws. Susie, noticing this, turns toward Calvin and mocks his awful aim... only for him to nail her straight in the face with his next snowball. Calvin lampshades the perfect timing as he makes his escape.
-->'''Calvin:''' I did it! I did it! Just when it counted, I did it! Ha ha ha! Right in the kisser! Ha ha!
* ThatsNoMoon: In two Spaceman Spiff stories, he observes the peculiarity of a planet's landscape only to find it's actually some gargantuan resting alien (in reality, his dad sleeping in bed).
* ThirdPartyDealBreaker: In the [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1993/05/17 strips for the week of 17 May 1996]], Calvin's mom happens upon him about to eat worms in exchange for Susie's nickel. Calvin's mom drags him home, telling Susie that it's mean to take advantage of kids who lack sense. Calvin complains loudly... and then thanks her once they're away from Susie, since [[GoneHorriblyWrong he was originally just trying to gross Susie out and got outsmarted]].
* ThoughtAversionFailure:
-->'''Hobbes:''' A bee landed on your back!\\
'''Calvin:''' A bee?! Acckk! Get it away!\\
'''Hobbes:''' Don't move, and it won't sting you. Just stand still and try not to imagine that it might very well crawl down your shirt and into your pants!\\
''(Calvin jumps into the air, screaming)''\\
'''Hobbes:''' He imagined it.
* ThatCloudLooksLike:
** Calvin once saw a cloud that looked like himself sticking his tongue out.
** Another time, he saw one that did an "impression" of a duck.
** In yet another strip, Susie asks Calvin what a cloud looks like to him. He replies, "[[LiteralMinded a bunch of suspended water and ice particles]]."
* ThatsNoMoon: Used in the Spaceman Spiff stories.
* ThingsThatGoBumpInTheNight: Calvin often has to battle with the monsters under his bed.
* ThirdPersonPerson: Most of Calvin's alter-egos would narrate their own adventures in the third person (and in present tense,) Tracer Bullet [[PrivateEyeMonologue being the exception]].
** "Also, Calvin the Bold will now refer to himself in the third person."
* TickertapeParade: In one comic, Calvin has an ImagineSpot where he's thrown a tickertape parade for getting an A.
* TimeAndRelativeDimensionsInSpace: All of the 'time-travel' arcs.
* TitleDrop: The anthology ''Yukon Ho!'' is named after a lyric from The Yukon Song which opens the book.
* TitleDropAnthology: The majority of the non-"The [Adjectival] Calvin & Hobbes" collections are named after a particular line from a strip that's contained within the book.
** ''[[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/09/21 Something Under The Bed Is Drooling]]''
** ''[[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/09/27 Weirdos From Another Planet]]''
** ''[[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/02/09 The Revenge of the Baby-Sat]]''
** ''[[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/01/10 Scientific Progress Goes "Boink"]]''
** ''[[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/07/24 The Days Are Just Packed]]''
** ''[[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1993/03/21 Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat]]''
** ''[[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/06/03 There's Treasure Everywhere]]''
** ''[[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/12/31 It's A Magical World]]''
** Additionally, while ''Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons'' isn't directly said in the comics themselves, the name is derived from Calvin calling his snowman a "Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goon" in [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1991/01/04 this strip.]]
* TitleTheAdaptation: Calvin is given a homework assignment in which he has to write a paragraph on what his father does. He titles it "Dad: The Paragraph."
-->"What does my dad do? Mostly he gets on my nerves. The end."
* ToiletPaperPrank: Calvin remarks on his dad's enjoyment of Halloween. It turns out he likes to "sit in the bushes with the hose and drench potential tp'ers."
* TollBoothAntics. Played with in one strip, where Calvin stands at the garage door, declaring it a tool booth when his dad gets home. Calvin then declares an ultimatum - pay 25 cents or he'll close the garage door on the car. [[spoiler:He gets sent to his room, decrying "what a cheapskate."]]
* TooDumbToLive: Day after day, Calvin would announce his return from school at the front door with a loud [[CatchPhrase "I'M HO-OME!"]] ...Only to realize too late (if he remembered at all) that this was ''always'' the signal for Hobbes to violently pounce on him. (The few times he tried to [[WrongGenreSavvy change the outcome, his plan would either not work or would backfire in a horribly unexpected way]].)
