Originally posted by WPRESTO I do hope that elicits many groans.
I just spent at least 5 minutes typing out different answers, first wondering where the hypotenuse was, then thinking I got it, and now I'm just not sure anymore, so at the risk of ruining the joke by trying to dissect it, I will try exactly that in order to fully understand it:
The fluid dripping out of the needle will be accelerated by earth's gravitiy straight down to the floor, creating a right-angle triangle with its points being A) the tip of the needle, B) the spot where the fluid touches the floor and C) the point of the imaginary extended needle touching the floor, with AB and BC creating a right angle at point B, and the hypotenuse being AC, the needle and its imaginary extension. The joke only works with the response ending in ooze, but that is also where my confusion comes from, since I couple "ooze" with AB, the way the dripping fluid travels. But since AB is adjacent to the right angle, it can't be the hypotenuse at the same time.
Is that a little flaw in the joke or where did I go wrong?
I'm really sorry for all this.