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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask for your help solving this impossible riddle/joke

999 replies

killingtime9198 · 03/12/2018 10:57

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
Honeypickle · 03/12/2018 18:09

And he walked up the post office steps to collect the missing four letters???

Pipnik · 03/12/2018 18:10

Ok, I'm giving this my best shot. This seems like a perfect answer but is rather random unless there is a particular connection for it to make sense to the OP and her friend.

The joke is:

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

But did Boscombe Down?

(Its a military site in Wiltshire)

PhilomenaButterfly · 03/12/2018 18:11

One from DD 11:

What has rivers but no water, trees but no trunks and roads but no cars?

ErrolTheDragon · 03/12/2018 18:11

We could use this thread to do an analysis of how many MNers don't RTFT - or even the first page or so.Grin

mum2015 · 03/12/2018 18:12

Or may be this
Take four letters from Boswell and you get Bos. Four short they called him Bos.

He didn't like being called bos so he went to post office to get letters !

BloodyUseless · 03/12/2018 18:13

But did Boscombe Down?

As dreadful as it is that is the best so far and is at least a "joke". However apparently the joke can be told without steps or walking "up" anywhere.

BoswellAndNotAndAFox · 03/12/2018 18:13

Nah.

AltheaVestr1t · 03/12/2018 18:14

Ok, how about if ‘Bos’ and ‘Forshort’ are two different people and they walk up the steps together?

mum2015 · 03/12/2018 18:14

Crosspost Honeypickle

ErrolTheDragon · 03/12/2018 18:15

What has rivers but no water, trees but no trunks and roads but no cars?

Encyclopaedia volume R - Tri...

IknowTheBoswellJoke · 03/12/2018 18:15

NEWER THEORY!!!
Thereonce was a man. Called Boswell forshort (ie, not his name, which is Thereonce) he walked (away, cos they didn't call him by his name) up the steps to the post office.

AltheaVestr1t · 03/12/2018 18:15

‘Well, Forshort, they called him’ ‘Bos and he walked up the post office steps’

NottonightJosepheen · 03/12/2018 18:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MiaowMix · 03/12/2018 18:16

Well, this is hilarious.

DEFINE 'JOKE' OP

😡😡😡

Is it an anagram? Cos that would be blindingly funny.

Pipnik · 03/12/2018 18:17

Damn.....missed the "doesn't have to go up" bit

BloodyUseless · 03/12/2018 18:17

So now he's called Thereonce Boswelland Forshort.

Thank god for that, it all makes perfect sense.

TheRealHousewifeofCheshire · 03/12/2018 18:18

Is it solved

RatRolyPoly · 03/12/2018 18:18

It's Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Just because I can sleep tonight if it is.

IknowTheBoswellJoke · 03/12/2018 18:19

Yeah.....I need a break from this thread!

BoswellAndNotAndAFox · 03/12/2018 18:19

This seems like a perfect answer but is rather random unless there is a particular connection for it to make sense to the OP and her friend.

There is an anagnorisis moment that OP's friend's husband managed. Did he need to acquire familial knowledge before he got it?

Bluntness100 · 03/12/2018 18:20

I'm switching again and yup it could be but did boscombe down. To be fair that actually made me chuckle a little.

Talith · 03/12/2018 18:22

BloodyUseless I shall be forthwith recommending Thereonce on the baby name boards, perhaps as a sibset with Beyonce.

sammi0805 · 03/12/2018 18:22

I need to place Mark for Thursday!

MooMoi · 03/12/2018 18:25

Could this be a two part joke?

Two seemingly unrelated jokes are told at different times, the 'punchlines' of which solve each other.

If it is they play a very impressive long game.

MiamiLogic · 03/12/2018 18:25

OP text your friend immediately with @Pipnik’s solution!