** Except for one time, Calvin yells "I'm home!" before opening the door. Hobbes instinctively jumps and crashes his head into the door. Calvin happily walks in without injury.
** That's light compared to Calvin's other bone-headed stunts. He once tried to fly with construction paper feathers taped to his arms and had Hobbes throw him off a cliff, where he crashed PAINFULLY. Next he jumped out of his bedroom window using a bed sheet as a make-shift parachute thinking he'll float down. He doesn't, and falls like a rock, right onto ROSE BUSHES. Another time, Calvin attempted to bungee jump from his window until his mom stopped him. From the panel, the cord he used was much too long, so Calvin would've really gotten killed if his mom didn't stop him in time.
* ToServeMan:
** Spaceman Spiff sometimes views aliens as this. One time he finds out that a certain planet's [[BlandNameProduct McZargald's]] has served over 75 million Earthlingburgers.
** "Goldilocks and the Three Tigers", a story Hobbes wrote, ends with the tigers eating Goldilocks.
--->'''Dad''' (reading Hobbes' story): "The tigers quickly divided Goldilocks into big, medium, and small pieces and dunked them in the porridge--" I'm not finishing this, it's disgusting! ''Good night!''\\
'''Calvin:''' He didn't even look at our illustrations.\\
'''Hobbes:''' Now I'm all hungry.
* TotemPoleTrench: They try this to sneak into a movie theater on their own. With Hobbes as the head, leading the ticket lady to say "This is a new one."
* ToTheBatnoun: In a memorable strip, Calvin wonders out loud why his heroes don't fight realistic villains. Hobbes suggests that the fights would involve writing letters to the editor and so forth. As Calvin says that he sees the problem, Hobbes ends the strip with the line "Quick! To the Bat-Fax!"
* ToughRoom: With Calvin's outstanding, if grotesque, talent with snow sculptures, you would think some people would be interested in coming around to see what he's created that winter. Furthermore, perhaps some local reporter would have come around to take pictures, which perhaps could be circulated more widely to show a young boy showing such sophisticated creativity.
* ToxicWasteCanDoAnything: Referenced in a comic where Calvin's dad gets him to eat his Mom's cooking by telling him that it is "toxic waste that will turn [him] into a mutant".
* TrademarkFavoriteFood:
** Hobbes loves tuna, changed to salmon in later strips, while Calvin likes ''Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs''.
** Mom loves coffee, and it's implied that Dad likes healthy food, for its benefits if not for its taste.
* TrailerParkTornadoMagnet: In one strip where Calvin pretends to be a tornado while messing up his room, the narration reads "The twister searches for a trailer park! Finding one, it touches down!"
* TransformationRay: The transmogrifier gun works by shooting a narrow beam that transforms whatever it hits into whatever the shooter is thinking of.
%%* TreeCover: Calvin does this a lot, mostly to Susie.
* TreehouseOfFun: Calvin and Hobbes hold their G.R.O.S.S. meetings in a simple treehouse consisting of essentially a wooden box.
* TRexpy: While Calvin usually sticks to fantasizing about ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' itself, one strip shows him imagining a dinosaur species named ''Calvinosaurus'', a kaiju-sized sauropod-eating superpredator that resembles a comically outsized ''T. rex'', though with brow ridges and three-fingered hands more similar to Allosaurus.
* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: [[invoked]]
** One strip about "high" art versus "low" art is a logic train that borders on insanity.
** Watterson mentions that he once read an art book that was so packed with postmodern gibberish that he started underlining passages for later use.
** In-universe, Calvin himself sometimes applies this approach to his snow sculptures, eschewing the "common" depictions of regular snowmen in exchange for his "avant-garde" depictions of snow horror.
* {{Tsundere}}: WordOfGod attributes traits consistent with the two major subtypes to Calvin (tsun-tsun type) and Susie (dere-dere type).
