Pass Notes

by The Guardian (Artist)

Pass Notes - usually published four times a week on page 3 of The Guardian - was originally billed as 'A daily briefing on contemporary people and events which may be of use to those whose commitments do not permit them to immerse themselves in current affairs as fully as they might wish'. The format is a question-and-answer dialogue between two unidentified persons, one of whom apparently asks (or answers) rather dumb questions about the subject, which can be anything from real people (living or dead) to buildings, countries, food or more abstract entities. Most Pass Notes begins with "Age" and "Appearance", followed by several questions and answers. It usually ends with "Do say" and "Don't say", followed by witty remarks one should (or in the latter case, should not) say to or about that day's subject. The Guardian does not say who writes these entries, but it is believed to be the work of a small team at the newspaper.

Paperback

Published October 20, 2016

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily the funniest thing in the Guardian now that Marina Hyde doesn't have Boris Johnson to kick around anymore: short columns in Q&A form examining internet fads, controversial celebrity quotes, bizarre social trends and other developments the editors presumably didn't think were worth a full article.

Half the laughs come from trying to explain, say, Moranbong (North Korea's first all-female band, hand-picked by Kim Jong-un from the military, whose elaborately costumed members dance and sing the likes of "My Way" and the "Rocky" theme on goodwill tours). The other half come from Q and A themselves, mainly Q, who tends to grow argumentative, puzzled or dismissive while A gamely persists in exploring the near-disappearance in modern Britain of the given name Gary.

Occasionally you can catch history in the making, as in the frankly rather dismissive March 2016 entry on the soon-to-be-infamous Juicero juice machine, or an early sighting of the term "ghosting." I snort-laughed at that one, and at the one about the restaurant in Japan's capital serving mud ("lab-tested-for-safety, first-class agricultural soil from the rich farmlands north of Tokyo," mixed with gelatin) as a key ingredient in various dishes.

Proof that newspapers are still capable of great things.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Satirical news bits presented as a dialogue between two snarky people. Amusing.

[Kitty Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting choices, quite fun