Coiner of "gobbledygook"?; Palestine (East Texas) joke

Sun Sep 16 05:30:18 UTC 2007

A variant, stripped to its essence, is:

"Where was Jesus born?"

"Pittsburgh."

"Nope. Try again."

"Philadelphia?"

"No. He was born in Bethlehem."

"Damn! I knew that it was someplace in Pennsylvania,"

Oddly, even though, if you stand on your tiptoes, you can see
Palestine from my birthplace of Marshall, Texas, this is the first
time that I've come across the East Texas version of this joke.

-Wilson

On 9/15/07, Barry A. Popik <Bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Barry A. Popik" <Bapopik at AOL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Coiner of "gobbledygook"?; Palestine (East Texas) joke
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Damn! Complete goddledygook! Why does this happen?? I'll re-post using  AOL.
> ...
> ...
> ...
> =20
> =20
> No one goes to this website, but you might want to look here:
> ...
> _http://www.barrypopik.comhttp://www.barrypopik.com<WBR>/http://www.barrypop=
> ik
> .com<WBR>_=20
> (http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/gobbledygook_maury_maverick=
> _wwii_term/)=20
> ...
> ...
> ...
> O.T.: Does anyone on this list from (east) Texas remember any jokes about =20
> the town called Palestine?=20
> ...
> ...=20
> _http://www.barrypopik.comhttp://www.barrypopik.com<WBhttp://www.barrypopik.=
> co
> mhttp://www.b_=20
> (http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/where_was_jesus_born_palest=
> ine_texas_joke/)=20
> ...
> =20
> Entry from September 15, 2007=20
> "Where was Jesus born?" (Palestine, Texas joke)
> =20
> With a city name like Palestine (in East Texas), comparisons and jokes are =20
> inevitable.=20
>
>
> _Wikipedia:  Palestine, Texas_=20
> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine,_Texas) =20
> Palestine (pronounced =CB=88p=C3=A6l.=C9=9Bs.tin) is a city in  Anderson Cou=
> nty, Texas, in=20
> the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city  population was 17,598. I=
> t=20
> is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated  in East Texas.=20
> Palestine was named for Palestine, Illinois, the home of an early  settler.=20
>
> The largest employer is the Texas Department of Criminal  Justice, which=20
> employs more than 3,900. Another 1,600 work at two Wal-Mart  distribution ce=
> nters.=20
> Other significant employers include a thriving medical and  healthcare secto=
> r=20
> that tends to the large population of retirees. Finally a  distinguishing=20
> mark of Palestine is that it is home to the NASA Columbia  Scientific Balloo=
> n=20
> Facility, which has flown 1700 high-altitude balloons for  universities and=20
> research agencies. =20
>
> _The Waverly Star, by Jim O'Leary_=20
> (http://www.herald-journal.com/waverlystar/issues/ws060201.html) =20
> June 2, 2001=20
> (...) =20
> A pretty town near Uncertain is called "Palestine" (Pop. 18,042). In East =20
> Texas it is pronounced "Pal-Ah-Steen."=20
> (As in the joke about the Sunday  School class which was asked to identify=20
> where Jesus was born. When the preacher  couldn't get any of them to come up=
> =20
> with an answer, he said, "Hit was  Palesteen!" One of the lads in the class=20=
> said,=20
> "Shoot, I knew hit had to be some  place in East Texas.")=20
>
> _Google Groups: tx.guns _=20
> (http://groups.google.com/group/tx.guns/browse_thread/thread/f8c036310023b13=
> 0/bcb652b290eea2f9?lnk=3Dst&q=3D"east+texas"+palestine+"je
> sus+born"&rnum=3D2&hl=3Den#bcb652b290eea2f9)=20
> Newsgroups: tx.guns =20
> From: _csmke... at flash.net_ (mailto:csmke... at flash.net)  (Sam A.  Kersh)=20
> Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 16:16:40 GMT=20
> Local: Sun, Sep 30 2001 12:16  pm=20
> Subject: Re: Play with Osama=20
>
> Sunday School Teacher:  Jimmy,  wear was Jesus born?=20
> Jimmy:  Lufkin?=20
> Teacher:  N, try again? =20
> Jimmy:  marshall?=20
> Teacher (exasperated): No, Jimmy, it was  Palestine!!!=20
> Jimmy:  Well, I knew it was somewhere in East Texas=E2=80=A6 =20
>
> _East Texas Motorcycle Riders Forum_=20
> (http://invisionfree.com/forums/ETMotorcyclists/index.php?showtopic=3D477) =20
> Posted: Jul 28 2003,  09:51 AM=20
>
> A man went to the local church and asked to join.=20
>
> The  preacher said "Ok, but you have to pass a small bible test first.=20