* TwoDecadesBehind: While the strip wasn't particularly dated when it ran in TheEighties and TheNineties, and retains a timeless feel, there are some ways it seems more like something from TheSeventies or even earlier:
** Calvin's dad is sometimes shown wearing what looks like a fedora on his way to and from work, even though the "you're not fully dressed without a hat" attitude was already on its way out in the early-mid sixties. He's also seen wearing a trenchcoat sometimes, though admittedly usually on cold days. This can be justified as an extension of his personality, as he's generally a very culturally conservative person with a marked dislike for modern trends and habits.
** Spaceman Spiff and Tracer Bullet, two characters Calvin fantasizes about being, seem like more appropriate alter egos for a fifties or sixties kid growing up with the pulp and noir (respectively) properties they're clear pastiches of.
** Video games are never referenced, even though the strips were made and take place during the era when they were really taking off. While Calvin's dad and his aforementioned Luddite tendencies might help explain why the family doesn't seem to own any game consoles, the fact that Calvin never says anything about wanting to go to an arcade or expresses any interest in getting games for the family computer is noticeable, especially for a kid like him.
** Calvin's ultra-sugary breakfast cereal, ChocolateFrostedSugarBombs, feels a bit out of place in the era when the strip ran. While kid's cereals ''were'' alarmingly sugary once upon a time, companies started to reduce the amount of sugar in them as a response to increasing health concerns beginning at the tail end of the 1970s.
** One strip has Calvin's dad panning a cartoon his son's watching as a boring, preachy glorified toy commercial with ''extremely'' LimitedAnimation. Aside from the "glorified toy commercial" part, most of these qualities became less prominent starting in the 1980s.
** Calvin's FreeRangeChildren lifestyle was becoming outdated even when the strip started due to a fever of "stranger danger" paranoia among middle-class American around the early 80s. As was Calvin's parents leaving him in the car alone while they went shopping, which would've been a no-no, even back then. Watterson, not having kids himself at the time, admitted to being a little behind on parenting trends.
** In a few strips, Calvin is punished by the teacher for making some kind of ridiculous statement by being forced to sit in the corner with a DunceCap. Punishing schoolchildren with a dunce cap was out of date in the ''1960s'', never mind the 80s or 90s.
** There are numerous references to media from the mid-20th century that have since fallen into relative obscurity, such as ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedtime_for_Bonzo Bedtime for Bonzo]]'', ''Literature/DickAndJane'', ''Film/TheBlob1958'', ''Film/SongOfTheSouth'', and ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(How_Much_Is)_That_Doggie_in_the_Window%3F How Much is That Doggie in the Window?]]''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:U-Z]]
* UncoolUndies: One storyline starts when Calvin rips the back of his pants open on the playground, exposing his underwear.
--> [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/04/07 Of all the days to wear the underpants with the little rocket ships...]]
:: When the teacher calls him up to the board, he tries to delay as long as possible, but eventually goes up and moons the whole class.
-->'''Hobbes:''' That's why you're home early?
-->'''Calvin:''' Three teachers and the principal couldn't restore order.
* UnderminedByReality: InUniverse. In one strip, Calvin comments on an "ad with attitude", showing a man quitting his boring job and rock-climbing instead. Hobbes questions how he affords the expensive sports shoes he's advertising if he quit his job.
-->'''Calvin:''' Maybe his mom bought them for him.\\
'''Hobbes:''' I hope she'll pay his medical bills when he falls off that rock.
* UnexpectedKindness: Played with in one story arc; Calvin is terrified of how his father's going to react if he finds out that he accidentally wrecked his binoculars. When he ultimately comes clean, his father [[UnstoppableRage completely loses it and screams at him]], but he's quick to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realize he shouldn't have exploded like that]] and apologizes for overreacting. He also gives Calvin some binoculars of his own.
* UnexpectedlyDarkEpisode: One strip focuses on Calvin and Hobbes finding an injured racoon, who dies. Then, they wax philosophical about death.
* UnflatteringIDPhoto: Calvin's dad sneezes while posing for his driver's license photo, and the photographer manages to capture him mid-sneeze. Calvin thinks it's the greatest picture ever, while Dad announces that he'll be driving exactly the speed limit until he can get a replacement license.
* UniversalRemoteControl: Subverted in one daily, where Calvin turns off the TV with the remote and then, inspired, points it at his father and clicks.
