LIFESTYLES > FEATURES

"Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap." - Anonymous Sumerian guy, around 1900 B.C.

The above is the world's oldest joke, as discovered by researchers at the University of Wolverhampton in England. Now I have to tell you … I don't get it. It's just not funny. Frankly, I get more of a giggle from the name "Wolverhampton." And I'll be honest here; I usually find gas-passing humor to be … you know, sorta funny.

So I called Harry, who has a sense of humor, even though he's an engineer and by definition that's a life form that usually doesn't have much laughter associated with it. My side of the conversation went something like this:

"Yes, that's the joke."

"No I don't know who the Sumerians were. I think they're one of those civilizations that are now called something else."

"I did not know that they had invented cuneiform writing. Very interesting. Now what do you think of the joke?"

"The one I just told you."

"Hello? Are you there?"

"Yes, that was the entire joke."

"No, there's nothing missing."

"Well, it's an old joke."

"I didn't write the joke. I just want to know if you found it funny."

"No, I didn't find it funny either. Maybe it's not us; maybe the Sumerians just weren't funny."

"No, I'm not just sitting around Googling Sumerians to avoid doing housework. Now, I have to go. The dryer is finished."

"Of course I washed your socks."

"OK fine. I'll wash them now and stop googling Sumerians."

Next, I spoke to my Dad. He's not an engineer, so I figured maybe he'd have a different perspective.

"Yes, it's a joke."

"The Sumerians."

"Of course I know who they were."

"Yes, I am lucky you paid the tuition so I could have the opportunity to sit around in an air-conditioned classroom years ago and read about the Sumerians."

"Yes, I know that was only because of your hard work."

"Dad, you did not walk through the snow to get to school."

"Because Grandma said you didn't."

"Dad. Stop. You grew up in Santa Monica. Nobody believes the snow thing. Can we get back to the Sumerians now?"

"No, Junior doesn't believe the snow thing. He's just humoring you. Speaking of humor, how about those Sumerians?"

"Hmm. I had heard something about them inventing cuneiform writing. Very interesting. Did you find the joke funny?"

"Yes, that was the whole joke."

"No I don't know if they translated it correctly."

"No, I didn't have to Google Sumerian to figure out who they were."

"Fine. I Googled Sumerians."

"No, that doesn't mean your money was wasted. I rarely make spelling mistakes when I Google and that has to count for something, right?"

"OK, well there's one other you might like. It's about an ox, a cow and a wagon and it's only a couple thousand years old. Oh, wait; you probably heard it when you were a boy walking in the deep Santa Monica snowdrifts to school."

"Dad? Dad?"

So I still don't know if the Sumerians were funny. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not alone in not getting the joke, but that's OK. After all, throughout the thousands of years many, many more gas passing jokes have been told and most of them I do think are funny. Sort of.

---

Laurie Sontag Laurie Sontag is a Gilroy writer and mom who wishes parenthood had come with a how-to-guide. Her columns are syndicated. You can contact her at Laurie@lauriesontag.com.

Although the Morgan Hill Times does not have any obligation to monitor this board, the Morgan Hill Times reserves the right at all times to check this board and to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to the Morgan Hill Times in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. The Morgan Hill Times also reserves the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions. All threats to systems or site infrastructure shall be assumed genuine in nature and will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Submission of any comments will be considered permission to use online or in print.

© Copyright 2008 MainStreet Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of MainStreet Media, LLC. is expressly prohibited.