MSGID: 1:153/716.0 684b2a12   
   REPLY: 2:221/6.0 666c227e   
   CHRS: IBMPC 2   
   Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to Anton Shepelev:   
      
   AK>  -----Beginning of the citation-----   
   AK>  Why do French people eat snails?   
   AK>  They don't like fast food.   
   AK>  ----- The end of the citation -----   
      
             This is an example of what I would call a "riddle", i.e. a puzzling   
   or misleading question which when used as a joke often involves a play on   
   words.   
      
             Another example:   
                 Q.  What do you call an angry carrot?   
                 A.  A steamed vegetable.   
      
      
   AK>  A Collection of Intermediate Anecdotes in American English   
      
             Hmm.  While my American dictionaries seem to agree that an anecdote   
   is a story which other people may find entertaining &/or amusing, many of them   
   also take into account that (as Anton said, and as a Canadian I agree) that as   
   far as we're concerned such stories are typically autobiographical or at least   
   reported by a person who if not on the scene at the time has done their   
   homework....  :-)   
      
      
   AK>  Jim walked into a store which had a sign outside:   
      
             Caution:  There are many folks named or nicknamed "Jim" Over Here,   
   and the same applies to other names you mentioned.  Unless your informant also   
   tells you various names may have been changed to protect other people's   
   privacy & they are doing doctoral-level sociological research you can't be   
   sure the incident in question actually occurred.  The inclusion of a name may   
   add verisimilitude to a tale about events which didn't necessarily occur in   
   real life.   
      
      
   AK>  "Look at this," the dean said." Susan didn't know the answer to   
   AK>  this question, so she wrote, 'I don't know.'  And your football   
   AK>  player wrote, 'Neither do I.'"   
      
             As a retired schoolteacher I can certainly relate to that one, and   
   I'm cheering for the dean.  But I don't imagine this story is entirely   
   true....  :-)   
      
      
   AK>  Then one day Mr. Harris hurried into the doctor's office   
      
             Reminds me of the time when our GP, who was still wet behind the   
   ears, said "How are you?" to which I replied "I was hoping you could tell me   
   that."  I enjoyed making him think, and after awhile he began recommending to   
   me as if I'd never heard of it what I'd learned elsewhere & reported to him...   
   [chuckle].   
      
      
    AS>  An anecdote is a personal and unverified story.   
      
             Like the one above.  I could supply names & approximate dates, but   
   the iimportant thing is that Dallas & I later found another GP who related   
   better to our preferred learning styles, and both of us are content with his   
   as well.  :-)   
      
      
   AK>  Anecdotes are rather short humorous stories   
      
             So are stories beginning with "a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead   
   are stranded in a lifeboat" or "a goldfish walks into a bar".  In such cases   
   we know the story is probably fictitious even if there's a grain of truth in   
   it....  :-)   
      
      
   AK>  Jim walked into a store which had a sign outside: "Second-hand   
   AK>  clothes bought and sold."  He was carrying an old pair of pants   
   AK>  and asked the owner of the store, "How much will you give me   
   AK>  for these?"  The man looked at them and then said rudely, "Two   
   AK>  dollars."  "What!" said Jim." I had guessed they were worth at   
   AK>  least five."   
      
             A lot depends on whether one is buying or selling, doesn't it?  I   
   know (and you probably do too) the capitalistic advice to "buy low & sell   
   high".  :-)   
      
      
      
      
   --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+   
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