-->'''Calvin:''' ''[when his dad remains in place]'' Rats.
* UnnamedParent: Calvin's parents are just Mom and Dad, or "dear" to each other. WordOfGod says they have no names, because "as far as the strip is concerned, they are important simply as Calvin's mom and dad." This results in a near-total lack of "on-screen" relatives for Calvin (save one Uncle Max,) since they could never address Calvin's parents by name.
** As the strip went on Watterson broke his own rule, and fleshed Calvin's parents out more and more, sometimes writing strips where Calvin and Hobbes don't appear at all. See ADayInTheLimelight. (They still didn't get names, though.)
* UnreliableNarrator: Calvin usually portrays himself as being a victim when there are times he's not, PlayedForLaughs. It's possible that the FreeRangeChildren is a case of this; even though Calvin appears to live behind a forest, it looks practically like a national park.
* UnsoundEffect:
** Calvin's galoshes going "[[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/01/10 galosh galosh galosh]]", for one, which causes him to [[LampshadeHanging stop and look up in confusion]].
** Inverted in [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/08/07 another strip]], where he and Hobbes go spelunking... That is, heaving rocks into a pond so they go "spelunk!"
* UnusualEuphemism:
** Calvin's dad, after dropping a Christmas present on his foot: "Slippin'-rippin'-dang-fang-rotten-zarg-barg-a-ding-dong!" However, this may be TranslationConvention from genuine swearing.
** Spaceman Spiff talks like a B-movie hero. "Zounds!"[[note]]"Zounds" is actually a 16th century curse word, abbreviated from "God's wounds!" Much like saying "holy cow" instead of taking the Lord's name in vain, it was a curse that was changed to a less blasphemously offensive form.[[/note]]
* VerbThis: In one of Calvin's comics, in response to a character's assertion that he is merely toying with her, Amazon Girl yells: "Toy with this!" and uses a hyper-phase distortion blaster to blast a spine-shattering hole through his torso.
%%* ViewersAreGeniuses: Though there's quite enough childish humor to balance it out.
* AVillainNamedZrg: Evil aliens encountered by Spaceman Spiff include [[http://calvinandhobbes.wikia.com/wiki/Zorg Zorgs]], [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/04/10 Zargs]], [[http://calvinandhobbes.wikia.com/wiki/Zorkon Zorkons]], [[http://calvinandhobbes.wikia.com/wiki/Zogwarg Zogwargs]], and [[http://calvinandhobbes.wikia.com/wiki/Zog Zogs]].
* VindicatedByHistory: Invoked and name-dropped by Calvin's dad in [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/04/11 this strip]].
* VisualPun:
** During the {{Balloonacy}} arc, Calvin is falling from the sky and looking for something to save himself when he realizes he has his Transmogrifier Gun on him. He points it at himself and fires while saying he's safe... and since the gun works on reading the user's brainwaves, [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/07/14 he turns into a safe]].
** In [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/07/23 one strip]], Calvin and Hobbes toast to their friendship... and then chow down on some toast.
** A few FantasySequence comics rely on this as the punchline when CuttingBackToReality. Such as Calvin imagining himself as an intrepid explorer cutting his way through the untamed wilds, ending with his mother telling him to clean his room because "it's a jungle in here!".
* VitriolicBestBuds:
** Our heroes sometimes come across this way, particularly with the number of fights they get into, the times Hobbes tackles or outright tries to prey on Calvin, the insults they often exchange, and so forth.
** Calvin and Susie are also this. Despite their cycle of Calvin being a smart-aleck or trying to pelt her with snowballs and ending with Susie KO'ing him, they still hang out together very often; for instance, when Calvin is forced outside by his dad after watching Saturday morning TV, he immediately goes to Susie's, who happily invites him in.
* VolleyingInsults: Very frequently.
* VolumetricMouth: Used a fair amount of times, in the vein of the TropeCodifier ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}''. [[note]]Watterson even noted this when reviewing a biography of Schulz.[[/note]] Lampshaded when Hobbes asserts during a time travel arc that "Drawing Calvin is easy! You just make a big mouth and add some hair!"
