I don't get this joke

[Skeezix]

There’s at least one other very similar joke, perhaps more in line with the OP than the “potato potato” one:

Again the three guys, this time sneaking into the farmhouse from the barn, where all travelling salesmen spend thier nights. As the first one steps on the squeaky step, the farmer yells “Who’s there?” He answers, “Meow,” and the farmer goes back to bed without investigating. Same same for the second guy. The third guy, of course, answers, “It’s just me, the cat.”

I think it’s the delivery of the translated passage that’s so unfamiliar.

[sub]In retrospect, I guess it’s basically the same joke with a similar punchline.[/sub]

[MysteryFellow63427]

*Originally posted by ivylass *
**I didn’t get it either, because frequently, in jokes, animals do talk. **

Yeah. I thought it meant a talking dog had f*cked his wife.

[welby]

*Originally posted by RadioWave *
**Welby, you had two perfectly good excuses you could have used but then you had to go and ruin it by admitting the truth.

Of the two other books you mention, who’s the lead character of Heart of a Dog? Yes, that’s right. It’s a talking dog. Who’s the right hand man of Woland in The Master and Margarita? Yes, that’s right, it’s a talking cat.

So clearly, you were just used to the fact that pets can talk in Russian lit and thus weren’t surprised by the Vox Rexo in the joke.

See how much easier things are when you lie like a dog? **

Damn! If only I was more clever! I gotta tell you though, I really did feel dumb after Q.E.D. posted the explanation a mere four minutes after my post.

And now I’m going to act all smart and use some big words like Exgineer.

Participle.

Cantankerous.

Now if only I could use them in a sentence.

[Q.E.D]

If it makes you feel any better, I was about to post “I don’t get it either” when it hit me. Definitely not an instant ha-ha.

[ivylass]

How sad for Russian Jews…their animals don’t talk!!