I mentioned, here and on FaceBook, a new addition to my very small
collection of economics jokes, not jokes about economics but jokes that teach economics. Enough people were interested so I
decided to post all six of them:
1. Two economists walked past a Porsche showroom with an elegant sports car visible through the window:
First Economist: "I really want that car."
Second Economist: "Obviously not."
2. An economist and a businessman were walking in the wood when they
encountered a large and hungry bear. The economist turned to run.
Businessman: "You don't think you can outrun a bear, do you?"
Economist: "No. But I might be able to outrun you."
(Contributed by Dennis Hanseman, editor of my Price Theory)
3. What is sweeter than honey?
Free vinegar.
(From a Middle Eastern cookbook by Claudia Roden)
4. An economics professor is in a car driven by one of his students; she asks him to put on his seat belt.
"Why do you want me to put on my seat belt?"
"To make it less likely that you will be injured in an accident."
"Then why don't you take yours off?"
(From Allen Sanderson)
5. Jose had robbed a bank in Texas and fled south across the Rio Grande
with the Texas Rangers in hot pursuit. They caught up with him in a
town in Old Mexico, only to discover that Jose spoke no English and none
of the pursuers spoke any Spanish. They drafted one of the locals – the
school teacher – to act as a translator.
“Tell Jose that he must tell us where he has hidden the loot from the bank robbery.”
“The gringos say to ask where you have hidden the loot.”
“Tell the gringos I will never tell them.”
“Jose says he will never tell you.”
The Rangers pull out their six-guns, cock them, and point them at Jose.
“Tell Jose if he does not tell us where he has hidden the loot, we will kill him.”
“The gringos say if you do not tell them where you have hidden the loot they will kill you.”
Jose begins to tremble with fear.
“I buried it by the old oak tree on the other side of the bridge.”
“Jose says he is not afraid to die.”
(my favorite—I don't remember where I got it)
6. The zoo director noticed that one of the elephants was coughing. So
he decided to add vodka to this elephant's bucket of water. The next
morning that elephant was completely healthy, but the other three
elephants began to cough.
(Russian joke, contributed by Anna Krupitsky on FB a few days ago)
Explanations are left as an exercise for the reader.