* WantingIsBetterThanHaving:
** Invoked by Hobbes when Calvin sent away for a motorized propeller beanie. While he restlessly waits the six weeks for the beanie to arrive, Calvin keeps dreaming about how he'll be able to use it to fly around the neighborhood. When it arrives, it turns out to be an ordinary beanie with a propeller.
** Another has the pair on one of their dangerous wagon-riding adventures while Calvin argues that having is much better than wanting, and he can't think of anything he would rather have later than right away. Hobbes says: "Death comes to mind" as the wagon careens off a cliff.
** In another strip, Calvin muses on the idea that when you get something it's new and exciting, but that when you have something it's old and boring, concluding that it's important to keep getting new things. Hobbes remarks: "I feel like I'm in some advertiser's dream."
** One Sunday strip had Dad try to instill this moral to Calvin while waiting for the charcoal in the grill to get hot. Calvin, being 6 years old and virtually incapable of patience, disagreed.
** The second-to-last Rosalyn arc sees Calvin locking her out of the house and getting the night to himself he always wanted... only to learn the hard way that ultimately wasn't worth the inevitable consequences.
* WantonCrueltyToTheCommonComma: In the story arc where Calvin pushes his mom's car out of the garage, Hobbes says: "I think ''you're'' mom's going to be bothered."
* WarriorPoet: Parodied, as Calvin takes his snowball and water balloon fights [[SeriousBusiness very seriously]]. See quote above at LittleMissSnarker.
* WastefulWishing: Subverted. Calvin asks Hobbes what he'd wish for; Hobbes says he wants a sandwich. Calvin doesn't understand why and wishes for enormous wealth. Hobbes gets his wish, and Calvin obviously does not.
* WatchingTheSunset: And missing lots of great shows.
** To be more specific; Dad ''loves'' this trope. Calvin does not.
* WaterGunsAndBalloons: A regular source of entertainment for Calvin and Hobbes. They regularly get into battles with each other using these weapons and anything else that can distribute water, including the hose, and a full kiddy pool on one occasion.
* WearingItAllWrong: In one strip, Calvin attempts to head out for school with his shirt and pants swapped, so he's wearing his shirt as pants and has his pants on his arms. His mom is not amused, and makes him go change.
* WetCementGag: A strip had the duo find some freshly-poured cement and apparently sat in it offscreen, only to find out that it would dry very quickly.
* WhamLine:
** When Calvin and Hobbes find an injured raccoon, they get Calvin's mom to help. She muses to herself and Hobbes that it looks like the raccoon won't make it, but the family does what they can to keep it comfortable, warm and fed. After lying awake all night, Calvin rushes over the next day, hoping against hope, and asks Dad about the raccoon. Dad tells him, "I'm afraid he died."
** The infamous burglary storyline starts out seemingly just being about Calvin missing Hobbes when he forgets to being him along to a wedding. Then when the family returns from their trip...
---> '''Dad:''' Gosh, it's drafty in here...\\
'''Calvin:''' The window's smashed! Look at the glass!\\
'''Mom:''' ''SOMEBODY BROKE IN!!''
** In the baseball storyline, after Calvin is cruelly yelled at by the other kids for making their team lose.
---> '''Calvin:''' Mr. Lockjaw, I don't wanna play anymore. There's too much team spirit.\\
'''Mr. Lockjaw:''' [[KickTheDog OK, quitter!]] [[AdultsAreUseless Goodbye.]]
* {{Whateversaurus}}: A few comics have Calvin describing a made-up dinosaur called the Calvinosaurus. In two instances, it's depicted as an enormous carnosaur that dwarfs even the largest sauropods, although in the arc where Calvin and Hobbes dug up someone's litter and mistook it for fossils, it looked more like a diminutive horned anteater.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
** {{Enforced}} with Calvin's Uncle Max, who only appears in one weeklong series. We get several intriguing hints to him having a MysteriousPast and he charms Calvin by the end of the week, then he gets on a plane never to be seen again. Bill Watterson apparently found it too much work to write his dialogue [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname without ever revealing Mom and Dad's real names]].
** After the story arc in which there is a break-in to Calvin's house, nothing is ever said of it again. Although the family eventually get a new TV to replace the one that was stolen, it's never mentioned if the burglars were caught.
