Fun Talents of Dubious Utility

[athelind]

I am sufficiently well-versed in the classic Abbott and Costello routine, "Who's On First", and the principles behind it to be able to improvise entirely new variations of the routine extemporaneously.

This only works if you have two people who can do it, however.

The key thing to remember is that the person in the "Abbott" roll always interprets the various ambiguous words as names, while "Costello" always interprets them as descriptors -- pronouns, adjectives, times of day, etc. Naturally, there's an exception.

Comments

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[ceruleanst.livejournal.com]

Did you hear Who got traded off the team?

[hedgegoth.livejournal.com]

You never know when there's going to be a zombie attack and these useless talents come in handy.

(see Planet Terror)

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[silussa.livejournal.com]

What?

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[athelind.livejournal.com]

Who did?

[hafoc.livejournal.com]

Look, see this bottle I have? I want you to take it to the other end of the plant and give it to Mel. Tell him to put it where nobody else can find it.

(No, I don't know the rest of it)

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[hafoc.livejournal.com]

Yes.

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[ceruleanst.livejournal.com]

No, he's still playing second. I said Who's off the team.

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[athelind.livejournal.com]

So Yes got traded?

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[kinkyturtle.livejournal.com]

Yes is not even *at* this concert!

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[hafoc.livejournal.com]

No! Who got traded to Were-on-Wye, for Which!

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[athelind.livejournal.com]

I don't KNOW!

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[silussa.livejournal.com]

Who?

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[hafoc.livejournal.com]

Third base!

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[athelind.livejournal.com]

You realize we're going to have to abuse everyone with this at FC next year, don't you?

[doc-mystery.livejournal.com]

Many of the routines used on the Abbott & Costello radio show (sponsored by Camels) made use of similar confusion among words that are homonyms or with varying meanings, and there are some similar routines with Lou playing dumb to Bud's straight man attempts to clarify things. Many episodes in circulation are hilarious as they often flub their lines (and may ad-lib in a semi-raunchy way) and they are great fun to listen to).

I think their classic "Who's On First" was used several times ( with different variations) on their radio show.

::B::

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. You can find at least three different filmed versions on YouTube, and I've seen more than that myself -- they did it in a couple of their movies and at least once on their TV show.

I know they did other word-confusion bits, but the only one I know I've heard is "Hertz U-Drive". "If it HURTS, YOU drive!"

YouTube has one version of "Who" with Spanish subtitles. They're utterly hilarious if you have even a smattering of high school Spanish. I found them especially amusing because a few years back, when I was taking Spanish in college, we had to do memorized dialogues in front of the class every chapter. One chapter introduced all of the appropriate "question words" -- and my partner and I had no choice but to do an abbreviated version.

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[hafoc.livejournal.com]

Not if it takes me twenty minutes to come up with each response. I do think we should introduce the team's Chinese trainer, Mr. Hee, though.

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[hafoc.livejournal.com]

Who bandaged Which's leg? Hee did! Who? No, Hee! Look, I said Who bandaged the leg, and you said he did! Naturally! It's his job! Who? No, Hee did it!

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[athelind.livejournal.com]

You couldn't POSSIBLY be Sorry. Sorry is with Sheesh on the other side of the galaxy, and if you don't believe me, come back on Thursday and ask him yourself!

[ebony14.livejournal.com]

I may presume, then, that you've heard the one involving the concert producer and the ad agency exec? Culminating in the punchline, "Hey, if I could write, I wouldn't have stolen this bit!"

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. And the Slappy Squirrel version of the same that KT referenced, above.

[shdragon.livejournal.com]

Another line from the same shtick as "Hertz U-Drive" is:

A: Nome? (referring to Nome, Alaska, which is where they were headed, which is why they were talking about a car)

C: Of course I know 'im, he's my uncle!"

But that's the only line from it that I can remember.

Yassir!

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Re: Yassir!

[hafoc.livejournal.com]

Watt?

[araquan.livejournal.com]

Man, I think I have that one on tape...

...somewhere.