> The first  question is 'Where was Jesus born?"=20
> The man answered "Longview".=20
> The  preacher said "Sorry...you can't join our church."=20
>
> Soooooo....he went to  another church and asked to join.=20
> The preacher said "We would love to have  you but you have to pass a bible=20
> test first. "Where was Jesus born?"=20
> The  man said "Tyler".=20
> The preacher said "Sorry...you can't join our church. =20
>
> Soooo....he goes to another church and asked to join.=20
> The preacher  said "That's great we welcome you with open arms."=20
> The man said "I don't  have to pass no Bible test first?"=20
> The preacher said "No."=20
> The man said  "Can I ask you a question?"=20
> The preacher said "Sure."=20
> The man said  "Where was Jesus born?"=20
> The preacher said "Palestine."=20
>
> The man  mumbled to himself "I knew it was in East Texas some where."=20
>
> _Ragu/Online 2004_=20
> (http://ragu.rhodacarroll.com/ragu/pages/SomewhereInTheMiddleLDHuff.htm) =20
> There's a story about an old East Texas  oil field hand that thought he woul=
> d=20
> take up religion.  He first went to a  Catholic priest and said,"I believe I=
> =20
> want to join up."=20
>
> Priest says,"OK,  but you got to answer some questions." He ran down a list=20
> of a few things: How  many commandments?  How many disciples?  When is=20
> Christmas?   Stuff like that. And the old driller was doing pretty good unti=
> l the=20
> priest  asked the last question.=20
>
> "Where was Jesus born?"=20
>
> The old cowboy  thought for a minute and said,"Tyler?"=20
>
> "Nope.  You flunk," said the  priest.  "Come back when you've studied more."=
> =20
>
> Undaunted, the oil  field roughneck called on a Baptist minister.  He though=
> t=20
> because there  were so many of them around he wouldn't have any trouble=20
> qualifying.  Same  story.  The minister said he could join if he passed on t=
> he=20
> question  test.  Once again, he was doing OK until asked, "Where was Jesus b=
> orn?" =20
>
> He was more careful this time and thought even longer. =20
>
> "Nacogdoches?" he queried.=20
>
> "Nope," said the minister, "try us  again when you've studied more."=20
>
> He was getting pretty depressed about  this church business.  Seemed to him,=
> =20
> after all the fuss in the world about  drinking and whoring and gallivanting=
> =20
> around, these preacher people oughta be a  bit more obliging.  If a man want=
> ed=20
> to mend his ways, that is. =20
>
> Finally he decided to give it one more chance.  He went to the  Methodist=20
> preacher after hearing they would take just about anybody.  After  all, didn=
> 't=20
> his dear departed mother once say that Methodists were just Baptists  that k=
> new=20
> how to read? =20
>
> Sure enough, he was welcomed with open arms  but to his chagrin the Methodis=
> t=20
> minister said he had to answer a few simple  questions.=20
>
> The driller, not wanting to flunk again, pulled himself up  tall and straigh=
> t=20
> and said, "That's OK with me but you've got to answer one  first.  If you=20
> don't mind, that is?"=20
>
> The Methodist said, "Sure." =20
>
> "Where was Jesus born?"=20
>
> "Palestine," said the preacher. =20
>
> "Damn!" the old driller reflected, "I knew it was in East Texas  somewhere."=
> =20
>
> _Lone Star Times_=20
> (http://www.lonestartimes.com/2006/05/09/re-branding-east-texas/) =20
> NAT PIERCE Says:=20
> May 9th, 2006 at 6:10  pm=20
>
> There was a contest and a fellow from East Texas was=20
> the  contestant. Three tries=20
> Where was Jesus born?=20
> Hardin? No=20
> Woodville?  No=20
> Palistine? Yes=20
> I knew it was somewhere in East Texas.=20
>
> _Beyond Confusion Lies Obfuscation_=20
> (http://ck8go.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-to-do-what-to-say.html) =20
> Monday, February 12,  2007=20
> (...)=20
> For some reason, this reminds me of the joke about the Texas  boy who went t=
> o=20
> Sunday school. His teacher asked him where Jesus was born. First  he answere=
> d=20
> "Athens". No, she said, try again. Next he answered "Carthage".  Wrong again=
> .=20
> Finally he said "Palestine". That's right the teacher said. She was  so=20
> proud. "That's right, I knew it was somewhere in East Texas".=20
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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