Finish Data's Joke

[NAHTMMM]

Data: "A monk, a clone, and a Ferengi decide to go bowling together. In the first frame, the Ferengi bowls the ball down the lane and knocks down the 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10 pins. He gets his ball back and knocks the 3, 6, and 7 pins down.

"In the second frame, the Ferengi knocks down the 4 and 10 pins. On his next throw he knocks the 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 pins down.

"In the third frame, the Ferengi knocks down the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 pins. Then he succeeds in knocking down the 9 and 10 pins.

"In the fourth frame, the Ferengi knocks down the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 pins with his first roll. He then knocks down the 1, 7, and 10 pins.

"In the fifth frame, the Ferengi knocks down--"

Guinan: "Uh, Data, maybe you should skip to the punch line?"

Data: (a bit taken aback) "I could omit the fifth through ninth frames if you would like me to do so. However, I believe that the joke will lose much of its impact."

Guinan: "I'm willing to risk that."

Data: "Very well." (takes a moment to skip ahead) "In the tenth frame the Ferengi's first throw knocked down the 6, 9, and 10 pins. His second throw knocked down the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 pins. He then began to gyrate and exclaim in a celebratory manner.

"'Why are you behaving in such an excited manner?' the clone inquired.

"'Because all the changed spares I have been picking up have made me richer than I was before the game started!' the Ferengi said!" (grins widely)

Guinan: "Um, okay . . ."

Data: "Would you like me to explain it to you? There is an old Earth expression, 'spare change', that refers to--"

Guinan: "Uh, no, that's fine, I think I almost got it. Tell me, Data, what was the point of including the monk in the joke?"

Data: "My research indicates that, in jokes involving 3 individuals who enter a place simultaneously, it is often traditional for at least one of them to have a religious profession. I suspect that this may enhance the humor of the joke. Did it enhance the humor of this joke for you?"

[Nate the Great]

Nice joke, if a bit long, but of course the real punchline is "I'm willing to risk that." The "Did it enhance the humor of this joke for you?" is classic Data as well.

[Chancellor Valium]

A monk, a clone and a Ferengi decide to go to a bowling alley. On their way, a blinding light flashes, and, arrayed in Heavenly Glow (tm), Thomas Aquinas appears to them. The Ferengi decides to negotiate a publishing deal for the Summa, and the monk says "Nice to see me again."

[NAHTMMM]

Originally Posted by Nate the Great

Nice joke

Thanks.

if a bit long

That's part of the "joke": Data hasn't quite factored in others' lesser abilities in concentration and patience and such.

The "Did it enhance the humor of this joke for you?" is classic Data as well.

Thanks!

[Nate the Great]

I was trying to turn this into a riddle along the lines of "you could have a man that's a monk, a clone, AND a Ferengi, why not?" but I couldn't think of anything.

[Chancellor Valium]

Originally Posted by Nate the Great

I was trying to turn this into a riddle along the lines of "you could have a man that's a monk, a clone, AND a Ferengi, why not?" but I couldn't think of anything.

A monk, a clone and a Ferengi decide to go to a bowling alley. On their way, a blinding light flashes, and, arrayed in Heavenly Glow (tm), Thomas Aquinas appears to them. The Ferengi decides to negotiate a publishing deal for the Summa, and the monk says "Nice to see me again."

...Like that?

[Nate the Great]

Um, no. Actually, a joke of this sort could easily turn into a sort of time-travelling adventure where the Ferengi meets his future self, the monk, and an even further future self, the clone who saw all of the unpleasantness that resulted from being a monk and became even more Ferengi-like than the original. But I have no idea what the punchline would be.

[Nate the Great]

Thread arise, arise!


So I'm watching a review of "The Outrageous Okona" and found a version of said joke in the comments...


The Ferengi wishes to wager on the outcome of the game, but the monk has sworn a vow of poverty. The two agree that if the monk does not win the game, he will engage in the 17th century practice of indentured servitude. After the Ferengi's performance in the 10th frame the chances that the monk will win are very slim, causing the Ferengi to boast that the monk's abbey will soon be unable to run at peak efficiency. "That is highly unlikely" states the monk, "for I have already obtained a spare."