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Somewhere on the net I saw this joke.

- What's the hardest part of a vegetable to eat?
- The wheelchair.

I don't get it. I googled a bit but I suspect it might be a play on the words, possibly not that clever one, neither.

Konrad Viltersten
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1 Answers1

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The joke is based on this definition:

3 : a person whose mental and physical functioning is severely impaired and especially one who requires supportive measures (as mechanical ventilation) to survive

(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegetable)

When the setup question is delivered, we think of "vegetable" as a plant, since that is the more common meaning. The punchline reveals that the intended meaning was "a disabled person".

stangdon
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  • I thought of that too but then rejected it. It doesn't make sense to me because someone so fubar so they're referred to as a veggie won't have a wheelchair. They might have a portable bed at best where they are just laying around. Or should I view it loosely? – Konrad Viltersten Nov 25 '15 at 20:35
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    Yes, you should view it loosely. Also, you should view it as a joke in very bad taste. – J.R. Nov 25 '15 at 21:32
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    An insensitive joke. It's from the internet anyway. this answer -> +1 – shin Nov 26 '15 at 01:12
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    @J.R. Amen to that. Referring to people as vegetables because of their predisposition, something that causes suffering and isn't a conscious choice is definitely cruel and inappropriate. I hope it's very clear that I'm in no way supporting that kind of humor (if it can be called humor to begin with). I'd take offense if someone though so poorly of my standards. The question was purely and strictly linguistic. – Konrad Viltersten Nov 26 '15 at 11:40
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    @KonradV - The latter part of my comment was directed more at the learning community in general than to you personally. I have no problem with people asking questions about confusing jokes on ELL – even jokes that might be considered somewhat offensive – but I think it's important to inform the learner when such jokes would generally be considered in poor taste. – J.R. Nov 26 '15 at 14:21
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    @j.r. You're absolutely right, mate. Good thinking. I kind of missed that others can read the post too and that the site isn't there for my needs only. – Konrad Viltersten Nov 26 '15 at 15:23
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    Yeah, I thought about saying that the joke was a tasteless one, but I didn't want to editorialize too much! – stangdon Nov 26 '15 at 17:11
  • While the definition is correct, it's the name of the condition that makes the joke: Persistent vegetative state. It doesn't refer to the fact that sufferers are like plants. This makes it more a pun than an insult, imho. Tasteless, yeah, but not cruel. – mcalex Sep 06 '18 at 07:02