‘Text at the linked image says, “O.K. Take the upper hand”’, which means that she ASKED him to take the upper hand, instead of just doing it ? Passive vs. active ?
Oddly, I find “Okay. Take the upper hand” to be somewhat funny, but “Okay, the upper hand” is incomprehensible.
They are having a fight and she chooses to cede a point for the sake of peace. But the point she cedes is he having the upper hand. By ceding her point *she* is taking the upper hand. But being given (passively) the upper hand, he hasn’t actually *done* anything and those logically can’t have the upper hand.
…. or…. they are arguing and he took the upper hand and did something fair and decent. She resents it because it weakens her case and thinks taking the upper hand is an unfair or cheap tactic. So she is saying ironically “Fine. Be like that. Take the upper hand, for all I care”.
…..
But “okay, the upper hand”… All i’ve got is “upper hand” is a phrase. New Yorker cartoons recognize that phrases exist.
@ Brian in Stl – That’s exactly what happened to me the first time I tried the link. I think the search engine just failed to resolve the correct answer, so it returned everything. I was just about to suggest a “corrected” link, but when I compared the results, I discovered that Folly’s second link worked (possibly because the correct result was in the server’s cache). Somebody should sell the New Yorker a better search engine.
Yes, it is striking that arms and hands are so prominent in the drawing. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s an intentional literalization of “the upper hand” via the drawing.
BTW I can’t quite parse a detail of the drawing. What is the lump on his knee, beneath her hand? And where is his right arm and hand.
Some of the comments seem to understand the phrase “take the upper hand” as mostly meaning “take the (moral) high road”. But I’m not familiar with that meaning, and agree with the commenters who take it as meaning “take the position of power (in a dispute or relationship)”.
Comics I Don't Understand 
Doesn’t help me too much, but I think it’s supposed to be, ,https://cartoonbank.com/search?p_p_id=searchform_WAR_searchportlet_INSTANCE_XsyCBTetWF8P&p_p_lifecycle=0&_searchform_WAR_searchportlet_INSTANCE_XsyCBTetWF8P_search=take+the+upper+hand&_searchform_WAR_searchportlet_INSTANCE_XsyCBTetWF8P_match=e&_searchform_WAR_searchportlet_INSTANCE_XsyCBTetWF8P_searchFeatures=cncartoons&_searchform_WAR_searchportlet_INSTANCE_XsyCBTetWF8P_pageNumber=1&_searchform_WAR_searchportlet_INSTANCE_XsyCBTetWF8P_struts.portlet.action=%2Fview%2FdisplaySearchForm&_searchform_WAR_searchportlet_INSTANCE_XsyCBTetWF8P_struts.portlet.renderDirectNamespace=%2Fview&_searchform_WAR_searchportlet_INSTANCE_XsyCBTetWF8P_struts.portlet.mode=view&_searchform_WAR_searchportlet_INSTANCE_XsyCBTetWF8P_struts.portlet.eventAction=true
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Fixed link hopefully.
LINK
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Text at the linked image says, “O.K. Take the upper hand”
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Folly’s link didn’t work quite right for me on the first attempt, but the second attempt did produce the correct panel.
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‘Text at the linked image says, “O.K. Take the upper hand”’, which means that she ASKED him to take the upper hand, instead of just doing it ? Passive vs. active ?
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Possibly dialogue.
“We need to get the upper hand.”
“No, take the upper hand”
“OK, take the upper hand.”
…Still doesn’t make sense to me.
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Oddly, I find “Okay. Take the upper hand” to be somewhat funny, but “Okay, the upper hand” is incomprehensible.
They are having a fight and she chooses to cede a point for the sake of peace. But the point she cedes is he having the upper hand. By ceding her point *she* is taking the upper hand. But being given (passively) the upper hand, he hasn’t actually *done* anything and those logically can’t have the upper hand.
…. or…. they are arguing and he took the upper hand and did something fair and decent. She resents it because it weakens her case and thinks taking the upper hand is an unfair or cheap tactic. So she is saying ironically “Fine. Be like that. Take the upper hand, for all I care”.
…..
But “okay, the upper hand”… All i’ve got is “upper hand” is a phrase. New Yorker cartoons recognize that phrases exist.
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I don’t get a single comic from the link, but a search page at Conde Nast for the phrase.
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Kind of like Obi Wan having the higher ground???
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Negotiating a sexual act. All very matter-of-fact. A comment on the lack of genuine intimacy and emotion in relationships.
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@ Brian in Stl – That’s exactly what happened to me the first time I tried the link. I think the search engine just failed to resolve the correct answer, so it returned everything. I was just about to suggest a “corrected” link, but when I compared the results, I discovered that Folly’s second link worked (possibly because the correct result was in the server’s cache). Somebody should sell the New Yorker a better search engine.
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P.S. As for interpretations, I like woozy’s third paragraph best.
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Her arm/hand on his shoulder is the upper hand?
or
She is giving in and he can have the upper hand (in their relationship)?
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Tom Hanks in Big: “Okay… but I get to be on top.”
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I think the man is speaking. At least, his mouth appears to be open.
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Yes, it is striking that arms and hands are so prominent in the drawing. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s an intentional literalization of “the upper hand” via the drawing.
BTW I can’t quite parse a detail of the drawing. What is the lump on his knee, beneath her hand? And where is his right arm and hand.
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Some of the comments seem to understand the phrase “take the upper hand” as mostly meaning “take the (moral) high road”. But I’m not familiar with that meaning, and agree with the commenters who take it as meaning “take the position of power (in a dispute or relationship)”.
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Note that “Take” is underlined in the linked panel. I think he is saying it.
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