Dad Joke MuseumPlease groan responsibly.

The Christmas Wing

Lights that don’t work and a tree that leans. Wrapped and delivered. 100 exhibits, punchlines shown below. Flip Quiz me to test yourself first.

Punchlines shown below — flip to test yourself first

Our tree leans slightly to the left.

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We've decided this is a design decision.

Exhibit 91·The Christmas Wing·14 words

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Why did the elf get a job in customer service?

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He's excellent at handling small complaints.

Exhibit 92·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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I asked the reindeer how the training was going.

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He said he was pulling his weight.

Exhibit 93·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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The gingerbread man moved into a new house.

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He says the walls are a little too tempting.

Exhibit 94·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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Why did the tinsel take a day off?

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It was feeling stretched.

Exhibit 95·The Christmas Wing·12 words

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Our Christmas lights work perfectly in the box.

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They achieve total failure within nine seconds of the tree.

Exhibit 96·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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The snowman applied for a mortgage.

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The bank asked about his long-term outlook.

Exhibit 97·The Christmas Wing·13 words

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Why did the stocking hang by the fire?

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It had nothing better lined up.

Exhibit 98·The Christmas Wing·14 words

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My wrapping paper ran out with one present left.

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That child now receives everything in newspaper, by tradition.

Exhibit 99·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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The carolers arrived during dinner.

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We joined in so we wouldn't have to admit we were eating.

Exhibit 100·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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Why did the sleigh need a tune-up?

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Too much mileage over a single night.

Exhibit 101·The Christmas Wing·14 words

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Our Advent calendar was opened entirely on December second.

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The investigation continues.

Exhibit 102·The Christmas Wing·12 words

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The chimney sweep quit in December.

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He said the season was getting on top of him.

Exhibit 103·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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Why did the candy cane join the orchestra?

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It had the right hook.

Exhibit 104·The Christmas Wing·13 words

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My father tests the lights one bulb at a time.

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This is now a two-day event with its own snacks.

Exhibit 105·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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The nutcracker went to the dentist.

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Purely professional curiosity.

Exhibit 106·The Christmas Wing·9 words

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Why did the ornament feel insecure?

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It was hanging by a thread.

Exhibit 107·The Christmas Wing·12 words

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Our turkey and our tree arrived on the same day.

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Only one of them is still standing.

Exhibit 108·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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The elf asked for a standing desk.

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He was told the whole workshop is one.

Exhibit 109·The Christmas Wing·15 words

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Why did the snow globe get so emotional?

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Somebody shook it up right before the holidays.

Exhibit 110·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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My brother wraps presents with an entire roll of tape.

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Opening one requires paperwork and a professional.

Exhibit 111·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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The reindeer formed a committee.

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Progress has slowed considerably.

Exhibit 112·The Christmas Wing·9 words

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Why did the fruitcake skip the party?

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It couldn't face another crowd.

Exhibit 113·The Christmas Wing·12 words

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Our tree stand has never once been level.

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We compensate with a phone book from 1996.

Exhibit 114·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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The gift receipt is the most romantic thing in the box.

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It says I love you and I respect your judgment.

Exhibit 115·The Christmas Wing·21 words

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Why did the glass ornament get promoted?

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Management liked its reflective practice.

Exhibit 116·The Christmas Wing·12 words

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My mother labels every present in code.

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Only she holds the key, and she's lost it.

Exhibit 117·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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The workshop went paperless this year.

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The list is now a spreadsheet nobody can sort.

Exhibit 118·The Christmas Wing·15 words

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Why was the fireplace put in charge of Christmas?

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Somebody had to take up the mantel.

Exhibit 119·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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Our neighbor's display can be seen from orbit.

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He describes it as tasteful.

Exhibit 120·The Christmas Wing·13 words

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The sleigh bells were left on all night.

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The horse has requested a transfer.

Exhibit 121·The Christmas Wing·14 words

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Why did the pine tree refuse the job?

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It didn't want to be tied down for the season.

Exhibit 122·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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My aunt starts her shopping in January.

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By December she can't remember where any of it is.

Exhibit 123·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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The elf asked what happens after the twenty-fifth.

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Nobody had the heart to explain inventory.

Exhibit 124·The Christmas Wing·15 words

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Why was the wrapping paper so confident?

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It knew it would be torn apart and still be remembered.

Exhibit 125·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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Our cat has claimed the tree as a structure.

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A building permit was neither sought nor granted.

