Julie calls the newspaper to post a notice of the death of her husband Fred. She asks the clerk at the paper how much the notice will cost.
“Five pounds per word,” the clerk replies.
“Oh, my,” sighs Julie. “Well, then, write this: Fred died.” She hangs up.
Feeling sorry for Julie, the clerk calls her back and tells her, “I forgot to tell you that for every two words you pay for in an obituary this week, you get three more words for free.”
“Oh, wonderful!” Julie exclaims. “Change it to this: Fred died; Jaguar for sale.”
Source: Adapted from Carroll, Noel. Humour: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2014.
