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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006Plice get rid of the fish
Let me ask a question about the meaning of a phrase from a novel. Cops catch something, no longer let crooks off the hook. Knock, knock. Who's there? Police. Police who? Plice get rid of the fish. (p199, Southern Cross, by P.Conrwell) context: People are talking about cops running after a criminal, for fun. Question: meaning of "Plice get rid of the fish." In what is said above, I understand that the fish is impersonated as a criminal. Police knock on the door of that fish's. It asks, " Who's there?" But I couldn't get the meaning of "Plice get rid of the fish." What is Plice? > Let me ask a question about the meaning of a phrase from a novel. > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > But I couldn't get the meaning of "Plice get rid of the fish." What is > Plice? You're lucky if that's the only thing you don't understand. I don't get a single word of what you wrote. > Cops catch something, no longer let crooks off the hook. > Knock, knock. Who's there? Police. Police who? Plice get rid of the [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > But I couldn't get the meaning of "Plice get rid of the fish." What is > Plice? What you wrote is a total lack of understaning about a long series of old "native English" childrens jokes. They go under the guise of "knock knock jokes". Let me give you a couple of examples: A: "Doctor" B: "Doctor who?" A: "That's right, Doctor Who." or A: "Knock knock" B: "Who's there?" A: "Knock knock" B: "Who's there?" A: "Knock knock" B: "I SAID WHO IS OUT THERE?" C: "No-one, just a blooming woodpecker." or A: "Knock knock" B: "Who's there?" A: "Police" B: "Police who?" A: "Police to meet you." (sounds like "pleased to met you") or A: "Knock knock" B: "Who's there?" A: "Police" B: "Police who?" A: "Police get rid of the fish." There is a basic problem with explaining jokes: it is just like disecting a frog. The frog always dies! > A: "Knock knock" > B: "Who's there?" [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > B: "I SAID WHO IS OUT THERE?" > C: "No-one, just a blooming woodpecker." Thank you for this information. I always wondered what the method was Woody Woodpecker applied, to break his (A) silent treatment. Although the doctor was very well prepared to remain absolutely quiet he couldn't resist to shout: "Who is there?" when Woody concluded: "Knock, knock, knock," after provoking him twice before by saying, "Knock, knock.". (A) What I always wanted to know about silent treatment 1. Whose silent treatment is it? Is it Woody's (directed towards Woody) or is it the doctor's (treats Woody)? 2. The person it is done to: Is he the "treated"? 3. And the one who is doing it ... How is he called? (In this particular case it actually was a medical doctor. Maybe it was a clue, maybe it was coincidence ...) Regards, Igor > I always wondered what the method was > Woody Woodpecker applied, to break his (A) silent treatment. Although [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > (A) What I always wanted to know about silent treatment You know that it's an idiom, right? "To give someone the silent treatment" means to refuse to speak to them, to maintain silence in their presence even if they speak to you. It's a way of being very rude to them. It's not a medical "treatment" or therapy; it's a "treatment", "a way of treating the person", in the sense of "a way of behaving towards them". (Compare: "He always treated me with kindness." "They treated us with respect." -- also not medical treatments.) > 1. > Whose silent treatment is it? Is it Woody's (directed towards Woody) or > is it the doctor's (treats Woody)? Either one: "the doctor's silent treatment (of Woody)" or "Woody's silent treatment (that he got from the doctor)." > 2. > The person it is done to: Is he the "treated"? Rather, Woody is "given the (silent) treatment". You could, however, say "The doctor treated Woody with silence" or "Woody was treated with silence (by the doctor). But you would not say just "The doctor treated Woody" or "Woody was treated (by the doctor): those could be said about an ordinary medical treatment, but not about "the silent treatment". > 3. > And the one who is doing it ... How is he called? > (In this particular case it actually was a medical doctor. Maybe it was > a clue, maybe it was coincidence ...) I think it was a coincidence, in a sense. Isn't the doctor a recurring character, one of Woody's many regular antagonists? But there may be a sort of joke or pun here: one goes to the doctor for a (medical) treatment, and gets "the silent treatment" instead -- which might be a medical treatment only in a cartoon world. (I don't remember having seen this particular cartoon, so I don't know if this is the case.)  SignatureRoland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food. NB mail to my.spamtrap [at] verizon.net is heavily filtered to remove spam. If your message looks like spam I may not see it. Roland Hutchinson schrieb: > > (A) What I always wanted to know about silent treatment > > You know that it's an idiom, right? "To give someone the silent treatment" > means to refuse to speak to them, to maintain silence in their presence > even if they speak to you. It's a way of being very rude to them. Yes. I know. > > 1. > > Whose silent treatment is it? Is it Woody's (directed towards Woody) or > > is it the doctor's (treats Woody)? > > Either one: "the doctor's silent treatment (of Woody)" or "Woody's silent > treatment (that he got from the doctor)." After a bit of thinking: The doctor presented the silent treatment on TV. Woody received an instructional audio tape for the silent treatment. Well, you may guess what on that tape was ... The real conflict was as always between Woody and Wally, the German (!) Walrus. Of course Wally didn't stand a chance against the cunning Woodpecker. > I think it was a coincidence, in a sense. Isn't the doctor a recurring > character, one of Woody's many regular antagonists? Yes. Although for the doctor, real trouble comes