Question: While in Italy, the Anglican pastor tells a joke, and the punch line is about an American seeing a "yellow dog." Exactly what is he referring to?
odelphi
18th Dec 2009
A Room with a View (1985)
20th May 2021
A Room with a View (1985)
Question: Why did Cecil tell Charlotte to give him the sovereign? Wasn't he owed only 15 shillings by Freddy? A sovereign's 20 shillings so was he gonna give Freddy back the other 5 shillings? I don't understand, please explain.
Answer: He was owed 15 shillings and a pound (in those days) was 20 shillings. Since he was owed most of a pound, he thought, "just give me the pound and call it even." He wasn't going to give change.
Chosen answer: The joke is: The American girl asks her father "What did we see in Rome?" The man says "Rome was where we saw the yellow dog." Explanation: Americans can tour the Eternal City and all they will see that is memorable or of interest to them is a dog.
Myridon
I don't get it. It doesn't make sense.
What part doesn't make sense? Rome is filled with better things than a dog. To put it another way, it would be like if you went to one of the greatest sporting event live with on-field/court-side/ring-side tickets and when asked about the event you said "I thought the nachos were good."
Bishop73
It's a crude joke about Americans. It doesn't have to make sense. It's a joke that highlights the sense that Americans are crude, illiterate, with no culture. They believe a yellow dog (a common dog in the US) was the best thing to see.
odelphi