“SAY SANDWICH”

“SAY SANDWICH”

This cranky re-run is from October 2011

My best friend in High School and College, Charlie, and I had a code for uncomfortable comments which might be taken out of context.  “Say Sandwich.”  It came from the punch line to a bad joke….OK, I’ll just summarize it.

  

Two teens were parked at the local “make-out stop” with girls they picked up at the mall.  In the back seat there were the remains of an old egg salad sandwich.  The couple in the front seat was passionately going at it, the couple in the back…not so much.  Bored, the teen in the back reached for the old sandwich.  His “date” exclaimed, “you’re not going to eat that smelly old thing are you?” The young dude responded loudly and with much urgency (here comes the punch line) “SAY SANDWICH!”

I told you it was not a great joke, but the punch line stood the test of time.  If, for instance,  after a round of golf, Charlie made a comment at the local watering hole, “Next week I’d like to try out your balls.”  The quick response would be “SAY SANDWICH!”  We would laugh like hell and no one else had a clue why.

Several years ago I took my seven-year-old son to his favorite store, “Dick’s Sporting Goods.”  As we left the store in the presence of several people my son exclaimed loudly, “You know Dad, I love Dick’s.”  I still do not know how to explain to him my immediate knee jerk response.  

“SAY SANDWICH, SAY SANDWICH!”