Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hanygeorge38]

Dear Bud,

How are you it has been a long time since i last posted a question
here as i was so busy i am always very thankfull and gratfull for
your help.

I need a reply to the following questions :

1- I did not understand the following wnglish riddle ?

If yesterday had been wedensday's tommorow and tommorow
is sunday's yestreday, what day would today be ?
the answer was that today is Friday.

2- Can you explain to me the follwing quote ?

Man is the only animal the laugh and weep for he is
the only animal that is stuck with the difference
bettween what things are what they ought to be.


3- I did not get the meaning of this joke

Q. What did prisoners call each other ?
A. cell phones.




Thanks
_________________
hany

[bud]

Hi Hany,

I'm good. How about you? I'm glad to see you back in here.

1.
a. Wednesday's tomorrow = Thursday
b. Yesterday = Wednesday's tomorrow = Thursday
c. Thus, if yesterday was Thursday, then today is Firday.

d. Sunday's yesterday = Saturday
e. Tomorrow = Sunday's yesterday = Saturday
f. Thus, if tomorrow is Saturday, then today is Friday.

2. To be stuck with something is when that something cannot be changed. (My car has died and I don't have the money to get it fixed. Therefore, I am stuck with riding the bus for the time being.)

"Ought to be" = should be."

So the author is saying that since man has the ability to reason, he can rejoice in the things that are good, but he also has to weep at the bad things that cannot be changed.

3. Is there a preposition missing? What do prisoners call each other with?

For phones, cell is short for cellular. For prisoners, a cell is the small room they are confined to. So the joke, a very poor one, is making the connection between the uses of cell.

If I'm wrong about the preposition, then I don't understand the joke either!

Be well.