Exhibit 126·The Christmas Wing·17 words

Send

The mistletoe filed a complaint about workplace conduct.

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It was, on reflection, a reasonable point.

Exhibit 127·The Christmas Wing·15 words

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Why did the snowman refuse the promotion?

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He didn't want the heat that comes with it.

Exhibit 128·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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My uncle reads the puns in our Christmas cards with total commitment.

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This is the bravest thing I've ever witnessed.

Exhibit 129·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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The tree skirt is doing an enormous amount of work.

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It's hiding a stand held together by hope.

Exhibit 130·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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Why did the gingerbread house need repairs?

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The roof had a serious icing problem.

Exhibit 131·The Christmas Wing·14 words

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Our decorations came down on January sixth.

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The tinsel is still in the carpet in August.

Exhibit 132·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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The reindeer wanted a scenic route this year.

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Management pointed out the schedule.

Exhibit 133·The Christmas Wing·13 words

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Why did the elf take up carpentry?

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It was the only way to get a decent shelf.

Exhibit 134·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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My family agreed to no presents this year.

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Everyone broke the agreement, independently, in secret.

Exhibit 135·The Christmas Wing·15 words

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Santa's naughty list crashed this morning.

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IT blamed it on a chimney full of bugs.

Exhibit 391·The Christmas Wing·15 words

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Why did Rudolph get a glowing performance review?

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Everyone wanted to see his lead numbers shine.

Exhibit 392·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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Mrs. Claus asked for a single day off in December.

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Santa said the whole month runs on her approval.

Exhibit 393·The Christmas Wing·19 words

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The North Pole's new zip code confused the mail carrier.

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Half the packages still arrive by reindeer anyway.

Exhibit 394·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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Why did the eggnog get offered a leadership role?

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It already knew how to bring people together.

Exhibit 395·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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Our hot cocoa machine broke on Christmas Eve.

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We held a moment of silence for the marshmallows.

Exhibit 396·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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The wreath on our door keeps falling off its hook.

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We've started calling it a decoration with commitment issues.

Exhibit 397·The Christmas Wing·19 words

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Why did the icicles refuse to come down from the roof?

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They were holding out for a raise in temperature.

Exhibit 398·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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Frost covered every window in the house this morning.

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The place finally got the privacy it always wanted.

Exhibit 399·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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My daughter unwrapped every single gift in four minutes.

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The thank-you notes are now expected to take considerably longer.

Exhibit 400·The Christmas Wing·19 words

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Why did the white elephant gift exchange end in silence?

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Nobody wanted to admit they'd brought it back.

Exhibit 401·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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Our office Secret Santa budget was capped at ten dollars.

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My gift arrived with a receipt and a quiet apology.

Exhibit 402·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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Why did the ugly sweater win first prize at the party?

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The judges said it had real depth of character.

Exhibit 403·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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Boxing Day arrived and nobody wanted to box anything.

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The returns line at the mall disagreed completely.

Exhibit 404·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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The Christmas tree farm sold out of trees by noon.

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Turns out everybody waits until the very last needle.

Exhibit 405·The Christmas Wing·19 words

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Why did the star on top of the tree look so nervous?

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It knew the whole display was riding on it.

Exhibit 406·The Christmas Wing·21 words

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Our angel ornament fell off the tree twice this week.

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She says gravity doesn't take holidays off.

Exhibit 407·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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I watered the Christmas tree every day like the box said.

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It still dropped needles out of pure principle.

Exhibit 408·The Christmas Wing·19 words

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The neighborhood kids started a snowball fight at noon.

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By three, the whole block had signed a truce nobody trusts.

Exhibit 409·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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Why did the igloo get such good reviews online?

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Cool design, and the walls never judge you.

Exhibit 410·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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School called a snow day before a single flake landed.

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The weather app gets credit for snow it never actually delivered.

Exhibit 411·The Christmas Wing·21 words

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Our holiday cookie exchange ran long this year.

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Everyone brought the same recipe under a different name.

Exhibit 412·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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Why did the gingerbread cookies disappear before the plate reached the table?

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Quality control apparently happens the moment they leave the oven.

Exhibit 413·The Christmas Wing·22 words

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The last ornament box in the attic took three trips to find.

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By the third trip, finding it felt like its own holiday event.

Exhibit 414·The Christmas Wing·24 words

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The carolers hit every note except the right ones.

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We applauded anyway. It's the thought that counts most.

