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Norton Mockridge p3

READERSVOICE.COM continues with some humorous samples from A Funny Thing Happened… by 1960s New York columnist Norton Mockridge…

A smartly dressed lady stood at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street the other afternoon trying to get a cab. Eventually one came up the avenue with no one in the back, and she waved her hand like mad. But the driver barrelled right along. As he passed her, the lady was about to emit a very nasty and unladyfied word. But she bit it off when she saw a gray poodle stick its head up in the cab and look at her through the window.

 

Jack Fleischman, an advertising production man, was driving outside of Albany, and he pulled up at a farm to get directions. “Which way to Loodonville?” he asked.

The farmer scratched his head, hitched his overalls, and spat. “Never heard of it,” he said.

“Well, I’m sure it’s near here somewhere,” said Jack.

“Nope, no Loodonville,” said the farmer. Jack consulted his map and pointed to the place with his finger.

“Oh,” said the farmer. “LOUDonville. Right down the road, ‘bout a quarter of a mile.”

 

I went into a gas station one day to keep warm while the man serviced my car, and there on the wall I noticed a little sign that said, “Lift this in case of fire.” I lifted the sign, which was hinged to the wall, and underneath it read: “We said IN CASE OF FIRE, you dope!”

-Books like A Funny Thing Happened… by Norton Mockridge are fun for fun’s sake. It would be nice to see them make a comeback.

-readersvoice.com