A dictionary and a thesaurus walked into a bar on Christmas Day. “Did you savour your perambulation, honourable Messieurs?” the barman jingled, appending, “I will be your providore in this emporium; do determine, from my liquorous repertory, what, I will presume to be, your preferent potations, my erudite guests.” Dictionary, whose name was ‘Lex’, dictated a ‘gin and rosemary tonic’, while thesaurus, whose appellation was ‘Synonymist’, (however, his friends cognise him by the sobriquet ‘Syn’), stipulated a ‘last word’, bespeaking the barman substitute the lime juice with pomegranate succus. “That’s an inaugural!” the barman’s rictus corroborated. Over the succeeding hour, and two multiples of their tipples, it was climactic time. Upon departure, “Happy Yuletide!” Lex exuberated. “He meant ‘Merry Christmas’!” Syn tintinnabulated in.

That was the thirteenth in my EK’s Funny Bone series. Redolent with meaning, I’ll leave you to ponder. EK Lippenmeyer, Perth’s northern suburbs, Western Australia, this Monday 25 th November, 2024.