Re: CHAT anecdotage (was: Easy and Interesting Languages -- Website)

Mark J. Reed wrote:
>
> On Thu, May 27, 2004 at 11:52:03AM -0400, jcowan@REUTERSHEALTH.COM wrote:
> >
> > I recognize your usage, but I use "shaggy-dog story" as a name for a
kind of
> > parajoke: a long, meandering story that eventually leads up to a
deliberately
> > unfunny punch line.
>
> Ah.  Thanks for the etymology; I didn't know that story.  My usage is
> approximately a subset of the original, then - the difference being that
> the punchline is required to be a pun, and therefore the unfunniness is
> in the ear of the beholder.  The longer the leadup (the "shaggier" the
> story) the better, and in the most masterful creations even the most
> sophisticated audience should not be able to predict the punchline at
> any time before it is actually delivered.

I've often heard pun-punchline stories referred to as
"feghoots." I believe there was once a book of these
in which a character named Feghoots was the main
character.

--Ph. D.

"Patrick Henry was complaining about boring breakfasts.
'Every morning it's the same old thing: bacon and eggs
and brown bread toast.' 'Well,' his wife said, 'what would
you rather have?'  Patrick picked up a loaf of bread and
tossed it to her, saying, 'If this be raisin, make the toast
of it.' "

"Once there was a king who was very fond of animals.
In fact he filled his castle with as many animals as he
could find. But eventually the stench become too much
for his subjects. They rose up in revolt and overthrew
the monarch. This was an important day in history
because it was the first time the reign was called on
account of game."