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.

Hmmm, I like a riddle but this is just

A "bos" could be a cow

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bos

Can cows walk up or down stairs?

Whatever there is to get with this joke, I don't believe for a minute it's even vaguely funny.

Hmmm, cross-post, forgetme has gotten there first.

They took away some of his letters so he had to go to the post office?

Is it funny because Boswell or Bos is actually a short man and has to use the steps whereas people of a normal height wouldn’t have to?

This is so annoying! Can't you just ask them to tell you? Please?!

Oh vangoghsdog might have it

To clarify a few things - she's definitely not harping on about it, in fact never mentions it unless I do. I don't think we have spoken about it in a good few months, and before that it would probably be me mentioning it!

As to how I know it's not just a thing to exclude people - the friend in question has been my best friend for over 20 years, I firstly can absolutely tell when she is lying, and secondly doing this just wouldn't be her or her mum's style (or her husband's in fact!) I know lots of you will think this is still a possibility but I just absolutely know that it isn't.

The other element I find interesting is that she really doesn't get 'wordplay' type games, so I'm inclined to think it's not something like that. I love traditional riddles - you know the ones 'what starts with T, ends with T and is full of T'/'what gets wetter as it dries' - all that sort of thing (I know, I know - I'm a massive nerd) but she absolutely never gets these.

She also doesn't have any sort of bespoke post office related knowledge!

The cattle thing is interesting, but I'm just not sure she would know that that's another name for a cow? Unless she got a clue by asking whoever knew it at the time (her mum I'm guessing) whether Boswell is actually human?

I could def ask her a few specific questions and she would answer them - that might be a good one.

OMG vangoghsdog that's brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, it's not a brilliant joke, but it makes perfect sense and I have never thought of it!

I will ask her - wondering whether to do by text or save it to when I see her in person - I think on Wednesday...

They took away his letters!! I like it!!

VanGoghsDog Ooh that must be it, bravo!

They took away some of his letters so he had to go to the post office?

Yes, yes

Still not funny though

Was it worth waiting decades for?

If it is the letters thing that still isn't a joke or a riddle. It's just shit. Why would anyone torment you for years over that?

Are we pronouncing it Boss-well or Boz-well?

You need to text her now. It's annoying me. Most unreasonable to expect us to wait until Wednesday 😁

@viragoknows - no!! Haha

@user1457178042 - pronounced 'Boz-well'

Why did he walk up the Post Office steps though? Why not just say he went to the Post Office?

Vangoghs in with a shot. Bit anticlimactic innit?

You have us all invested now, you have to text her today and report back.

They took away some of his letters so he had to go to the post office?

Genius - @VanGoghsDog that is, not the "joke".

The "joke" is actually pretty badly worded. Surely it would make more sense to say

'There once was a man called Boswell. For short they called him Bos, and/so he went to the post office.'

What has the post office steps got to do with the price of fish? Or walking there?

If that is the "joke", OP, I'd be raging. But then I'm of the opinion the whole thing is a 'LTB' offence anyway.

Post Office Boz?

A pronunciation of "box" as "boz"?

I need to stop thinking of this stupid joke now!

Why does the post office have steps?

I havent a clue. At first i thought theyre winding you up but you seem insistant theyre not so im commenting so i can find it again when you have the answer!