An Opposable Opinion

(My cat is notorious for escaping when he wants out at night time. If we forget to close all the windows, even the upper floors, before going to bed he’ll find his way out and will be howling to be let back in come morning. I’m discussing this with my sister.)

Me: “He’s like a little Houdini! I realised he’s been escaping through the bathroom window now so we have to watch out for that as well.”

Sister: “Yeah, okay, I’ll check that window, too. Man, imagine how bad he’d be if he had disposable thumbs!”

Me: “Disposable…?”

Sister: “Yeah! You know, like…” *wiggles her thumbs by way of explanation*

Me: *bursts out laughing* “[Sister], I think you mean opposable!”

Sister: “Wait, what’s that?”

Me: “Means you can move your thumbs around opposite your fingers.” *I return the thumb wiggle of explanation*

Sister: “OH!” *dissolves into laughter as well* “That makes so much more sense than what I thought!”

(It’s now a regular joke that my cat does indeed have disposable thumbs to use to open things and discard so we’d never suspect him.)