the women are playing really slow, so they decided to ask if they can play through. The first guy approaches the women, gets halfway then turns around and hurries back to his friend.
He says “I can’t approach them, one is my wife and the other is my mistress. You go instead.”
The other guy goes and also turns back halfway, and says to his friend “small world, isn’t it?”
Joke Poo: The Space Station Leak
Two astronauts, Ken and Bob, are on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, working on a particularly stubborn solar panel. They’re taking longer than expected, and Mission Control is starting to get antsy about their oxygen levels. So, they decide to ask if the two other astronauts working on the adjacent module will let them rotate and move through.
Ken approaches the airlock connecting the modules, gets halfway, then quickly floats back, face pale.
He says, “I can’t ask them to move! One’s the mission commander, and the other is the guy I accidentally flushed the science project fish down the toilet to hide it.”
Bob sighs and says, “Fine, I’ll do it.”
Bob floats towards the airlock, gets halfway, then immediately spins around, even more panicked than Ken.
“Small universe, isn’t it? One of them said that I was the person who clogged up the toilet. They are both still upset that I did not clean up the mess.”
Okay, let’s analyze this joke.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: Two men are playing golf and annoyed by slow-playing women ahead of them. The classic golf frustration trope.
- Twist 1: One man discovers the women are his wife and mistress, creating an immediate problem (conflict of interest, potential exposure). This is a common cheating-spouse scenario transplanted to the golf course.
- Twist 2: The second man also recognizes the women, revealing a shared “small world” situation. The core humor lies in the unexpected coincidence and the implied shared predicament (and potential for an awkward foursome). The punchline implies both men are involved with both women.
- Humor Type: Situational irony, surprise, and a touch of dark humor (due to the infidelity aspect). It relies on the unexpected intersection of personal lives within a public space (the golf course).
Key Elements to Play With:
- Golf: The setting itself is ripe for jokes about etiquette, frustration, and competitiveness.
- Infidelity: The cheating element provides an opportunity for witty observations about relationships, lies, and the complexities of human desire.
- Coincidence: The improbable shared connection between the two men and two women is the engine of the joke.
- “Small World”: The punchline phrase encapsulates the absurdity and embarrassment of the situation.
New Humor Attempts:
1. Enhanced Joke (with a Golf Fact):
Two guys are stuck behind a group of women on the golf course. The first guy says, “This is brutal. I’m going to ask if we can play through.” He walks halfway, then sprints back, terrified. “I can’t do it! One of them is my wife, and the other is my mistress!”
The second guy sighs and says, “Alright, I’ll handle it.” He gets halfway there and rushes back just as fast. “Small world, isn’t it?”
The first guy replies “Yep, and did you know that statistically more holes-in-one are made on par 3 holes that are under 150 yards, yet we’re on a par 5. What are the chances!”
Why this works:
- It preserves the original joke’s structure.
- The golf fact adds an extra layer of humor by juxtaposing a random factoid with the highly charged situation. It underscores the absurdity of the “small world” coincidence by contrasting it with statistically unlikely events. The comment is so unexpected it makes the situation even more unbelievable.
2. Witty Observation:
“They say golf is a gentleman’s game. Apparently, that’s only true until someone’s wife and mistress both end up on the same fairway. Then it’s just an awkward tee time.”
Why this works:
- It uses wordplay to subvert the expectations associated with golf culture.
- It highlights the irony of the situation by contrasting the supposed decorum of golf with the messy reality of the characters’ lives.
3. “Did You Know?” (Humorous):
“Did you know that the phrase ‘small world’ is often used to downplay potentially explosive situations, like when you discover your golf partner is also dating your wife’s yoga instructor? Scientists believe that approximately 98% of the Earth’s population is within six degrees of separation, and the other 2% are on golf courses committing felonies.”
Why this works:
- It applies a humorous definition to the original punchline
- The ridiculous, exaggerated “statistic” adds a layer of absurdity and implies that infidelity is rampant on golf courses (which could be seen as a commentary on a particular social class/lifestyle).
4. New Joke (playing with the infidelity theme):
A guy walks into a pro shop and asks, “Do you sell GPS devices that can track golf balls?”
The clerk says, “Sure, we have several models. Why do you need it?”
The guy replies, “Well, my wife thinks I spend too much time on the golf course. I need proof that I’m actually on the course, not just… elsewhere.”
Why this works:
- It leverages the common stereotype of the golf-obsessed husband as a cover for other activities (like cheating).
- The punchline is subtle and implies that the man is using golf as an excuse for infidelity.
Ultimately, the key is to identify what makes the original joke funny (in this case, surprise, coincidence, and a touch of darkness) and then find new ways to exploit those elements using golf-related or general knowledge.