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George Washington & the Cherry Tree
Joke
A young man wanted to invite his girlfriend to their farm but was embarrassed by the old-fashioned outdoor outhouse.
He kept bickering with his dad about getting a modern one with indoor plumbing, but the old-timer didn't want to give in.
Out of sheer desperation, he slips out one night, and with a huge shove - pushes the entire outhouse down the hill. The solid affair was still intact when it reached the bottom, but he knew it would be too damaged to drag back up with the truck's winch.
The next morning at breakfast, his father asks him if it was he who destroyed the outhouse, and at the same time, reminds him of the story of George Washington and the cherry tree.
"Yes, Dad," sighed the boy. "It was me."
"I'm glad you're so honest," said his father.
"And as punishment, you have to start digging the pit for a new one immediately."
"But Dad," protests the boy, "when George Washington admitted it was he who cut the tree, his father didn't punish him!"
"Yes, you're right," said his father. "But George's dad wasn't in the cherry tree when he cut it down!"
Vocabulary Items:
- Outhouse
- Meaning: An outbuilding with a toilet, typically one without plumbing.
- Pronunciation: /ˈaʊtˌhaʊs/
- Form: Noun.
- Usage: "He was embarrassed by the old-fashioned outdoor outhouse."
- Bicker
- Meaning: To argue about petty and trivial matters.
- Pronunciation: /ˈbɪkər/
- Form: Verb.
- Usage: "He kept bickering with his dad about getting a modern one."
- Indoor plumbing
- Meaning: Plumbing that provides water supply and waste removal inside a building.
- Pronunciation: /ˈɪnˌdɔr ˈplʌmɪŋ/
- Form: Noun phrase.
- Usage: "Getting a modern one with indoor plumbing."
- Old-timer
- Meaning: An elderly person, often someone with traditional views.
- Pronunciation: /ˈoʊld ˌtaɪmər/
- Form: Noun.
- Usage: "The old-timer didn't want to give in."
- Give in
- Meaning: To yield or surrender.
- Pronunciation: /ɡɪv ɪn/
- Form: Phrasal verb.
- Usage: "The old-timer didn't want to give in."
- Out of sheer desperation
- Meaning: Acting because of extreme need or lack of options.
- Pronunciation: /aʊt ʌv ʃɪr ˌdɛspəˈreɪʃən/
- Form: Phrase.
- Usage: "Out of sheer desperation, he slips out one night."
- Slip out
- Meaning: To leave quietly or secretly.
- Pronunciation: /slɪp aʊt/
- Form: Phrasal verb.
- Usage: "He slips out one night."
- Shove
- Meaning: To push forcefully.
- Pronunciation: /ʃʌv/
- Form: Verb.
- Usage: "With a huge shove - pushes the entire outhouse down the hill."
- Solid affair
- Meaning: A sturdy or well-built object.
- Pronunciation: /ˈsɑːlɪd əˈfɛr/
- Form: Noun phrase.
- Usage: "The solid affair was still intact when it reached the bottom."
- Intact
- Meaning: Not damaged or impaired in any way.
- Pronunciation: /ɪnˈtækt/
- Form: Adjective.
- Usage: "The solid affair was still intact."
- Truck's winch
- Meaning: A mechanical device used to pull or lift heavy objects, typically mounted on a truck.
- Pronunciation: /trʌks wɪntʃ/
- Form: Noun phrase.
- Usage: "Too damaged to drag back up with the truck's winch."
Tags:
young man invite girlfriend farm visit outdoor outhouse old-fashioned outhouse indoor plumbing bickering father-son argument modern toilet old-timer traditional views sheer desperation slip out secret leave huge shove push outhouse downhill outhouse solid affair intact outhouse truck's winch drag up breakfast conversation honest admission George Washington story cherry tree punishment digging pit new outhouse vocabulary items pronunciation usage examples outhouse meaning bicker meaning indoor plumbing definition give in elderly person extreme need forceful push sturdy object mechanical device0 Comments
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