So, I'm in a bar and two very large women with accents are sitting across from me.
I say, "Cool accents, are you two ladies from Scotland?"
One of them yells, "It's Wales, you idiot."
So I said, "OK, are you two Whales from Scotland?"
I don't remember much after that.
Joke Poo: App Smell
So, I’m in a cafe, and two guys in tech attire are at the table next to me, noses practically glued to their laptops.
I lean over and say, “Cool apps you’re working on. Are you two guys from Silicon Valley?”
One of them scoffs, “It’s Seattle, you moron.”
So I said, “Okay, are you two App Smells from Silicon Valley?”
I don’t remember much after that, but I’m pretty sure someone threw a half-eaten gluten-free muffin at me.
Alright, let’s dissect this joke!
Elements of the Joke:
- Setup: A bar setting, two large women with accents. Establishes potential for a social interaction and miscommunication.
- Misidentification: The speaker incorrectly guesses the origin of the accent (Scotland instead of Wales).
- Aggression: The woman responds with anger (“It’s Wales, you idiot”).
- Punnery/Wordplay: The speaker doubles down with a pun, conflating “Wales” (the country) with “whales” (the marine mammals). The physical size of the women adds to the humor.
- Implied Violence/Aftermath: The final line suggests that the pun was not well-received and physical confrontation occurred.
Core Humor: The humor comes from the escalation of a simple social faux pas into a physical altercation, fueled by the combination of misidentification, anger, and a terrible pun. The size of the women emphasizes the potential consequences of the pun.
Enrichment using Facts & Trivia:
Let’s focus on the “Whales” pun aspect. Here are a few facts/angles we can explore:
- Blue Whales: The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived, weighing up to 200 tons.
- Orca/Killer Whales: Orcas are technically dolphins, not whales, and are apex predators.
- Welsh Language: The Welsh language is one of the oldest living languages in Europe, pre-dating English by centuries. It’s also known for having some notoriously long place names!
New Joke/Witty Observation:
Option 1: Playing on the Welsh Language:
“After the incident with the ‘Whales from Scotland’ joke at the bar, I decided to learn some basic Welsh. Turns out, trying to pronounce ‘Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch’ while apologizing probably didn’t help de-escalate the situation.”
Analysis: This option uses the infamous Welsh place name to highlight the difficulty of communicating in Welsh, adding another layer of comedic awkwardness to the aftermath of the original joke. It suggests the speaker’s attempts to apologize were hindered by the very language he was trying to use.
Option 2: Highlighting Whale Facts with a Twist:
“The worst part about misidentifying those Welsh women as whales? I was about to compliment their impressive ‘breaching’ skills on the dance floor, and then explain how Blue Whales can weigh over 200 tons! I mean, knowledge is power, right? Clearly not in that bar.”
Analysis: This version plays on the fact that whales are massive while subverting the original aggression. It adds a layer of absurd educational humor. The character was genuinely about to launch into a whale factoid lecture after already insulting them.
Option 3: Witty Observation on linguistic precision:
“I learned a valuable lesson that night: when correcting someone’s geographical gaffe, it’s crucial to ensure your follow-up comment avoids any potential entanglement with cetacean taxonomy. Because as it turns out, differentiating between “Wales” and “whales” is the difference between a friendly chat and needing a new dentist.”
Analysis: Uses elevated language to describe a lowbrow situation, creating contrast and comedic effect.
These options all build upon the original joke, using elements like language and factual knowledge about whales to create new, albeit different, humorous scenarios.