Mom Jokes Are Just As Bad As The Dad Kind

(I am helping my mother do some shopping at our local supermarket. One of the items on our list is cat food. Frequently, my mother makes a comment to someone — customer or employee — that are looking at or dealing with the cat food display asking how come they haven’t made sparrow flavour. In this instance, an employee is restocking the cat food shelves. My mum is picking up a selection of our usual brand. When she speaks, it’s clear she’s joking.)

Mum: “I wonder when they’re going to make sparrow flavour?”

Employee: *genuinely confused and thinking she’s serious* “Sparrow flavour? I don’t think we have that. What brand is it? [Brand Mum just picked up]? I don’t think it’s in yet. I only work here two days a week.”

Mum: “Never mind.”

(We walked away and stopped a few aisles away. We look at each other for a second. I couldn’t help laughing; I couldn’t comprehend not getting the joke.)