to ask for your help solving this impossible riddle/joke

[killingtime9198]

My best friend's family have a family 'joke', which she originally told me about when we were about 12/13. When she originally told me she didn't get the joke either, but then later did manage to work it out. When she first met her now husband he didn't get it, but he later also worked it out. I have never managed to get it, and every now and again I will remember the saga of this joke (this has been going on for about 20 years now), try desperately for a few days to work it out and then forget all about it for months.

Anyway, I wonder if the powers of mumsnet can either locate someone who has heard this 'joke' before, or who can work it out!

The joke is:

'There once was a man called Boswell. For short they called him Bos, and he walked up the post office steps.'

The joke is definitely NOT that there is no joke, and they're all having a laugh at me for trying to work it out - I am 100% confident of this.

I think PP has it. There was a man call boswell. And for short. His friends called him Bos. And walked up the post office steps (as in the man known as And for short walked up the steps)

That's his name. That's the riddle

But he's called Boz for short, not And…

It doesnt mean anything. Its just the play on words that the person who invented the riddle used which means we need to incorporate it to make sense.

Its so shit though

@BloodyUseless Sigh. You’re probably right. To be fair, it’s raining, it’s cold, I’m stuck at home feeling pretty shite, so I haven’t wasted too much time. Cheers.

He's called And for short (if you move the punctuation). Therefore the final sentence is saying that And walked up the steps

If that's right, it wasn't worth 20 years of OPs life

Yeh it might be wrong. But the whole thing about these is to switch the grammer about so the meaning changes.
Who knows. I got an answer im happy with and can move on haha

There was a man, whose name was boswell, 'And' for short.
They called him Bos.
'And', he walked up the post office steps.

If it doesn't matter where he's going then there isn't a double meaning about letters.

Though the replacement being library I suppose it could still stand. (I'd have to go back to the last page to look so can't check until I've posted. But did the OP say it didn't matter where he was going?)

Comes across as: There once was a man called Boswell. Four short they called him Bos.

The play on sound of 'for short' to 'four short' (and the fact Bos is four letters short of Boswell) the only thing in the slightest riddle like about the whole thing.

I'd hazard a guess the joke is people not getting the 'joke because it's so rubbish

He's called And for short (if you move the punctuation). Therefore the final sentence is saying that And walked up the steps

The last sentence days "And HE walked up...", not And walked up.

Also, if "And for short they called him Bos" where does the "they called him Bos" fit in if it's And for short

That is THE MOST ridiculous bullshit I've ever read. This family should be ashamed of themselves.

yeah tbf, And for short but his friends call him Bos does sound like it is the solution (plenty of us have various nicknames by various people), as in, this is a story about a man called And, for short, going to the post office.

Bit of an odd name for someone whose full name bos Boswell though?

do prefer the original 4 missing letters solution before the riddle changed though

And isn't short for Boswell anyway!

The And thing is a dead …end, because:

I said:

So this works: There one was a woman
called Boswell. For short they called her
Bos. And she walked up to the library.

She said yes.

HP it works because it's saying And, he walked up he steps. Like you might say Paul, he walked up the steps.

It's shit, for sure!

HPLikecraft Mon 03-Dec-18 15:29:02
And isn't short for Boswell anyway!

You need to read it with the right punctuation (not inc in the original).

There was a man, whose name was boswell, 'And' for short.
They called him Bos.
'And'? he walked up the post office steps!

No, look:

VotingFox Mon 03-Dec-18 15:29:40
The And thing is a dead …end, because:

I said:

So this works: There one was a woman
called Boswell. For short they called her
Bos. And she walked up to the library.

She said yes.

OP also posted this:

killingtime9198 Mon 03-Dec-18 14:03:21
Ok, I text her and asked her to write it out. She said 'I think it's better in person, but it is 'There was a man, whose name was boswell. And for short they called him bos. And he walked up the post office steps' '

I asked her if all the words are spelled as she typed them, and she said yes.

There was a man, whose name was boswell, 'And' for short.
They called him Bos.
'And'? he walked up the post office steps!

Ok OP, we're ready for you to submit our latest contrived solution to your imaginary friend!

Lol this is actually hilarious. Look at us trying to figure out the shittest riddle ever. That might not even be real!!! Im actually laughing out loud!

Then it can just be four/for short they call him/her Bos??

This is so ridiculous.

I just lost, and that's the worst thing about this thread. I had a run of a good few months.

Can we ever leave The Game? It's been over ten years for me.

I'm worried we'll be playing until we die.

So the joke is:

There was a person
They had a name and got called a shorter name.
They went somewhere.

Plus it has to be something that clicks and suddenly becomes obvious. The being called "And" stuff is just not.

I might call my firstborn "Boswelland" :D

Bos for short