30-Foot Ladder

A worker falls off a 30-foot ladder and tells a co-worker.

What's So Funny?

The co-worker is surprised to see no injuries after the report of falling off a tall ladder. The assumption is the fall happened from the top of the ladder (a long way up in the air), but the fall was only from the second step (and no big deal).

Alan Headbloom

Alan advises Americans how to be global citizens and expats how to fit in to Michigan culture without annoying their native coworkers and clients. He also tweets and blogs at the intersection of language and culture. Over decades, he's traveled, studied, or lived on six continents, putting strange foods into his mouth and emitting strange sounds from it. His use of English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Swedish, Hausa, and Japanese all improve with alcohol use. He gives invited public presentations on culture and unsolicited private advice on English grammar and usage; the latter isn't always appreciated. Visit his website for information on consulting, coaching, or speaking engagements.