History ComicStrip / PearlsBeforeSwine

* BeatPanel: Mostly when Rat realizes that he has made an IncrediblyLamePun.

* HurricaneOfPuns: The Sunday strips, famously, often consist of nothing more than long, elaborate setups for some IncrediblyLamePun, usually delivered by one of the innocent characters to Rat, who usually then appears in the last panel insulting (or, in extreme cases threatening) Pastis. The reader comments the strip receives on comics.com often result in this as well.

* IncrediblyLamePun: Suspected by many of being Pastis' favorite type of gag. Frequently lampshaded.
** [[http://www.nat.sg/post/35998403/please-dont-help-my-mama-bomb-a-osama-obama Here's one.]]
** [[DefiedTrope Defied]] [[https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2010/11/21 here]], when Rat sees the pun coming and drops an anvil on Pastis before he can deliver the punchline.

* OverlyPrePreparedGag: A common feature of Sunday strips, usually setting up an IncrediblyLamePun or SublimeRhyme.

* PetTheDog: Every once in a while Rat is given one of these moments towards Pig.

* BabysitterFromHell:Rat. See the MassiveMultiplayerCrossover entry below.

** There were also a fair number of crossovers during the week of ComicStrip/Blondie1930's 75th birthday party, involving Pig and Rat slumming with those other comic-strip characters who ''hadn't'' been invited (basically just them and [[ComicStrip/BloomCounty Opus]]). And when ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' went to Sundays-only, members of the Fox family made a few cameos on weekdays, looking worse for wear from being "unemployed."

* MistakenForGay: Played for laughs at the conclusion of an arc that finds Rat in bed, planning to just stay there because he's tired of the world. Eventually Pig decides to join him. Before Rat can get Pig to leave and avert this trope...

** There were also a fair number of crossovers during the week of ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}'s 75th birthday party, involving Pig and Rat slumming with those other comic-strip characters who ''hadn't'' been invited (basically just them and [[ComicStrip/BloomCounty Opus]]). And when ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' went to Sundays-only, members of the Fox family made a few cameos on weekdays, looking worse for wear from being "unemployed."

* MediumAwareness: The characters are very conscious of living in a comic strip and play with its conventions constantly, at one point ending up with misprinted strips due to Rat's "feud with the layout guy," and at another experimenting with "panel-walking" along the tops of the segments (leading to [[TakeThat hilariously tragic results]] over on ''ComicStrip/TheFamilyCircus''). One strip was deliberately printed upside down, with Rat claiming [[ComedicUnderwearExposure he could see up]] ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}'s dress from there.

** Another strip featured a ''Slylock Fox'' parody with the following trivia question: "Which one of these comics was around when Hitler invaded Poland? a) ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}, b) Barney Google, c) ComicStrip/PrinceValiant, d) Mary Worth or e) All of the above? Answer: [[spoiler:e)]]" Although the ''Slylock Fox'' parody was definitely more of a ShoutOut than a TakeThat, as Bob Weber not only gave his approval, but has used Rat and Pig in his own strip.

* UnsoundEffect: [[http://comics.com/pearls_before_swine/2006-05-19/ May 19, 2006]] used "hula hula hula" to indicate Pig dancing the hula.

* LivingToys: Rat made a Danny Donkey stuffed figure that came to life and robs a liquor store. Police surround Rat and Pig's house and Rat tries ratting Danny out to the police. However, Danny reverts back to his cute, adorable toy self --- and so Rat tells the police Pig did it.

** Ironic in that Pastis portray crocodiles as stupid given crocodilians are among the smartest of reptiles, capable of learning quicker than dogs. Then again, the comic has plenty of smarter crocs like Juinor so he may not have been far off.

* ArtEvolution: While ''Pearls'' was always on the "simplistic" side, there's definitely a noticeable evolution in the strip's art style. In addition to the character designs becoming rounder and softer (while still stick figures), they began showing more facial expressions, and even varied poses when a joke calls for it. Far cry from the first couple of years of he strip.

* WhipItGood: [[http://www.icoolen.com/sites/default/files/u6/20041029P.gif What happens when you take the title of a political discussion show at face value.]]

* BreakingPointSwearing: The [[http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2010/07/15 15th July 2010 strip]] features Pig's sole ''direct''[[note]]He previously swears at least twice when repeating things Rat has said[[/note]] use of SymbolSwearing as a TakeThat against British Petroleum[[note]]The company indirectly responsible for [[https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill the Deepwater Horizon oil spill]][[/note]]. He even said that he's "never said a bad word in the strip before".

* SeldomSeenSpecies:
** [[https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2008/10/28 This strip]] features a fennec fox by the name of Fred. Like all fennec foxes, he has such sharp hearing that he can hear the sound of insects underground. However, said hearing is a bit selective.
** [[https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2010/09/12 This strip]] features a caiman, Coco.
** [[https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2010/09/25 Here]], Pig introduces Rat to his friend Foofy the flying fish. Rat points out that [[ShownTheirWork flying fish can't actually fly, they're just called that because they leap out of the water, giving them the ILLUSION of flight]]. [[AchievementsInIgnorance Foofy apparently didn't know that]], and as a result [[PuffOfLogic he promptly falls to the ground]].
** Speaking of fish, [[https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2011/11/16 this strip]] features a crappie fish.

* WaxingLyrical: Some of the {{Incredibly Lame Pun}}s, including one of the earliest Sunday puns:
--> '''Rat:''' [[Music/TheRollingStones You can't always get what you won, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you knead.]]

* TooDumbToLive: The crocodiles. [[http://comics.com/pearls_before_swine/2006-09-10/ Pretty much literally]]. Biff has to be chained up in Pastis' yard because he's literally too dumb to take care of himself.

* YiddishAsASecondLanguage: An entire storyline in which Rat teaches himself Yiddish specifically because it's a great language to insult people in. Even the crocs pick up on it.

* TooDumbToLive: The crocodiles. [[http://comics.com/pearls_before_swine/2006-09-10/ Pretty much literally]]. This is taken UpToEleven with Biff, who has to be chained up in Pastis' yard because he's literally too dumb to take care of himself.

** [[https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2010/09/25 Here]], Pig introduces Rat to his friend Foofy the flying fish. Rat points out that [[ShownTheirWork flying fish can't actually fly, they're just called that because they leap out of the water, giving them the ILLUSION of flight]]. [[AchievementsInIgnorance Foofy apparently didn't know that, and as a result he promptly falls to the ground]].

* SignOfTheApocalypse: Rat, when [[DumbassHasAPoint Pig Has A Point]].

* SmallNameBigEgo: The Crocodile fraternity and Larry think they're excellent predators, but they're just morons

* SmokingIsNotCool: Pastis doesn't smoke in RealLife, but his AuthorGuestSpot avatar does, to make himself look more like a "degenerate loser" ([[WordOfGod or so he claims]]). Judging by the letters he receives advising him to stop smoking, [[MisaimedFandom it's not working]].

* ItsRainingSalesmen: In a story arc, Rat deters a swarm of salespeople by asking to get a product repaired under warranty. (See also: TruthInTelevision)