Monday morning writing joke: “Dueling puns, part 9: job”

Two writers who didn’t like each other met in a bar, as such writers often do. Each claimed it was his favorite bar and each claimed he had found it first. After several months of glowering at each other and bad mouthing each other, they agree to settle the matter with a duel of puns.

Since the tall writer won the eighth round, the short writer was allowed to go first for round nine. A set of cards was placed on the table between them, face down. On each card was a subject. The short writer flipped the card over and the subject was “job.”

Props were allowed, and for each turn, each writer could make one phone call.

Each writer had to say his pun and the audience would get to pick which one they preferred. The bartender, a waiter, and a waitress would be the judges as to who got the loudest groan.

After thinking a moment, the short writer asked for a needle. It took a moment, but when it arrived, it was a sewing needle, which wasn’t what he was hoping for, so he asked for a well done steak. When the steak arrived, sizzling on a plate, he jabbed the needle into it and held up the steak and needle. “Acupuncture is a jab well done.”

This immediately drew a long moan from the crowd, then a few laughs.

A few more laughs came when the short writer began eating the steak. “No sense wasting a prop.”

The tall writer waited until things were quiet, then he asked for a rolling and some rolls. It took a few moments, but when those arrived, he stood up, held up the rolls, and then waved the rolling pin in the air. “Bakers trade recipes on a knead to know basis.”

The crowd hesitated, then groaned, and there were a few laughs, particularly after the short writer asked to look at the tray of rolls. He snatched one from the center and ate it with his steak.

It was almost all the tall writer could do to keep from hitting the short writer on the head with the rolling pin.

It was close, but round eight went to the short writer. The short writer now had 4 wins, 3 losses, and 2 ties.” The tall writer also had 3 wins, 4 losses, and 2 ties.