These are simple catches, in which the sense is playfully cheated, and
are generally founded upon words capable of double meaning. The
following are examples:
Where did Charles the First's executioner dine, and what did he
take?
_He took a chop at the King's Head._
When is a plant to be dreaded more than a mad dog?
_When it's madder._
What is majesty stripped of its externals?
It is _a jest_.
[The _m_ and the _y_, externals, are taken away.]
Why is hot bread like a caterpillar?
_Because it's the grub that makes the butter fly._
Why did the accession of Victoria throw a greater damp over England
than the death of King William?
_Because the King was missed_ (mist) _while the Queen was reigning_
(raining).
Why should a gouty man make his will?
_To have his legatees_ (leg at ease).
Why are bankrupts more to be pitied than idiots?
_Because bankrupts are broken, while idiots are only cracked._
Why is the treadmill like a true convert?
_Because it's turning is the result of conviction._
When may a nobleman's property be said to be all feathers?
_When his estates are all entails_ (hen-tails).
[EVERY MAN KNOWS WHERE HIS OWN SHOE PINCHES.]