Jimmy had newly arrived in New York from Dublin, and was applying for a
job on a big highrise construction project. The foreman asked him, "Have
you ever worked in construction before?"

"Certainly," says Jimmy. "Twenty years of it, in the old country."

"Well," says the foreman, "I'll have to ask you a few questions, seeing as
I don't know you at all. For instance," and he points, "what do you call
that machine over there?"

"Why, that's simple. 'Tis a loader, and it's used for moving great piles of
dirt about the place."

"Very good. How about that one," and he points the other way.

"Faith, why that's a pile driver. Used for driving bloody great steel
beems deep into the ground."

"Well," allows the foreman, "you seem to know your business all right. Just
one more question then: what's the difference between a joist and a girder?"

"Why, anyone knows that. Joist wrote 'Ulysses' and Girder wrote 'Faust'!"