June 18, 2007

At Least I Still Have Dave

Dave Helton sent me these, either to cheer me up or finish pushing me over the edge.

(1) King Ozymandias of Assyria was running low on cash after years of war with the Hittites. His last great possession was the Star of the Euphrates, the most valuable diamond in the ancient world. Desperate, he went to Croesus, the pawnbroker, to ask for a loan. Croesus said, "I'll give you 100,000 dinars for it."

"But I paid a million dinars for it," the King protested. "Don't you know who I am? I am the king!"

Croesus replied, "When you wish to pawn a Star, makes no difference who you are."

(2) Evidence has been found that William Tell and his family were avid bowlers. However, all the Swiss league records were unfortunately destroyed in a fire, and we will never know for whom the Tells bowled.

(3) A man rushed into a busy doctor's office and shouted "Doctor! I think I'm shrinking!!" The doctor calmly responded, "Now, settle down. You will just have to be a little patient."

(4) A marine biologist developed a race of genetically engineered dolphins that could live forever if they were fed a steady diet of seagulls. One day, his supply of the birds ran out, so he had to go out and trap some more.

On the way back, he spied two lions asleep on the road. Afraid to wake them, he gingerly stepped over them. Immediately, he was arrested and charged with transporting gulls across sedate lions for immortal porpoises.

(5) Back in the 1800s, the Tates Watch Company of Waltham, Massachusetts wanted to produce other products and, since they already made the cases for watches, they used them to produce compasses. The new compasses were so bad that people often ended up in Canada or Mexico rather than California. This, of course, is the origin of the expression, "He who has a Tates is lost!"

(6) A thief broke into the local police station and stole all the toilets and urinals, leaving no clues. A spokesperson was quoted as saying, "We have absolutely nothing to go on."

(7) An Indian chief was feeling very sick, so he summoned the medicine man. After a brief examination, the medicine man took out a long, thin strip of rawhide, gave it to the chief, and told him to bite off, chew, and swallow one inch of leather every day. After a month, the medicine man returned to see how the chief was feeling. The chief shrugged and said, "The thong has ended, but the malady lingers on."

(8) A famous Viking explorer returned home from a voyage and found his name missing from the town register. His wife insisted on complaining to the local civic official who apologized profusely saying, "I must have taken Leif off my census."

(9) There were three Indian squaws. One slept on a deer skin, one slept on an elk skin, and the third slept on a hippopotamus skin. All three became pregnant, and the first two each had a baby boy. The one who slept on the hippopotamus skin had twin boys. This goes to prove that the squaw of the hippopotamus is equal to the sons of the squaws of the other two hides.

(10) A skeptical anthropologist was cataloging South American folk remedies with the assistance of a tribal brujo who indicated that the leaves of a particular fern were a sure cure for any case of constipation. When the anthropologist expressed his doubts, the brujo looked him in the eye and said, "Let me tell you, with fronds like these, who needs enemas?"

Thank you, Dave!

Posted by Terry Oglesby at June 18, 2007 11:45 AM
Comments

I suppose its too early to tell you about the Canniguins...

Posted by: Nate at June 18, 2007 12:01 PM

It's never too early.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at June 18, 2007 12:05 PM

you missed:

"people in grass houses shouldn't stow thrones"

"the bier that made Milt Famee walk us"

Posted by: steevil (Dr Weevil's bro Steve) at June 18, 2007 12:18 PM

Canniguins- small fierce, (apparently) meat eating- "tastes like chicken!" penguins living on a tropical island where the 10th Annual Big Z Memorial Surf Off is taking place.

You're going to have to see Surfs Up for the entire tale.

Posted by: Nate at June 18, 2007 01:34 PM

Errrr, I'll take your word for it, Nate.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at June 18, 2007 01:35 PM

I grew up with the book "Bennet Cerf's Book of Atrocious Puns", so I enjoyed the ten-pack above. Due to permanent brain damage (as opposed to transient), the only one I can remember is Bigamist: large Italian fog.

Posted by: Marc V at June 18, 2007 02:21 PM

An artist was found dead in his studio. Police said there were suspicious circumstances but details were sketchy.

Posted by: kitchen hand at June 18, 2007 06:51 PM

You're all making my eyes water.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at June 19, 2007 07:30 AM