The Punchline That Had No Joke

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The Punchline That Had No Joke (Barry Gibb is not jealous) 2/14/07

I had some friends that I had been cliqueing with since high school
and at one point two of us were working a construction job together.
Sometime in the Summer of 1988, Frizzle (name changed for pretty good
reasons) and I worked one particular job, a new patio deck and some
remodel work inside. The owner of the house was an Italian-American
guy with a lot of money (lays finger along side of nose). The wife and
kiddies were never there and briefcase-and-shiny-suit guy was amiable
enough when he would sidle through on his way in or out; but he had a
Mother-in-law, (or Grandmother or something), that didn't speak any
English and hung around watching us all the time. I'll call her Olda
Cronia.

On one sunshiny day Olda Cronia was watching as we did nothing for
about two hours while we waited for our boss to bring back more lumber
for the deck. Apparently Olda Cronia was unfamiliar with the concept
of contracted work, she was very agitated that we were there not doing
anything; I believe she thought we were on her clock slacking off. Of
course, we were being paid by the hour, but our idle time was hurting
our boss, not his client. Nevertheless, she eventually meandered out
near where we were and started speaking gibberish* and motioning for
us. We walked over to her and listened as she waved her arms about and
said things we didn't understand. She became increasingly exasperated
with us for deliberately not learning any Italian as she harangued us
on the topic of ... like I said, I think it was loafing on her dime, I
will never know for sure. I started nodding to her, thinking she might
shut up and go away if she thought we were agreeing with her -- but
that made her get louder. I probably agreed to do something and then
didn't do it, I sympathize with her vexing situation.

Eventually she summed up, (I concluded from the context of her
sweeping arm gestures that she was nearing the end of her rhetoric),
so I nodded most agreeably and said "Yes, yes, penis fluid"; with my
most agreeable smile and continued nodding. Agreeably. Frizzle, of
course, cracked up, causing Olda to storm off with steam blasting out
of her ears, (not literally). Being a friend of mine he had been
chosen for his skill/sense of humor in finding me hilarious, but it
was a pretty funny moment I must say so my damn self. I could have
said anything, she had made it very clear she didn't understand a
single word of English; 'yes, yes, penis fluid' just happened to be
the funniest thing I could think of to say at the time.

Forever after that day, the phrase joined well-worn movie and song
quotes in our gang's lexicon. Anytime someone said something
nonsensical, especially if they were very earnest, one of the other of
us would invariably start nodding his head, then the punchline, "yes,
yes, penis fluid." Followed by gales of laughter and a look of
consternation from the nonsensical babbler.

* I say 'gibberish' not as a gibe towards the fine language of
Italian, but as a commentary on someone continuing to blather to a
person they know does not understand.