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Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
 Posted - 01/24/2008 : 9:52:55 PM
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Q: What did the snail say, when he climbed up on the turtle's back?
A: WO!
(It's better in person, after EVERYBODY'S had 2 beers.)
also, with timing and a little drama--use the BIG EYES on the punch line (if you can find it)!
Actually, my fifth grade band liked it, and as far as I know, with NO Beers...
Hey, I just realized...speaking of Relativity... my picking is really fast, if I just quit hanging around with Gifted and Talented people.
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Edited by - Kapila Kane on 01/27/2008 4:29:28 PM |
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2008 : 05:07:17 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Kapila Kane
Q: What did the snail say, when he climbed up on the turtles back?
A: WO!
(It's better in person, after EVERYBODY'S had 2 beers.)
also, with timing and a little drama--use the BIG EYES on the punch line (if you can find it)!
Actually, my fifth grade band liked it, and as far as I know, with NO Beers...
OK, admittedly I pulled an all-nighter to watch the semifinals of the Australian Open, but... I didn't get it. I really had to think hard about it. Finally, I realized why the joke plays better in person than in writing.
I couldn't figure out why the snail was upset to be up there on the turtle. Then it hit me that he wasn't upset, but elated.
"Wo" is an expression of distress, affliction, or trouble (as in "Oh, wo is me").
"Whoa" (pronounced exactly the same as "wo") is an expression of delight or surprise.
Thus spoketh the anal linguist in me.  Now it's funny in writing (even without two beers).
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Join me for the history of Hawaiian music and its musicians at Ho`olohe Hou at www.hoolohehou.org. |
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islandboo
Lokahi
USA
237 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2008 : 05:32:51 AM
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I have heard it told using "Wheee!" rather than "whoa" - makes the fun a bit more apparent, and less evocative of Keanu Reeves  |
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`Ilio Nui
`Olu`olu
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2008 : 06:47:50 AM
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Good one!!! It evoked the image of stop-signs in Waimea (Parker Ranch) and Molokai (Ranch) that use WHOA instead of STOP. It makes one laugh and at the same time take notice and stop.
Mahalo,
dog |
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kaniala5
Akahai
USA
65 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2008 : 07:49:12 AM
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Didn't you mean "Whoa!" as in "Stop" while pulling on the reins?(That's how cowboys used to hit the brakes before cars were invented.)
I saw an old cowboy waiting at a light on Parker Ranch in the late 80's. He signalled a left turn when the light turned green and as my friends and I walked by he touched his brim, wished us good afternoon, and continued on his way. Fond memories  |
Look for reasons to be happy rather than excuses to be miserable. |
Edited by - kaniala5 on 01/25/2008 07:52:26 AM |
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markwitz
`Olu`olu
USA
841 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2008 : 08:20:35 AM
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| I took it to mean, "WO.....look how fast those telephone poles are whizzing by!!" |
"The music of the Hawaiians, the most fascinating in the world, is still in my ears and
haunts me sleeping and waking."
Mark Twain |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2008 : 09:32:22 AM
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quote:
Good one!!! It evoked the image of stop-signs in Waimea (Parker Ranch) and Molokai (Ranch) that use WHOA instead of STOP. It makes one laugh and at the same time take notice and stop.
Our friend Lucy saw the stop sign at the Moloka`i Ranch on her first trip to Hawai`i. She turned to Annie and said, "I have so much to learn about Hawai`i and I don't want to embarrass myself. What does wa hoa mean?" |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2008 : 10:05:18 AM
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| Ahhh . . . Einstein's Theory of Relativity in a simple joke -- ain't life grand?!! |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2008 : 10:25:25 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark
quote:
Good one!!! It evoked the image of stop-signs in Waimea (Parker Ranch) and Molokai (Ranch) that use WHOA instead of STOP. It makes one laugh and at the same time take notice and stop.
Our friend Lucy saw the stop sign at the Moloka`i Ranch on her first trip to Hawai`i. She turned to Annie and said, "I have so much to learn about Hawai`i and I don't want to embarrass myself. What does wa hoa mean?"
Well, I don't mind embarassing myself for a laugh. Despite having been exposed to the Hawaiian language for three decades before ever setting foot in the islands, I made a similar mistake.
Heading up through the center of O`ahu toward Wahiawa, we got to a bridge and a sign: "One Lane Bridge." I wanted to impress my new bride with my Hawaiian, so I spent a good 3 or 4 minutes trying to translate the sign for her. How many times did I say it out loud? Oh-nay lah-nay bridge. Oh-nay means "sand." But I have no idea what lah-nay means. She finally let me off the hook and said, "Darling, that sign - the entire sign - is in English. We are stopped to wait for the oncoming traffic. This is a one lane bridge."
That was a disastrous end to the world's shortest marriage.
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Join me for the history of Hawaiian music and its musicians at Ho`olohe Hou at www.hoolohehou.org. |
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`Ilio Nui
`Olu`olu
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2008 : 4:39:34 PM
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Yes, but I do like Pa-lay Ah-lay beer.
dog |
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da_joka
Lokahi
361 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2008 : 5:10:57 PM
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you heard about dat awesome surf spot ... pi-pe-li-ne?
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If can, can. If no can, no can. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2008 : 12:27:18 AM
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| I've heard of the Lyke-Lyke Highway on O`ahu. I think we musta been on 0our way to the Pi-pe-li-ne. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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JeffC
Lokahi
USA
189 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2008 : 07:30:26 AM
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On Moloka`i there are the One Ali`i 1 and One Ali`i 2 parks a few miles east of Kaunakakai. It took me awhile to figure out that there wasn't any numerical redundancy or contradiction to the names...
Have to agree with Dog: love the Pa-lay Ah-lay!
I don't know if it still exists, but in 2000 when I was last there, there was a brew pub in Waimea on Kaua`i that made a Waialeale Pale Ale. My favorite example so far; named after the wettest place on Earth. |
Jeff
Making Trout Country safe for Slack Key! |
Edited by - JeffC on 01/27/2008 07:13:44 AM |
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Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
Posted - 01/28/2008 : 07:48:56 AM
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I thought 'whoa' meant stop. At least when I learnt American from Yosemite Sam, on the Bugs Bunny cartoons it did.
However, as Islandboo points out, Keanu Reeves used it to mean something like 'my word, how extraordinary!'.
As an aside, Reeves is the only person I know of who has got a laugh playing Hamlet in the Graveyard scene with the line 'A fellow of infinite jest and 'most excellent' fancy.' |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2168 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2008 : 07:20:33 AM
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| Don't forget "Ipa" (I.P.A. India Pale Ale). |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2008 : 10:24:25 AM
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| My daughter has two turtles (she aslo has a few tree frogs and many fish). She put both turtles on the floor last night and they took off running. I told the "snail" joke and we were all laughing hard . . . I guess you had to be there. ;-) |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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