From: utzoo!dciem!mmt Newsgroups: net.jokes.d Title: Shaggy Dog vs Extended Pun Article-I.D.: dciem.147 Posted: Wed Jan 19 17:25:48 1983 Received: Wed Jan 19 21:00:12 1983 There are two types of joke that depend on a long story followed by some kind of consequent (inconsequent) punchline. In one case (extended pun) the punchline is a pun on a familiar phrase, wheras in the other (shaggy dog) it is an unexpected return to the normal universe from a universe with strange rules, such as talking animals. I have sent a Shaggy Dog to net.jokes under the heading "Shaggy Horse Story". There was another good one that arrived here yesterday, as well as a few extended puns that came under the title Shaggy Dog. Personally, I like both. Maybe it is unimportant to segregate them, but I think they rely on different processes for their humour.