Bob was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary.
His wife was really angry.
She told him “Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in 6 seconds AND IT BETTER BE THERE!” The next morning he got up early and left for work.
When his wife woke up, she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway.
Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, brought the box back in the house.
She opened it and found a brand-new bathroom scale.
Bob has been missing since Friday.
Summarize:
Bob is a married man who finds himself in hot water with his wife after forgetting their wedding anniversary, a significant occasion that most partners would treat with utmost seriousness. The wife, understandably upset, decides to express her disappointment and set a very clear demand for him to make amends.
Her instructions are explicit and laced with frustration: she tells Bob that she expects to find a gift in their driveway the following morning—one that can accelerate from 0 to 200 in just six seconds. This demand, while specific, carries an implied expectation of a high-value and impressive gift, likely referencing a luxury sports car. After all, such speed and performance align perfectly with the imagery of an exotic vehicle, something that would undoubtedly wow and appease her.
Bob, recognizing the gravity of his mistake and the ultimatum handed to him, decides to address the situation in an unconventional way. Instead of fulfilling the literal expectation of a high-speed car, he opts for a humorous and highly creative interpretation of his wife’s words. He selects a bathroom scale as the gift—a device that can indeed “go from 0 to 200” (pounds) in seconds, albeit in a completely different context.
The following morning, Bob places the gift-wrapped box conspicuously in the driveway, as per his wife’s instructions. When she wakes up and sees the package, curiosity and perhaps excitement take over. Her mind likely races with visions of a shiny, powerful car or something equally grand. She rushes outside, retrieves the box, and brings it inside, eagerly anticipating the gift inside.
Upon opening it, however, she is met with an unexpected and entirely unorthodox surprise: a brand-new bathroom scale. Bob’s attempt to satisfy her demand while adding a layer of humor and irony becomes immediately clear. The scale, while technically meeting the requirement of going “from 0 to 200 in six seconds,” is nowhere near the gift she imagined or wanted.
The joke reaches its climax with the aftermath of Bob’s bold move. The wife’s reaction is left to the imagination, but the narrative ends with a humorous twist: Bob is said to have gone “missing since Friday,” implying that his wife’s reaction was less than forgiving. This detail adds a layer of dark comedy to the story, as it humorously suggests the consequences of Bob’s ill-advised prank.
Key Elements of the Joke:
- The Setup: Bob forgetting the anniversary and his wife’s specific demand sets the stage for the punchline.
- Misinterpretation: Bob’s clever but risky decision to interpret her demand literally (but not in the way she intended) is the core of the humor.
- The Punchline: The unexpected nature of the gift and the wife’s implied reaction creates the comedic twist.
- Relatability: The scenario plays on universal themes of marital miscommunication and the lengths people will go to fix a mistake.
This joke works well because it combines wordplay, situational irony, and an exaggerated consequence (Bob’s disappearance) to deliver a laugh. It’s a classic example of humor derived from misunderstanding and the creative ways people respond to high-stakes situations.
