MDMD(1) - The Joke

[Steven Maas (CUTR)]

Brian D. McCary wrote:
> 
> Kudos to Rich Romeo who wrote:
> 
> "p. 16--Dixon's Joke:  Mason says "Are You Crazy...people are staring".  
> Is this somehow the answer to the riddle--one of those koans we have to 
> figure out that LED mentions later, "holy Insanity"?"
> 
> This makes perfect sense.  Mason's horrified reaction is also the 
> Englishwoman's reply!  

I don't think so--this would be a singularly unfunny and unscandalous
joke.  I do think it's possible though that somehow the punchline *could*
be figured out, if only any of us were astute enough. 

	Steve Maas

> Dixon mis-interprets this to mean that Mason
> has heard the joke before & remembers it, causing him to get even more
> buddy-buddy (reaching to clasp Mason's arm) ect.  Mason remains mystified.
> 
> So TRP does, in fact, finish Dixon's joke, the first time Dixon tells it,
> but the dunderheaded readers (like me) miss it completely....  The 
> remaining question is why a Corsican, a Jesuit, and a Chinaman sharing
> a coach (perhaps with a woman) would cause a sailor to blush, or even
> to scandalize Mason?