Exhibit 415·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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Why did the church bells ring twice as long this year?

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Somebody mentioned it was a big anniversary.

Exhibit 416·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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My uncle shakes every present before he'll open it.

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He calls it due diligence. We call it suspicious.

Exhibit 417·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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The dog unwrapped three presents before anyone noticed this morning.

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Apparently nobody ever told him that was against the rules.

Exhibit 418·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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Why did my letter to Santa come back marked undeliverable?

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Insufficient chimney, according to the note.

Exhibit 419·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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Our chimney finally got swept clean this December.

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Santa texted to say the commute felt downright smooth.

Exhibit 420·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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Why did the ribbon take acting classes over the summer?

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It already knew how to tie up loose ends dramatically.

Exhibit 421·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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Our family photo for the Christmas card took three hours.

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The dog still looked away at exactly the wrong moment.

Exhibit 422·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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Holiday travel delayed our flight home by six hours.

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We landed in time for dessert and nothing else.

Exhibit 423·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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Why did the ice rink get so crowded this week?

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Everyone's getting a head start on next month's resolution.

Exhibit 424·The Christmas Wing·19 words

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The parade float lost a wheel downtown this morning.

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It still finished the route. Pure holiday spirit.

Exhibit 425·The Christmas Wing·17 words

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My son's new toy needed forty minutes of assembly.

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The instructions were written in a language called optimism.

Exhibit 426·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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The tree lot guy worked until midnight on the twenty-third.

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He says the last tree always finds its family.

Exhibit 427·The Christmas Wing·19 words

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Why did the old tree end up at the curb so fast?

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It had given its all for the season and asked for a quiet exit.

Exhibit 428·The Christmas Wing·26 words

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My stocking stuffers keep getting smaller every single year.

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At this rate, next year's gift fits inside an envelope.

Exhibit 429·The Christmas Wing·19 words

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Why did the light-up sweater win the office contest?

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It came with its own standing ovation, batteries included.

Exhibit 430·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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The gift tags got mixed up under the tree again.

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Three people ended up opening presents meant for the dog.

Exhibit 431·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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We made pancakes shaped like snowmen for breakfast.

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By the second bite, they'd already started melting.

Exhibit 432·The Christmas Wing·16 words

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My family argued about ham versus turkey for dinner.

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We compromised. Now we're arguing about the side dishes instead.

Exhibit 433·The Christmas Wing·19 words

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The yule log played on our television for six straight hours.

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It's the only fire in this house that never needs attention.

Exhibit 434·The Christmas Wing·22 words

Send

Why did the music box in the nutcracker display skip a beat?

Lift the rope to read the punchline

It wanted a shorter solo this year.

Exhibit 435·The Christmas Wing·19 words

Send

The snow shovel finally came out of the garage.

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It had spent eleven months training for one big night.

Exhibit 436·The Christmas Wing·19 words

Send

Our extension cord powered half the lights on the block.

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The circuit breaker has filed a formal complaint.

Exhibit 437·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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The electric candles in the window flickered out of sync with each other.

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Apparently teamwork was never part of the warranty.

Exhibit 438·The Christmas Wing·21 words

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My boss handed out holiday bonuses in person this year.

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Everyone suddenly remembered how to make eye contact.

Exhibit 439·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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The office holiday party ran two hours past schedule.

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Nobody wanted to be the first to leave the good snacks.

Exhibit 440·The Christmas Wing·20 words

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Why did the string of lights end up in a tangled ball?

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The box they live in has never once believed in organization.

Exhibit 441·The Christmas Wing·23 words

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Santa's plate of cookies was empty by six in the morning.

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The crumbs, however, left a very detailed statement.

Exhibit 442·The Christmas Wing·19 words

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We recycled every scrap of wrapping paper this year.

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The bin looked more festive than the actual tree.

Exhibit 443·The Christmas Wing·18 words

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Why did the reindeer team finally agree on a route?

Lift the rope to read the punchline

Someone pointed out the GPS had been right the whole time.

Exhibit 444·The Christmas Wing·21 words

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The old vinyl Christmas record skipped on the same line every year.

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At this point, we consider it a family tradition.

Exhibit 445·The Christmas Wing·21 words

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More wings: The Halloween Wing · The Thanksgiving Wing · The Classics Hall · The Cafeteria · The Zoo Wing · The Science Lab · The Office Wing · The School Wing · The Garage · The Great Outdoors · The Seasonal Gallery