Joke Poo

My work rota uses the Gregorian calendar

Posted on by Joke Poo 

Mon: Greg
Tue: Ian
Wed: Greg
Thu: Ian
Fri: Greg
Sat: Ian
Sun: Greg

Okay, here’s my “Joke Poo” version of the calendar joke, titled “Toilet Time”:

Toilet Time

My bathroom schedule follows the Bristol Stool Scale:

Type 1 (Separate hard lumps): Dog
Type 2 (Sausage-shaped, lumpy): Cat
Type 3 (Sausage-shaped, cracks): Dog
Type 4 (Sausage-shaped, smooth): Cat
Type 5 (Soft blobs, clear edges): Dog
Type 6 (Mushy pieces, fluffy): Cat
Type 7 (Watery, no solids): Dog

Okay, let’s break down this joke and then inject some comedic steroids into it.

Joke Dissection:

  • Core Idea: The joke relies on a pun. It exploits the similarity in sound between “Gregorian” (referring to the Gregorian calendar, the standard calendar we use) and the name “Greg,” implying that the work rota simply assigns “Greg” to every day associated with the Gregorian calendar. Ian gets Tuesday and Saturday.
  • Humor Source: The humor comes from the unexpected, literal interpretation of “Gregorian calendar.” It’s absurd and highlights the disconnect between the expected use of the calendar (for dates) and the misinterpretation (for assigning tasks to a person named Greg).
  • Simplicity and Brevity: The joke is short, easily understood, and delivers the punchline quickly.

Comedic Enrichment Time!

Let’s play off the ‘Gregorian’ element and find some fun facts to create new humor:

Approach 1: The “Did You Know?” Method

  • Fact: The Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII (aha!).

  • New Joke/Observation:

    • “Did you know the Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar? Makes you wonder if Julian got the same raw deal as Ian in the rota – maybe he only got a leap day!”
    • “Apparently, Pope Gregory XIII hated working Sundays. Explains why Greg gets every Sunday now, and the Pope probably got them off back in 1582.”
    • “I heard HR tried to implement the Julian Calendar again for the rota. But Julian only turns up on the 29th of February. So, that didn’t work out very well for the company”

Approach 2: Expanding the Rota Universe

  • Idea: Let’s add more names and calendar elements to the mix.

  • New Joke:

    “My workplace is obsessed with calendar accuracy in the rota.

    Mon: Greg (Gregorian)
    Tue: Ian (Iranian)
    Wed: Maya (Mayan)
    Thu: Lea (Leap year)
    Fri: Chrissy (Christmas)
    Sat: Bob (Bob Saget, Saturday Night Live alumni)
    Sun: Greg (Gregorian)

    It’s an absolute nightmare explaining to our customers why Bob only works Saturdays. “

Approach 3: Playing with the Absurdity

  • Idea: Lean into the complete ridiculousness of the rota and exaggerate it.

  • New Joke:

    “Our rota system is getting out of hand. They’re incorporating lunar cycles and even sunspot activity.

    Mon: Greg (Gregorian)
    Tue: Ian (Iranian)
    Wed: Greg (Gregorian)
    Thu: Luna (Lunar)
    Fri: Greg (Gregorian)
    Sat: Sunny (Sunspots were active that day)
    Sun: Greg (Gregorian)

    HR says its more ‘holistic’. I just want a day off where I don’t have to factor in astrological alignments.”

Why these work:

  • They build on the original joke: They maintain the core pun and/or absurd concept.
  • They introduce new elements: The facts about Pope Gregory, calendar types, and lunar cycles add a layer of unexpected information, which can be funny in itself.
  • They create scenarios: The expanded rota and the HR explanation make the joke more relatable and create a mental image that’s amusing.

So there you have it! We’ve dissected the joke, found its funny bone, and used some interesting facts to create new, hopefully amusing, variations. The key is to find the unexpected connection between the original joke’s elements and real-world information.