English Jests and Anecdotes, Collected from Various SourcesVarious
General
English Jests and Anecdotes, Collected from Various Sources
Various
Anecdotes -- England; English wit and humor
One slippery day a gentleman, as he walked along the streets, suddenly
lost the use of his legs and fell. A chairman who stood near him, with
the greatest politeness bade the gentleman “come to him and he would
lift him up.”
I DON’T DRINK MILK
A gentleman, a professed wit, was invited to tea; an opportunity of
displaying his powers before the ladies soon occurred. The lady of
the house that evening had milk for tea instead of cream. When the wit
was asked if he drank cream, “Yes, ma’am,” says he, “but I don’t drink
milk.” The old gentleman was so offended at this unreasonable reply,
that he ordered the fellow to walk down stairs, and receive the cream
of his jest.
LOST MONEY.
“What is that you have found?” said Dr.---- to a little boy going along
the streets. “A sixpence, sir,” answered the boy. “Let me see it?” said
the doctor: “Now my dear, be sure to tell the person who has lost it
(putting it in his pocket) that he will get it again, if he calls at my
house, St. ---- Square.”
A FREE TRANSLATION.
A professor had a great partiality for certain young noblemen who
attended his class, and gave them certificates for proficiency
which they did not deserve. Among his pupils was a poor lad, whose
abilities the professor despised merely on account of his homely garb
and simplicity of manners. One day the professor wished to give his
favourites a laugh at the poor fellow’s expense. “Here sir,” said he,
“I will give you three Latin words, our city’s motto, which if you
translate into English immediately, I will perhaps conceive a better
opinion of you than I have done of late: the words run thus, _Nisi
dominus frustra_.” The lad without much thinking, stood up and began,
“_Nisi dominus frustra._ Unless we are lord’s sons, it is vain to come
here.”
A “SINGLE” PIG.
A butcher of this city bored the ears of his guinea pig, and inserted
into them a pair of large ear-rings. As the guinea pig lay before his
door one summer day its ludicrous appearance attracted the attention of
a gentleman and his daughter who were passing by; the gentleman called
the butcher by name, and enquired of him how he came to dress his pig
so fancifully? “Why,” said the honest butcher, “to tell you the truth,
it is because she’s single, and I wish to get her off.”
WHISTON’S DEFENCE OF TRUTH.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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