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 find "jokes" like this mean. I don't like the exclusion of others. Seems mean.

But, i really want to know IF there is an answer to this joke. Pleaseeee don't disappear OP

I think there must be something in the for short/four short idea as Bos is four letters short of Boswell. But no clue what the post office but is all about!

Thanks, I just lost the Game.

Great joke, thanks. :-)

Haven't read the thread, but if Bos = Boss then maybe the boss of the post office is the only one who walks up the post office steps to go to work because the postmen all go to work by leaving/walking down the post office steps?

But give me another twenty years and I'll get back to you.

You weren't winning, zero, its pathetic...
Stop playing and thats the real winner :)

@BloodyUseless - THANKS! I just lost the game.

I hope the dailymail print this- just so I can read the comments! 😂

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.

Is it pronounced Boz or Boss though?

It's got to be something to do with him missing four letters when he walked up the post office steps, hasn't it?

Also when you get the answer please make sure to post it with a proper
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spoiler alert.

If it’s better in person it must be something to do with the sound of the words (eg words when placed together sounding like a different word?). Or the delivery of the ‘joke’?

I've texted it to DP to drive him mad see if he has any insight, he's normally really good at these things. probably not this one though as its shit and doesn't make any sense

I agree you need new friends OP. These ones sound like a bunch of wankers.

"They called him Bos"

Him bos = EMboss? (said quickly)

Gaaaah.

More - I asked if he was going to the post office to collect the letters missing from his name. She said no.

He is human and of average stature - his height isn't significant.

He doesn't work at the post office.

It wouldn't matter if he was a woman.

It doesn't matter that he walks up the steps - the joke still works if he just approaches the post office.

It doesn't matter that it's a post office, I asked if a library would also work, she said yes. 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.

WTAF.

The fact that there's NO hits on google for this (beside this thread!) makes me think they're talking bollocks.

Although rubiyat is thinking along the same lines as me. Being short of letters and near a post office is the only connection I can see between the first half of the ‘joke’ and the second half

TBH, inside jokes are really difficult to explain. If this is the one and they don't want to tell you, they're a bunch of idiots. Inconsiderate and rude.

Thanks BloodyUseless. I'm off to email DS1 now.

when are you seeing your friend? how long do we have to wait? not 20 years i hope?!!!!

Oh ffs.

Ok cross post. In that case I reckon it is just a riddle with no answer!

Can you just ask her to explain it?

"Mumsnet users INFURIATED by this IMPOSSIBLE riddle. Can you solve it?"