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iM@k · Jul 25, 2009, 01:43 AM

*I'm really bored right now so I thought I share the following with you all.*

My supervisor at work, Bill, has one of the best "bad" senses of humor of anyone I've ever met. He's constantly telling us jokes and anecdotes that are technically clean, but result in the whole office groaning. Furthermore, there usually isn't a topic of discussion he doesn't have an "anecdote" for.

As Bill used to be an officer in the US Navy and often tells of legit stories about his times at sea, he'll also use it to hide a joke he's telling so we don't always see the punch line coming.

As I have a similar sense of humor, I've been attempting to beat him at his own game: I haven't won yet. Today was a perfect example of that.

Although (as some people might have noticed) It's been raining a lot in the US recently but today in my area it was raining harder then usual. I thought I had a clever "stumper" to greet him with, so as I got to my cubicle, before I even said hello I declared "Boy, the ASPCA is going to be busy today". All of my other coworkers looked at me with an expression of "what are you smoking?", but not Bill. Without missing a beat (or looking up from what he was doing), he replied "'cause it's raining cats and dogs!". Only then did he look up so he could see the look of defeat on my face.

He then told us that that expression comes from olden days when houses had grass roofs and animals would get on top of the roof, and sometimes fall through.

So later on in the day he told us this story:

"While in the Navy on tour in the Pacific, I was heard about a native people that actually built two story grass huts, very talented people. Their culture is much like the original Hawaiian people as they had a king and queen as their leaders. The royal family had the most beautiful carved furniture you've ever seen, the tribes craftsman are really were great artist.

Apparently it's traditional that each new successor to have his own throne carved just for them and when they die, the wooden throne is burned at their funeral.

I was told the last king broke with tradition because he was very close to his father and decided to keep his fathers carved throne as a memento, but because the site of the previous Kings' throne might upset the rest of the village he decided to store it (Or as we say in the Navy "stow it") upstairs where it would be out of site.

Unfortunately the heavy thrown was two much for the upper floor and it fell through and killed the current king.

The moral of the story being: People in grass houses shouldn't stow thrones!"

RAILhead · Jul 25, 2009, 02:01 AM

My eyes went batty because of the spelling errors. Holy crap. I tried to ignore them. I tried not to post. But sweet fancy Moses, man.

turtle777 · Jul 25, 2009, 03:44 AM

Too story grass huts ?

Whodathunkit...

-t

KeyLimePi · Jul 25, 2009, 06:40 AM

Originally Posted by iM@k

He then told us that that expression comes from olden days when houses had grass roofs and animals would get on top of the roof, and sometimes fall through.

I've heard lots of theories about the origin of that expression. The grass roof one seems pretty unsubstantiated.

iM@k · Jul 25, 2009, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by RAILhead

My eyes went batty because of the spelling errors. Holy crap. I tried to ignore them. I tried not to post. But sweet fancy Moses, man.

I'm sorry. It was almost 2AM, I was tired, and was having trouble falling asleep.

Laminar · Jul 25, 2009, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by KeyLimePi

I've heard lots of theories about the origin of that expression. The grass roof one seems pretty unsubstantiated.

I just figured it was a setup for his joke...

Spheric Harlot · Jul 26, 2009, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by KeyLimePi

I've heard lots of theories about the origin of that expression. The grass roof one seems pretty unsubstantiated.

It was a joke, Key.

Also, iM@k, the term you're looking for is "shaggy dog story".