Because You Can’t Wash Windows with a Spade

Not instructions to my window cleaner, but the punchline to a surreal joke which always amused me when I was at sixth form college, some *cough24cough* years ago. My conversation with Plum yesterday brought it to mind.

Following her bath during which she had played with some new stick-on-the-side-of-the-bath letters, we decided to sing our conversation with each other.

Plum: Can I get the let-ters from the baaa-ath and put them on the friiii-idge?

Me: No-oooo becauuuuuuse they will not stick. You need magnets foooorrrrrrr tha-at

Plum: There are lots of maaaag-nets on the fri-idge.

Me: But they are not lett-errrs. You can not spelllllllll your name with a zebraaaaaaaaa. Or a leeee-aaafffff. But you could spelllllllll your naa-me with a caaaaamellllllll.

Plum: Don’t be silly Mummmmm-y. I can’t spelllllllll my naa-me with a camel. We don’t have a camellllllll.

Fish.