Here’s a lighthearted story that perfectly captures how our brains sometimes work in the most unexpected ways—and how humor can show up in even the simplest situations. Picture this: a cheerful doctor is performing routine memory tests on three elderly gentlemen. It’s nothing serious, just a mental sharpness check that involves asking basic questions to see how well each man is doing cognitively. The doctor begins with a question that should be easy for just about anyone who’s been through grade school.

With a kind smile, he turns to the first man and asks, “Sir, can you tell me what three times three is?” Without missing a beat, the man answers confidently, “Two hundred seventy-four.” Now, that’s definitely not the correct answer, and the doctor knows it. But rather than correcting him right away, the doctor simply notes the response, perhaps raising an eyebrow or giving a quick nod. This memory test might turn out to be more entertaining than expected. Moving on, the doctor looks at the second man and says, “Okay, how about you? What’s three times three?” The second man furrows his brow, takes a moment to think, and then proudly answers, “Tuesday.” At this point, the doctor is probably fighting back a chuckle. He wasn’t expecting textbook answers from everyone, but “Tuesday” is definitely not what he had in mind.

Still, he keeps his cool and continues the test. Finally, the doctor turns to the third man, hoping for something a little closer to reality. With a hint of optimism, he asks, “And what about you? What is three times three?” The third man, looking confident and composed, answers clearly, “Nine.” The doctor’s face lights up with relief. “Excellent!” he says enthusiastically. Finally, someone has given the correct answer. Curious about how the third man figured it out, especially after hearing the previous two wildly incorrect responses, the doctor follows up. “That’s great! Can I ask how you got the answer?” And here comes the punchline that brings the whole scenario together in the most hilarious way.

The third man smiles and says, “Easy. I just subtracted 274 from Tuesday.” The brilliance of the joke is in its absurd logic—trying to subtract a number from a day of the week, and somehow landing at the correct math answer. It’s completely nonsensical, but that’s what makes it so funny. The setup plays with expectations. First, the audience is led to believe this is a serious memory test. Then, one incorrect answer—274—might be chalked up to forgetfulness. The second answer—Tuesday—swerves into silliness, and by the time the third man gives the correct answer, the listener is relieved. But instead of providing a logical explanation, he delivers a punchline that ties everything together in the most delightfully ridiculous way.

This kind of humor works because it’s unexpected, but it also resonates because we’ve all had moments where we blank on something simple or give an answer that makes sense in our heads but sounds completely ridiculous out loud. It’s a gentle way of poking fun at how unpredictable memory and thought processes can be, especially as we age. And yet, it does so without making anyone the butt of the joke. It highlights imagination, whimsy, and the idea that there’s often more than one way to arrive at an answer—even if the logic is hilariously flawed. Ultimately, this joke reminds us to find joy in everyday conversations, to laugh at the bizarre ways our minds work, and to embrace the unexpected. In a world that can be a bit too serious at times, it’s good to pause and appreciate a silly, clever joke that connects us all through laughter. So the next time someone answers a simple question with something totally off-the-wall, remember this story—and maybe you’ll laugh instead of correcting them. After all, maybe they just subtracted 274 from Tuesday, and somehow, they still got it right.