Ambulatory?

Okay, I'm watching an episode of the old Space Ghost cartoon series from the 60s, and I just heard the lead character use the word "ambulatory."

That was a bit of a surprise -- a pleasant one, mind you. Kiddie cartoons from the 60s aren't exactly know for sophistication or logical storytelling. That certainly wasn't true for most of the old Hanna-Barbera productions, many of which were absolutely cringeworthy. (Birdman? The Galaxy Trio? Those were utter dreck.) I'm pleased to see that the writers of this particular episode weren't afraid to use a fancy word this time around.

I just wish that Jan, the female member of his twin sidekick pair, had a bit more personality to her. As far as I can tell, she pretty much followed the lead of her brother Jace. I guess that was typical of the times. I do recall that in the brief 80s revival of this cartoon saga, both Jan and Jace had more personality. Jace was a bit naive and overly headstrong, whereas Jan was more sensible and level-headed. This was doubtlessly in keeping with the 80s trend toward more characterization, not to mention an attempt to avoid old-fashioned depictions of women on TV.