Banter Bites

This Is Elfing Funny

Tell it to the elf. Tell it to the judge.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Saying different people see things differently and find different things amusing is an understatement, especially when it comes to us; but although we may have different reasons why we found this so funny (Red may have been punchy at the time, while Black finds it very clever), it did make us laugh.


When Black forwarded Red a story about toy elves, it left her a bit bewildered, especially since the subject line was “With a wink, judge fights ‘tyranny’ of Elf on the Shelf.” Initially, Red couldn’t help but think about Will Ferrell in the movie “Elf” since the seasonal angle was pretty obvious, even if the movie wasn’t one of her Christmas favorites. (Sorry, Will, that honor goes to “Holiday Inn,” a classic starring Bing Crosby that never gets old.)

But as soon as Red clicked on the judge’s mock order, she started to smile and then, as she told Black,

It’s just hilarious. And while I wasn’t familiar with the concept of elves essentially being spies for Santa, I couldn’t help but love and laugh at the judge’s evaluation and handling of the Elf on the Shelf “situation”.

Of course, Black was surprised she’d never heard about Elf on the Shelf, so sent her an interesting article on its innocent beginnings, adding,

There is no need for an elf in my house – just put me on the naughty list.

This is one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites in large part because of Black’s “corny” puns, but also because fresh corn is a summer staple – whether cooked on the grill or in the microwave, whether eaten on its own or as a primary ingredient in refreshing summer salads


This may be one of the corniest things you’ll ever read.

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BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red already fights technology at every turn, preferring to keep her ostrich head in the sand, plus, she finds Artificial Intelligence (AI) scary; whereas Black knows ignoring reality merely postpones the inevitable, so she’s started playing with AI to understand it better …

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Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.

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