For Crossword Puzzlers & Cartoonists: Need help with obscure word:

[The Backlash Cometh]

Sorry, I had to post this here because no one shows up at the DU Lounge until happy hour.

What is the name of those little sweat drops that cartoonist draw on their caricatures to depict anxiety or fear? They're tear-dropped shape, but they're usually flying off the caricature's head?

[spuddonna]

1. McClellan Drops

Sorry! I couldn't resist! :)

[havocmom]

10. Good one

:rofl:

We need a special DU dictionery ;)

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12. Certainly gets points for the most creative.

[Moosepoop]

2. How many letters? n/t

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6. Starts with an f from what I remember.

There is such a word. It may be similar to flumes, but not flumes.

On edit: I was wrong. It started with a P.

[Sick_of_Rethuggery]

3. I think they are called...

"thought balloons" or "idea bulbs" or "talk balloons", depending on the context.

Not 100% certain...

[formerrepuke]

4. Beads (of sweat)?

[Caoimhe]

5. Plewds

http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/employmentarticles/sidelines_interviewing.html look near the bottom of the page

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7. I THINK WE HAVE A WINNER!

Yes, that's the word I was thinking about. Cheney is having a particularly Plewdy week.

[Caoimhe]

9. heheh

here's another ref: Mort Walker of “Beetle Bailey” fame invented a cartoon vocabulary called Symbolia that we cartoonists make use of from time to time.…Plewds—the sweat droplets that appear around a character’s head when sweating, working hard, or stressed by a dissertation project.

http://www.doubletongued.org/citations.php/citations/plewd_1/

[booksenkatz]

15. I love John McPherson's use of sweat in his toons

"Close to Home" is one of my favs.

[bigbrother05]

8. flop sweat

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. Plewds has a better ring.

[trackfan]

13. Eero (Sorry. Inside joke for crossword fans).

[countryjake]

14. LOL, I was thinking anoa!

[undergroundpanther]

16. Plewds

http://www.doubletongued.org/citations.php/citations/plewd_1/

I shouldn't know this stuff.
But dammit my vocabulary has made for interesting stories!

[MyshkinCommaPrince]

17. "Sweatles"

They were called "sweatles" in a Bloom County cartoon. I think Breathed attributed their origin to a Mutt & Jeff cartoon. I don't know how accurate his information may be, however.