* WhenItAllBegan: The very first strips show how Calvin 'caught' Hobbes in a tiger trap baited with tuna fish. Watterson would mention regretting this in the 10th Anniversery collection, as he had felt the need to "explain" how Calvin met Hobbes when the strip started, but eventually felt it ruined the ambiguity.
* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: We're never told precisely where Calvin and co. reside, but it's presumably an outer suburb (with access to woods, fields, and other more rural areas) near some Midwestern U.S. city. And an hour and a half's drive away from the lake. However, this trope is [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], because there is a lot of evidence to suggest it is Watterson's own hometown of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_Hobbes#Books Chagrin Falls, Ohio]]:
-->In ''The Essential Calvin and Hobbes'', which includes cartoons from the collections ''Calvin and Hobbes'' and ''Something Under the Bed is Drooling'', the back cover features a scene of a giant Calvin rampaging through a town. The scene is based on Chagrin Falls, and Calvin is holding [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagrin_Falls_Popcorn_Shop the Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop]], an iconic candy and ice cream shop overlooking the town's namesake falls.
** In one strip, Calvin and Hobbes determine from an atlas that they live in a big, purple country and their house is right next to the giant letter "E" in the word "States."[[note]]Depending on how you orient the words on the map, this would put them either in the loose vicinity of Arkansas or West Virginia.[[/note]]
** More evidence of Ohio is the fact that Calvin's treehouse is in a buckeye tree. Ohio is the Buckeye State.
** One strip showed a news van from UsefulNotes/{{Cleveland}}'s [[http://www.wkyc.com/ Channel 3 News]], complete with logo.
** Bill Watterson has noted in commentaries about his fall strips that he did his best to capture the feel that Ohio gets during the season.
*** It should be noted that, in another strip, Miss Wormwood, to gauge whether Calvin is paying attention, asks "What state do you live in?" Calvin's answer? "[[{{Pun}} Denial]]."
* WhereWhere: In [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/05/20 a 1986 Cub Scouts strip]].
-->'''Calvin:''' Look! A tiger!\\
'''Hobbes:''' A TIGER?! [BeatPanel] Don't '''DO''' that!
* WickedStepmother: Referenced in two comics; one where he accuses his mom of not coddling him while he's in a bad mood because she's not his biological mother (to which she assures him that anybody but his biological mother would've abandoned him a long time ago) and another where he asks if she adopted him with the intent of turning him into a slave and/or food. Notably, both these strips were changed to remove mention of adoption in the complete collection (in the first, it was changed to Calvin saying "a good mother" instead of "my biological mother", while in the second he asks if he was cloned or genetically engineered), likely to avoid the negative implications of this trope.
* WildTake: Both Calvin and Hobbes are prone to these.
* WilliamTelling:
** In one strip where Calvin tries to knock a snowball off a snowman's head. (He accuses the snowman of flinching when he misses.)
** In another strip, Calvin bets Hobbes he can knock the hat off his dad's head with a snowball. He misses and hits his dad instead, getting sent to his room, [[NeverMyFault and blaming Hobbes for getting him into trouble by taking the deal]].
* WishFulfillment: If looked at in a certain context (and taking note of the ''numerous'' clues sprinkled throughout,) the strip is Bill Watterson wishing he was still a kid growing up in the Sixties. Of course, several other more blatant clues make it clear that Watterson doesn't use a NostalgiaFilter:
-->"''People who are nostalgic for childhood were obviously never children.''"
* AWizardDidIt: Invoked by Calvin's dad when Calvin is curious about how vacuum cleaners and lightbulbs work; Dad tells him, "They're both magic." Calvin is unconvinced and replies, "You just don't KNOW how they work, I'll bet."
* WomenAreWiser:
** Susie includes this in her imaginings of what adult married life would be like. Then again, she imagines herself married to [[{{Manchild}} Calvin]], [[ParentingTheHusband so...]]
