4.11.2007

Reference Question of the Week (to date)

Man: I've been doing some genealogical research, and I found out there was a DIVORCE [shudders] in my family! It was the husband who registered the complaint, but I can't tell what it was for...can you find me a list of the grounds for divorce in 1810 in [state name]?

Me: [looking them up] Uh, adultery...

Man: Oh [looking worried]...I can't imagine she would have done that. No, I don't think so. [Remember, this is not someone he's ever met]

Me: Drunkenness for a period of one year...

Man: No. No, I can't imagine.

Me: Impotence...

Man: But we're talking about a woman.

Me: Says here that, in legal terms, "impotence" can apply to a man or a woman.

Man: Huh.

Me: ...and "felony cruelty."

Man: [looking relieved] I bet that's it! She was CRUEL! [leaves happy]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent! I've forwarded this to some librarian friends. You might enjoy this, too -- it's a conversation overheard in a library, very pro-librarian: http://www.overheardintheoffice.com/archives/004084.html

Jesse said...

damn