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Joined: Jun 2008
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1 |
In the NYT today, William Safire writes: Let me recall this gag, a literary chestnut but apropos:
What is the question to which “Washington Irving” is the answer?
The question: “Who was the father of our country, Sidney?
I don't get it. Help, please!
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
Sydney and Irving are both ethnic names its easy to pair them in a joke..
who was the father of our country, sidney?(asks Irving)
Washington, Irving (replies Sidney)
Last edited by of troy; 06/15/08 06:45 PM.
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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
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it seems that Safire, for one, has been promulgating this lame joke for some time.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
Wasn't Yossarian confused about Washington Irving or Irving Washington in Catch 22?
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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There was a Washington Irving/Irving Washington thing, but it wasn't Yossarian being confused about it. He used the names alternately when signing soldier's censored letters. IIRC he censored out the signature after having blacked out everything but the articles, or all the nouns, or all the verbs, or some other arbitrary choice of words.
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