Pelosi joke
 

A noted psychiatrist was a guest speaker at an academic function where Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi happened to appear. Ms. Pelosi took the opportunity to schmooze the good doctor a bit and asked him a question with which he was most at ease.

'Would you mind telling me, Doctor,' she asked, 'how you detect a mental deficiency in somebody who appears completely normal?'

'Nothing is easier,' he replied. 'You ask a simple question which anyone should answer with no trouble. If the person hesitates, that puts you on the track.'

'What sort of question?' asked Pelosi.

Well, you might ask, 'Captain Cook made three trips around the world and died during one of them. Which one?''

Pelosi thought a moment, and then said with a nervous laugh, 'You wouldn't happen to have another example would you? I must confess I don't know much about history.'

Silly question, but if he made "three trips around the world and died DURING one of them" didn't he in fact only make two and part of the third?

You failed the test.

-S

Okay, he died during the 4th one, right?

The nature of the question is rhetorical. It is the same as asking "What color was Washington's white horse?"

You pegged the answer in your first reply, but the fact that you asked the question that you did in your first post indicates ( in the context of the joke) that you had to consider your answer, thus making you "mentally deficient".

Asking if he died during his nonexsisent fourth voyage doesn't help matters, although I assume that the question was sarcastic.

Sorry Sub, I ruined your joke by explaining it.

Actually, unless they buried him at sea, his body finished the 3rd trip. Can't imagine they'd hold on to the body for that long, though.

Good joke none the less. Sad part is that it could be a true story:D

Wasn't he killed at Hawaii? If he is the one I am thinking about the natives killed him and had a feast. Not to be impolite, they later brought some of his remains to the ship for the crew to enjoy.

Nice one Sub :DL