with Winnie Woodpecker, the one who loves the show Wood Peck ER. ("The medical field is so exciting. The action, the drama ... I got to find out about a carrier in medicine today.") > But there may be a > sort of joke or pun here: one goes to the doctor for a (medical) treatment, > and gets "the silent treatment" instead -- which might be a medical > treatment only in a cartoon world. (I don't remember having seen this > particular cartoon, so I don't know if this is the case.) It is from the _all new_ Woody Woodpecker show. We have only two VHS tapes of it (Woody goes on holiday and Sports-mad Woody). But it is brilliant. Regards, Igor > Roland Hutchinson schrieb: > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > TV. Woody received an instructional audio tape for the silent > treatment. Well, you may guess what on that tape was ... Well it may be the _New_ Woody Woodpecker Show, but that's the logic typical of a classic Woody situation, all right! SignatureRoland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food. NB mail to my.spamtrap [at] verizon.net is heavily filtered to remove spam. If your message looks like spam I may not see it. Harry Lethall: > What you wrote is a total lack of understaning about a long series of old > "native English" childrens jokes. They go under the guise of "knock knock > jokes". Let me give you a couple of examples: Harry's first two examples violate the form of standard knock-knock jokes. They are really jokes *about* knock-knock jokes. Nothing wrong with doing that, but perhaps confusing to the original poster in this context. SignatureMark Brader, Toronto | "To err is human, but to error requires a computer." msb@vex.net | -- Harry Lethall Mark Brader filted: >Harry Lethall: >> What you wrote is a total lack of understaning about a long series of old [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >They are really jokes *about* knock-knock jokes. Nothing wrong with doing >that, but perhaps confusing to the original poster in this context. Q: Knock, knock. A: Who's there? Q: Philip Glass. A: Philip Glass who? Q: Knock, knock. A: Who's there? Q: Philip Glass. A: Philip Glass who? Q: Knock, knock.... ....r Signature"Keep your eye on the Bishop. I want to know when he makes his move", said the Inspector, obliquely. > Mark Brader filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > A: Philip Glass who? > Q: Knock, knock.... Hm, how to notate this one? (It takes two participants who know the joke, performing it for the benefit of others who are listening): Q: Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: (a little early) Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: (earlier still) Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: (still earlier; overlapping slightly with the previous answer) Knock knock? A: Who's there? Q: (still earlier) Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: (simultaneously with previous answer) Knock knock. (... etc, each "knock knock" coming earlier until you arive at:) A: Who's there? Q: Knock knock? A: Who's there? Q: (a little early) Knock knock. (...and then continuing until you're back to): Q: Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: Knock knock. A: Who's there? Q: Steve Reich SignatureRoland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food. NB mail to my.spamtrap [at] verizon.net is heavily filtered to remove spam. If your message looks like spam I may not see it. Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> had it: > Harry Lethall: > > What you wrote is a total lack of understaning about a long series of old [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > They are really jokes *about* knock-knock jokes. Nothing wrong with doing > that, but perhaps confusing to the original poster in this context. Quite. Nobody is posting real knock-knock jokes. - Knock knock. - Who's there? - Nicholas. - Nicholas who? - Nicholas girls shouldn't climb trees. SignatureDavid ===== > Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> had it: > >> Harry Lethall: [metaknock-knocks] > Quite. Nobody is posting real knock-knock jokes. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > - Nicholas who? > - Nicholas girls shouldn't climb trees. My first experience of one, around age seven: "Knock-knock,"; "Who's there?"; "Marmalade,"; "Marmalade who?"; "Marma laid me; who laid you?". Although I heard it in rhotic Ottawa, it was presumably non-rhotic in origin. Among the disparagements of the genre already posted, it seems to me that no one has mentioned one of its most irritating features: that the interlocutor is required not merely to suffer the joke but to participate in its infliction. CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: > > Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> had it: > > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > the interlocutor is required not merely to suffer the joke but to > participate in its infliction. I know a good one. You start: SignatureDavid ===== > CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: > >>> Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> had it: >>> >>>> Harry Lethall: [metaknock-knocks] [echt knock-knocks] >> Among the disparagements of the genre already posted, it seems to >> me that no one has mentioned one of its most irritating features: >> that the interlocutor is required not merely to suffer the joke >> but to participate in its infliction. > > I know a good one. You start: A trap? What to do? The next sound you hear will be my knees: "Knock-knock." CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: > > CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: > > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > "Knock-knock." Who's there? SignatureDavid ===== > CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Who's there? Idaho. CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: > > CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: > > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Idaho. Idaho who? SignatureDavid ===== > CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Idaho