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Comedy: February 08, 2006 Issue [#817]

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Comedy


 This week:
  Edited by: Mavis Moog Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Comedy is a genre at which it is difficult to excell. This week I have a look at unintentional comedy.


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Letter from the editor

Literary Blunders


Even the professionals make hilarious mistakes. When JRR Tolkien saw the cover of the American edition of Lord of the Rings he was puzzled. He wrote and asked them to explain what emus and lions had to do with his story, "...and what's the thing in the foreground with pink bulbs on?" he asked. They had to admit that the illustrator had been too busy to actually read the book. I would just love to see that cover, it sounds wonderful.

A young theatre critic once wrote a review of Shakepeare's Romeo and Juliet for the London newspaper, The Morning Chronicle. The ignorant boy, did not realise he was watching a play written by the great bard and proceeded to suggest some alterations the author might consider making in order to make the play more suitable for a cultivated audience. That young critic eventually became Lord Chancellor Campbell and he was never allowed to forget his early mistake.

You may have heared of the "Sinner's Bible" which was printed in 1712. In it, a printing error omitted the word "no" from the injunction to "sin no more." There may be a far more famous error, which has never been corrected. The well known verse (Matthew 19:24) "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" is thought to be a translation error. The two Greek words for rope and camel are very similar. Kámilos means rope and kámhlos means camel. It seems likely that the verse should read, "it is easier for rope to pass through the eye of a needle." It's a shame the surreal image of a camel forcing itself through the eye of a needle may be nothing more than a literary blunder.

I give you these examples of silly gaffs as a consolation for the many errors we make when committing our thoughts to paper. Errors and malapropisms are indeed a rich source of amusement, not only in print.

*Bullet* A sports commentator recently made this remarkable observation, "A home win could have been a milestone around our necks, but now we've put it to bed."

*Bullet* The Radio phone-in contributor who said, "It's a misconception that girls get themselves pregnant to get a council house." must still be kicking himself.

*Bullet* The Member of Parliament who said, "Leeds is the biggest city, of its size, in Europe." knows all too well how embarrassing slips of the brain can be.

*Bullet* And we can only wonder what the writer of this headline meant, "Shall I stop eating children?" Maybe there's a comma missing somewhere.

So next time you mix a metaphor or confuse your subject and object, don't feel too bad. Nobody's perfect and there'll soon be a wonderful WDC reviewer coming along to correct you.

Don't forget to send in jokes, submissions and comments. I'm particularly interested in finding funny poetry, stories and blogs. If you read something that makes you laugh, let me know about it.

The four editors of the Comedy Newsletter are:

Beyond the Cloud9 Author IconMail Icon
The Milkman Author IconMail Icon
Melissa is fashionably late! Author IconMail Icon
Mavis Moog Author IconMail Icon






Editor's Picks

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Short Story of growing up with a gassy brother
#806007 by RVP Author IconMail Icon

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This particular entry made me laugh:
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Ask & Answer

Arien is basic Author IconMail Icon
My daughter (almost 5yrs old) has a favorite:
What's brown and sticky?

.....Ready for it?
A brown stick....(rimshot)

It's an old one but I love it! - MM*Flower5*

scribbler Author IconMail Icon
haha love the jokes at the end of the newsletter. How about a humorous mispelling?
"Shrimp with assroted vegetables." — Typo on a Chinese restaurant menu.

Menus are a rich vein for smile miners. This dish sounds yummy - MM*Flower5*.

schipperke
Mavis:
Another very funny movie dealing with offices is called "Office Space" here in the US. Great newsletter. I note a couple of strange things in my blog occasionally to remember them for (perhaps) future stories.

writing4him
Every time I read an edition, I really enjoy this newsletter. My father instilled in me an absolute adoration of jokes and 'funnies'. So, I love to hear comments about the newsletter, and the newsletter itself is always so very entertaining.
Thanks so much!

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