Sunday, November 27, 2022

5712 - Long joke Sunday


A special long joke Sunday this week. Stu sent me a pun he created. I told him I might edit it. He replied with "First Thorium - Iodine - Nitrogen - Potassium !!!" So I "think" he wants his creation left alone. So I'll meet him halfway. I'll post his original version just as he wrote it. Then I'll post my edited version with explanations for the edits.

Stu's pun - (German/English) ...

About 120 years ago there was a victorian businessman who specialized in products made using mercury, a liquid metal element. 

He made stuff such as thermometers, barometers, and even the motor driving the time machine he had invented. 

One day potential investors visited and wanted to know where he got all his mercury from, as it was fairly rare back then, and they wanted to minimize their risks. 

He said the mercury for the thermometers and barometers came from holes in the ground in Montana. 

"And for the time machine?" they asked of him. 

He replied, "The time machine is from Hg wells."

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I like it. But me being me, I like to fiddle with jokes and puns. So here's my small fiddling (American English)...

About 120 years ago there was a victorian businessman who specialized in products made using mercury. a liquid metal element.  Remove the explanation. If someone needs the explanation they're not going to get the pun anyway.

He made stuff such as thermometers, barometers, and even the motor driving the time machine he had invented. 

One day potential investors visited and wanted to know where he got all his mercury from, as it was fairly rare back then, and they wanted to minimize their risks. 

He said the mercury for the thermometers and barometers came from mines. holes in the ground in Montana. Mercury mines? Toss up on that change. ... I think the mention of a state confuses the ending. It made me wonder at the end where the wells were located and it doesn't matter. It just matters that the wells are full of mercury to "lock in" the pun.

"And for the time machine?" they asked of him. 

He replied, "The time machine mercury is from Hg wells."

***********

Did you get the pun? Don't voice a preference for either one. I just thought I would show everyone how I fiddle with them. This gives me an idea to start saving jokes that I "adjust" and put them all in one post, original and adjusted.






12 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Thanks for the smiles. I think I like the original - but perhaps just because it wasn't 'new' the second time round.

Mike said...

Sue - It's a good one.

River said...

HG Wells, good one.

Ole phat stu said...

I told readers it was liquid to explain the use of wells. Actually mercury is mined from ores. Montana was a mistake. The mines were in CA and TX.

Mike said...

River - Yes!

Stu - Mercury mines in Texas explains a lot.

Bilbo said...

Hg wells ... now, that's a keeper! And you're right about the effect of mercury mines in Texas.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Original or edited, it still gets a BIG GROAN!

Lady M said...

Yep - I agree with Deb - works both ways but groan worthy.

Kathy G said...

A nice peek into the inner workings of Mike's mind.

LJ said...

Mike, well done with the pre-quim-tion regarding another tie for the USA team, now they`ve just got to beat Iran and they`re in the last 16.

Cloudia said...

I'm not smart enough to be your friend...

Mike said...

I swear I commented back to everyone at around noon. But it's GONE! Oh (mercury) well. Let's try this again.

Bill - Meucury mines in Texas explains a lot.

Deb - A nice groan.

Lady - And thanks to you Deb doesn't have to groan alone.

Kathy - Sometimes I get a leak and a few things spill out.

LJ - I don't think another tie will work.

Cloudia - Do I agree or disagree with that statement? I need a time machine to hop ahead in time and see how I answered.