who? Ida ho, 'bout half-grown Jumps on a man like a dog on a bone ... No, wait: that's Ida _Red_. SignatureFrank ess > CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Idaho who? Idaho where this is going, but I wonder how helpful it is, really, to put the key to the comfy armchair into the hands of the pantomime Torquemada; still, I am but an unironed North American, as 'twere from one of the more rural states or provinces, and I continue to believe provisionally that people are good at heart. } CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: } }> > CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> had it: }> > ... }> >>> I know a good one. You start: }> >> }> >> A trap? What to do? The next sound you hear will be my knees: }> >> }> >> "Knock-knock." }> > }> > Who's there? }> }> Idaho. } } Idaho who? Idaho, Alaska. Signaturerjv The CDB entity posted thusly: >> Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> had it: >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >you?". Although I heard it in rhotic Ottawa, it was presumably >non-rhotic in origin. The earliest one I remember is: - Knock-knock - Who's there? - Isobel. - Isobel who? - Isobel necessary on a bicycle? The Mark Brader entity posted thusly: >Harry Lethall: >> What you wrote is a total lack of understaning about a long series of old [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >They are really jokes *about* knock-knock jokes. Nothing wrong with doing >that, but perhaps confusing to the original poster in this context. My favourite joke _about_ knock-knock jokes is: "Ask me knock-knock" > The Mark Brader entity posted thusly: > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > "Ask me knock-knock" SPOILER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If that's what I think it is, in pre-PC days we called it the Polish knock-knock, as in: "Have you heard the Polish knock-knock joke?" "No, what is it?" "Say 'knock-knock'". ... SignatureBlinky RLU 297263 Killing all posts from Google Groups The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html The Blinky the Shark entity posted thusly: >> The Mark Brader entity posted thusly: >> [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] > >... That's the one, though we never did it any other way than with a bare "Ask me knock-knock." > The Blinky the Shark entity posted thusly: > [quoted text clipped - 71 lines] > That's the one, though we never did it any other way than with a bare > "Ask me knock-knock." We used the Polish setup to give it meaning for the victim to grasp so he could eventually lose his deer-in-the-headlights look. Then there's: "Hey, have you heard the World War Three knock-knock?" "No." "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "World War Three." "World War Three who?" > Let me ask a question about the meaning of a phrase from a novel. That is a representative sample of a sub-class of comedy that relies on rather bad puns, most such puns deriving from a near-homonym. The sub-class is called "knock-knock" jokes, in that they are presented in a uniform style: . Knock, knock (sound of knocking at a door). . "Who's there?" (natural question from within) . X (where "X" is some term or name) . "X who?" (person within wants more detailed identification) . X Y (where that is the jest, some supposedly comic phrase based on Y fulfilling X, but only when X is interpreted as a modest mispronunciation) In the cited case, it goes like so: Knock, knock. Who's there? Police. Police who? Police take out the fish. There, "police" is a punning mispronunciation of "please". (The word "police" is sometimes mis-pronounced "p'lice", which the maker of that sad excuse for a jest apparently thought even closer to the pronunciation of "please".) Even for a knock-knock joke, a weak, sad, tired form of humor, that is pretty weak, in that "Please take out the fish" is not especially clever or inherently amusing. > Let me ask a question about the meaning of a phrase from a > novel. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > But I couldn't get the meaning of "Plice get rid of the fish." > What is Plice? "Plice" is a misspelling of "please" (/s/ and /c/ are sometimes pronounced the same). Therefore, the person telling the knock-knock joke is obliged to reduce the initial vowel (/o/) so much that it's no longer there, as the /u/ is absent from "suki" when someone says "Suki desu", which sounds like "ski dess". So it's really Knock, knock. Who's there? P'lice. (Police) P'lice who? P'lice get rid of the fish. (Please get rid of the fish.) The fish has nothing to do with anyone impersonating a criminal. These are just stupid jokes based on the phonic similarities of words. They have no meaning. SignatureFranke: EFL teacher & medical editor Native speaker of American English; posting from Taiwan. Unmunged email: /at/easypeasy.com "Impatience is the mother of misery." >>Let me ask a question about the meaning of a phrase from a >>novel. [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > These are just stupid jokes based on the phonic similarities of > words. They have no meaning. actually, in the novel referenced, the fish *do* have meaning. The "fish" have to do with an individual's attempt to notify the police about impending gang activity (a gang named after a fish, the "Pikes") by hacking a police website map with small fish icons. So it does make sense. It must be difficult, though, to read an American English-written novel when one does not know the idioms and slang used in common spoken Am.Eng. regards karinne >>>Let me ask a question about the meaning of a phrase from a >>>novel. [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > read an American English-written novel when one does not know > the idioms and slang used in common spoken Am.Eng. It is also difficult to understand such references when one hasn't read the novel. SignatureFranke: EFL teacher & medical editor Native speaker of American English; posting from Taiwan. Unmunged email: /at/easypeasy.com "Impatience is the mother of misery." |
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