A local bar was so sure that its barman was the strongest man around,that they offered a standing €1,000 bet.
The barman would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron.
Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money.
Many people had tried over time (weightlifters, etc.) but nobody could do it.
One day a scrawny little man came in, wearing thick glasses and a cheap suit, and said in a tiny, squeaky voice, "I'd like to try the bet."
After the laughter had died down, the bartender said okay, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away.
Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man.
But the crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass.
As the crowd cheered, the barman paid the €1,000, and asked the little man, "What do you do for a living? Are you a lumberjack, a weightlifter, or what?"
The man replied, "I work for the IRS"
Joke Poo: The Stall Test
A prestigious plumbing company was so convinced that its newest toilet model was the most efficient on the market, they offered a standing $10,000 prize.
The CEO would flush a standard sized log of “material” down the toilet. Then, anyone who could produce a larger, heavier, and more solid sample to flush down the same toilet, proving its superior clogging ability, would win the money.
Many people had tried over time (competitive eaters, bodybuilders, and even a few brave sumo wrestlers), but no one could manage to create a specimen capable of truly challenging the toilet’s efficiency.
One day, a frail, elderly woman came in, leaning heavily on a walker, and said in a raspy voice, “I’d like to try your little contest.”
After the gasps of disbelief subsided, the CEO shrugged and agreed, flushing the “standard log” down the gleaming toilet.
Then, with a groan, the woman produced from a large, floral shopping bag a truly colossal…thing. It was, by all accounts, a feat of biological engineering. The assembled crowd gasped. With tremendous effort, she heaved it into the toilet, and with a mighty gurgle, the system promptly backed up.
As the plumbers scrambled and the CEO reluctantly paid the prize, he asked the woman, “What do you do? Are you a professional baker? An artist? Or what?”
The woman cackled and replied, “I work for the Environmental Protection Agency. I spend all day dealing with regulations on fracking wastewater.”
Alright, let’s break down this joke and then juice it for more humor.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: A bar offers a challenge: squeeze more juice from a lemon already squeezed by their strong barman.
- Subversion of Expectation: Instead of a muscle-bound contender, a weak-looking man attempts the feat. This creates immediate comedic contrast.
- The Twist/Punchline: The unassuming man succeeds, and his profession (IRS) explains his surprising strength – he’s used to squeezing every last drop out of people.
- Humor Source: The humor derives from the incongruity (weak appearance vs. unexpected strength), and the relatable (and often disliked) image of the IRS as relentless extractors. It’s a clever play on stereotypes and associations.
Key Elements:
- Strength: Physical prowess implied, then redirected to a different kind of strength (financial extraction).
- Lemon: The focal point of the challenge, symbolizing something already exploited but potentially containing more.
- IRS: The ultimate extractor, a universally understood (and often feared) institution.
Humor Enrichment:
Now, let’s use these elements to create some related comedic content. Here are a few options:
1. The “Did You Know?” Approach:
“Did you know that lemons are so acidic (pH around 2-3) that the IRS actually considered using them as a filing system? The plan was scrapped when they realized the forms would just corrode and, ironically, create even more paperwork to track the disintegration.”
2. New Joke Variation:
A man walks into a doctor’s office complaining of unusual strength.
“Doc,” he says, “I can crush rocks with my bare hands! I can bend steel bars! What’s wrong with me?”
The doctor runs some tests and looks concerned. “I have bad news. You have a rare condition. You’ve been diagnosed with… Taxpayer’s Elbow.”
3. Witty Observation:
“The next time life gives you lemons, don’t make lemonade. Hire the IRS. They’ll squeeze every last drop of bitterness out, and then audit the lemon tree just to be sure.”
4. The Meta-Joke:
Why did the joke about the IRS win the comedy competition? Because it had good deductions and delivered on its punchline!
5. Playing with Expectations (Again):
A talent scout for the Strongman Competition approached a timid-looking librarian. “We need someone to compete,” he said, “Someone who can squeeze out every ounce of effort!”
The librarian adjusted his glasses. “Well,” he said, “I am in charge of overdue book fines…”
Explanation of Choices:
- “Did You Know?” – Leverages a factual element about lemons (acidity) and twists it into a satirical commentary on the IRS’s perceived bureaucracy and relentless nature.
- New Joke – Keeps the element of the man being strong for the IRS.
- Witty Observation – Capitalizes on the common phrase about lemons and gives it an IRS twist.
- Meta-Joke – Self-referential humor that acknowledges the joke structure and adds a layer of absurdity.
- Playing with Expectations – Similar to the original joke’s setup, creates an unexpected twist by linking an unlikely profession (librarian) to the idea of extracting effort.
The goal is to amplify the original joke’s humor by exploring the same themes and elements in different, unexpected ways, playing with audience expectations, and referencing real-world knowledge.