** Calvin's mom is also this, especially when dealing with her husband's obsessions such as camping and biking. However, the relationship between Calvin's parents is completely (and hilariously) inverted in one strip where Calvin leaves Hobbes in the woods:
--->'''Calvin's Mom:''' Any luck?\\
'''Calvin's Dad:''' Of course not! How am I going to find a stuffed tiger in the woods at night? Why can't Calvin keep track of his toys? I must be crazy to be out here...\\
'''Calvin's Mom:''' ''(calling out loud)'' [[SayMyName HO-O-O-BBES!]]\\
''(realizing what she just did, with an extremely embarrassed look on her face)''\\
'''Calvin's Mom:''' Oops. Heh heh.\\
'''Calvin's Dad:''' I may be crazy, but I'm not as crazy as you.
* WordSaladHumor: The September 1, 1992 strip:
-->'''Calvin:''' Hey Dad. Know what I figured out? The meaning of words isn't a fixed thing! Any word can mean anything! By giving words new meanings, ordinary English can become an exclusionary code! Two generations can be divided by the same language! To that end, I'll be inventing new definitions for common words, so we'll be unable to communicate. Don't you think that's totally spam? It's lubricated! Well, I'm phasing.
-->'''Father:''' (Making the peace sign) Marvy. Fab. Far out.
** "Explain Newton's First Law of Motion in your own words." "Yakka foob mog. Grug pubbawup zink wattoom gazork. Chumble spuzz."
* TheWorfBarrage: As Spaceman Spiff, Calvin's RayGun is never effective as a weapon, because the people he's imagining are monsters aren't playing along. At best, he has a water pistol or dart gun in reality, and manages to annoy his "foe."
* {{Workaholic}}: A funny version. No thanks to Calvin's troublemaking, Calvin's Dad considers being at the office more relaxing than being at home. In some strips, he wishes aloud that his job would either ask him to work on weekends or travel for it.
* WorldLimitedToThePlot: Throughout the strip's entire run, the reader learns very little about where Calvin lives and there's very little interaction or development of elements that aren't a large part of Calvin's life. We never see who else lives in Calvin's neighbourhood except Susie, Calvin never goes to a recognizable location, the layout of the settings constantly change as needed for the story, there's only a handful of reoccurring characters, and there's only crowd shots in Calvin's {{Imagine Spot}}s.
* WorldOfSnark: Nearly every main character has many sarcastic moments, though some of them more so than others.
* WorldsShortestBook:
-->'''Calvin:''' On today's agenda, we'll make a list of what girls are ''good'' for. Obviously this will be a short meeting!
* WouldHitAGirl: Played with, Calvin likes to try and pelt Susie with snowballs, water balloons, pine cones, apples, toy darts, etc. but he never actually ''hits'' Susie. He has threatened to do so however.
-->'''Calvin:''' The Tooth Fairy's gonna make you rich tonight, Susie.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: Susie pulls this on Calvin after he hits her with a snowball by pretending that he knocked out her eyeball, in order to get him to drop his guard as he looks for it so that she can get back at him.
-->'''Calvin:''' Ha ha! I gotcha, you dumb girl!!\\
'''Susie:''' AUGHH! MY EYEBALL! WHERE'S MY EYEBALL?!\\
'''Calvin:''' What are you talking about? I hit you in the back.\\
'''Susie:''' It knocked my eyeball out! Find it and pack it in snow so they can save it! Ow! Ow!\\
'''Calvin:''' ''(bends over to look for it)'' Gosh, did you really lose your eyeball? I didn't know they came out! Wow. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to knock it out. Can I see the socket? Boy, where do you suppose it rolled?\\
'''Susie:''' ''(kicking him in the backside)'' SOMEWHERE OVER THERE, POOP HEAD!!
* WritersCannotDoMath: Hobbes cites a statistic that claims that by the age of six, the average child has seen a million murders on television. That's over 456 per day. Then again, this could just as easily be Hobbes being bad at math or [[LiesDamnLiesAndStatistics making up a statistic]].
* WriteWhatYouKnow:[[invoked]] In-universe, this is the reason Calvin gives a bemused Hobbes for his attempt to use "man who flicks through channels with a remote control" as a {{trope}} in a story he writes.
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%%* AnonymousPublicPhoneCall: In one strip where Calvin runs away from home in the middle of the night, he is seen calling his parents from a pay phone, speaking in broken Spanish and claiming an alternate identity.