> > I still didn't get it.
> >
> > How"?????????"ard
>
> The kid gets into all kinds of trouble (going on and on and on and on) for saying "Pickled beets" (when we told it at school, it was "Purple Passion"), and he's got no idea why. And just as he's about to find out, he gets hit by a car.
>
> Moral: Always look both ways before crossing the road.
>
>
> It's one of the best examples I've encountered of a true shaggy dog story. The whole point of the joke is that the end is an amazing letdown that didn't require most of the setup.
>
> Paul
Now why didn't somebody just say, "Shaggy dog story?" I understand that. Does my brain need new batteries?
Howard