It is not clear where the idea that the relatives of someone who was crucified would pay for their legs to be broken as an act of mercy comes from. Crucifixion was a form of execution that was used in ancient Rome and other cultures for punishment and as a deterrent. It involved affixing the condemned person to a wooden cross or stake using nails or ropes and leaving them to die. There is no historical record of the relatives of crucified individuals paying for their legs to be broken as a mercy.
Leg breaking was not a standard practice in the execution of crucified individuals. However, it is possible that in some cases, the executioners may have broken the legs of those who were being crucified in order to hasten their deaths. This was done by striking the legs with a blunt object, such as a club, which would cause the person to suffocate more quickly. This practice is mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible, in the account of the Crucifixion of Jesus.
It is important to note that crucified individuals would often suffer a great deal of pain and suffering before they died. The process of being crucified could take several days, and those who were crucified were often left exposed to the elements and vulnerable to attack by animals and insects. It was a brutal and inhumane form of punishment, and there is no evidence to suggest that the relatives of those who were crucified would pay for their legs to be broken as an act of mercy.
That sounds like a plausible allegation. However, I was told, without being able to quote any sources, that breaking the victim's legs was in fact considered an act of mercy and relatives were happy to pay for that service.
I think using US here is required to not distract the reader with unknowns. Widespread weed usage is a well-known fact, or at least stereotype, about the US, but would you know if it's the same with, say, Korea?
The following is my conversation with ChatGPT about your comment:
Me:
Explain why the following joke may be considered funny: A horse walks into a bar in the U.K. and the bar man says:@“why the long face”? Horse replies:” because this is a weatherspoons”.
ChatGPT:
The joke "A horse walks into a bar in the U.K. and the bar man says: 'why the long face'? Horse replies: 'because this is a Weatherspoons'" is a play on words that relies on the listener's knowledge of the expression "to have a long face," which means to look sad or unhappy. The joke also references the British pub chain Weatherspoons, which is known for offering cheap drinks and food.
The joke is funny because it combines the unexpected image of a horse walking into a bar with the humorous play on words and reference to a well-known pub chain. The joke relies on the listener's knowledge of the expression "to have a long face" and their familiarity with Weatherspoons in order to be understood and appreciated.
Me:
Do horses have long faces?
ChatGPT:
Horses do have long faces, but this is not the reason the horse in the joke has a long face. The phrase "to have a long face" is an expression that means to look sad or unhappy. In the joke, the horse's long face is being used as a play on words, implying that the horse is unhappy because it is in a Weatherspoons pub. This is intended to be humorous because it combines the unexpected image of a horse in a bar with the play on words and reference to a well-known pub chain. The joke relies on the listener's knowledge of the expression "to have a long face" and their familiarity with Weatherspoons in order to be understood and appreciated.
Me:
Do you think that asking someone who has a long face anatomically if they have a long face in the sense of being sad also constitutes a pun and thus contributes to the joke?
ChatGPT:
It is possible that asking someone who has a long face anatomically if they have a long face in the sense of being sad could be considered a pun and contribute to the humor of a joke. A pun is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. In this case, the phrase "to have a long face" has two meanings: it can refer to someone's facial appearance, as in the case of someone who has a naturally long face, or it can refer to someone's emotional state, as in the case of someone who looks sad or unhappy.
If someone with a long face anatomically were to be asked if they have a long face because they are sad, the question could be interpreted as a pun because it plays on the multiple meanings of the phrase "to have a long face." This could contribute to the humor of a joke by adding an element of word play and unexpected interpretation of the phrase. However, it is important to note that humor is subjective and what one person finds funny may not be the same for another person.
vartha OP t1_jecduwn wrote
Reply to comment by celeronD123 in Wife and I agreed that we don't want kids. by vartha
Much better, I admit.