The Origin of Greek Tragic Drama Jokes

[LBernier at tribune.com]

from Dennis Grace:

     
     Then it hit me, I said "any reasonable number of items" with good 
     reason. If you had, say, 50 cans of cat food, the checker would count 
     the cans but check only one.  In that case, does the quantity count as 
     one instance of checking?  If so, at what point does the number of 
     items become high enough to return to them to singular status?  I mean, 
     hey, you'd probably have to count the quantity as at least two 
     effective items (one for the act of counting, one for the act of 
     checking), but could this be an instance of more is less?
     
The real question should be can the customer get out of the store before 
the other people behind the customer in line band together and eviscerate 
him (or her).

Jean.