The Italian customs officer stops them and tells them: "Itsa illegala to putta 5 people in a Quattro!"
"Vot do you mean, it's illegal?" asks the German driver.
"Quattro means four!" replies the Italian official.
"Quattro iz just ze name of ze fokken automobile" the Germans retort unbelievingly. "Look at ze dam paperz: Ze car is dezigned to carry 5 people!"
"You canta pulla thata one on me!" replies the Italian customs officer.
"Quattro meansa four. You havea five-a people ina your car and you are therefore breaking the law!"
The German replies angrily " You ideeiot! Call ze zupervizor over! Schnell! I vant to spik to zumvun viz more intelligence!!!"
"Sorry" respondes the Italian, "He canta comea . He'sa buzy with a two guys in a Fiat Uno."
Joke Poo: The Case of the Spanish Ocho
Three Spanish tourists in a Seat Ocho arrive at the Swiss border.
The Swiss border guard stops them and says, “I’m sorry, but I cannot allow you to pass. It’s against regulations to put three people in an Ocho!”
“What? What are you talking about?” asks the Spanish driver, bewildered. “It’s a perfectly normal car.”
“But ‘Ocho’ means eight!” the guard insists, pointing a stern finger. “You only have three people! You must fill the car with five more people or turn around.”
The driver argues, “But ‘Ocho’ is just the model name! Look at the registration! It seats five! This is ridiculous!”
The Swiss guard shakes his head. “Rules are rules. ‘Ocho’ means eight. Three people is not enough. It is inefficient and creates an imbalance in the cosmic flow.”
Exasperated, the Spanish driver cries, “This is insane! Get your supervisor! I demand to speak to someone with some common sense!”
The guard replies calmly, “I am afraid that is impossible. He is currently dealing with a family of seven in a Renault Siete.”
Alright, let’s break down this classic car joke:
Joke Dissection:
- Premise: A group of Germans in an Audi Quattro misunderstands the Italian customs officer’s interpretation of “Quattro” (four in Italian) as a limit on the number of passengers.
- Key Elements:
- National Stereotypes: Germans being efficient, logical, and perhaps a bit humorless. Italians being excitable, perhaps less precise, and emphasizing emotion.
- Language Barrier/Misunderstanding: The core of the joke is the differing understanding of the word “Quattro.”
- Car Model: Audi Quattro – Important because “Quattro” is the central wordplay.
- Bureaucracy: The inflexibility and potential absurdity of rules and regulations.
- Payoff: The final line, where the supervisor is dealing with a similar situation with a Fiat Uno, highlighting the officer’s continued misinterpretation.
Comedic Enrichment & New Humor:
Okay, let’s leverage those elements to create something new. Here’s a “Did You Know?” factoid followed by a joke related to the original:
Did You Know? The Audi Quattro, introduced in 1980, was the first permanent all-wheel-drive vehicle to successfully compete in rallying. Before that, all-wheel-drive was mostly used in off-road vehicles. This pioneering spirit changed motorsport history. The name “Quattro” itself, while referencing “four,” also evokes a sense of technological innovation and, well, grip!
New Joke Idea (Playing on Wordplay and Tech):
A tech support agent answers a call:
“Audi Tech Support, this is Klaus, how can I help you?”
“Hi Klaus, my Quattro’s sat-nav is acting up. It keeps telling me to ‘take the fourth exit’ no matter where I am. I’m pretty sure there isn’t always a fourth exit on every roundabout.”
Klaus sighs. “Sir, have you perhaps set your navigation system to… Italian mode?”