We seem to have forgetten that these devices could be used to stuff other items of underwear, much as was the potato in the famous joke.

Here's the *other* potato joke:

An old Arab lived close to New York City for more than 40 years. One day he decided that he wanted to plant potatoes and herbs in his garden, but he knew he was alone and too old and weak. His son was in college in Paris, so the old man sent him an e-mail explaining the problem: "Beloved son, I am very sad, because I can't plant potatoes in my garden. I am sure, if only you were here, that you would help me and dig up the garden for me. I love you, your father."

The following day, the old man received an e-mail from his son: "Beloved father, please don't touch the garden. That is where I have hidden 'the THING.' I love you too, Ahmed." At four in the afternoon of the vey same day, the FBI and the entire local branch of Homeland Security visited the house of the old man and dug up every square inch of the garden, even sifting the dirt with quarter-inch sieves, searching every nook and cranny. But they couldn't find anything.

Disappointed, they left the house.

The next day, the old man received another e-mail from his son: "Beloved father, I hope the garden is dug up by now and you can plant your potatoes. That was all I could do for you from here. Your loving son, Ahmed."

And here's the other, other potato joke:

A young woman was talking to her friend at work and said, "You know, I was cooking dinner the other day and realised that I hadn't brought up the potatoes, so I asked my husband to go down to the cellar and get some. Well, on the way down he tripped and fell down the stairs, breaking his neck, so it turned out that he died."

"Oh, you poor dear! Whatever did you do then?"

"I had to make do with noodles."

Cheers,

Puddin'
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Fred Nebbish went on holiday to Majorca for the first time in many years. He spent two days parading up and down the beach in his tight Speedo swimming costume but had no luck at all in meeting girls.

So he asked a fellow he saw on the beach with a girl on either arm if he could have a private word.

Reluctantly, the man agreed and stepped away from the girls, who waited patiently for his return. "What do you want?" he said.

Fred said, "It's just that I've been trying to meet a girl, and you make it look so easy. What's the secret of your success?"

The man looked around cautiously and then said quietly, "Here now, have you tried the old trick of dropping a potato down your Speedos? It drives the girls wild."

Fred sighed in relief, saying, "Of course! I *knew* there had to be something!" and went away to buy a potato.

The next day, he happened to see the same fellow again, only this time he had three girls crowding around him. Fred accosted him with some heat, "See here! I've done what you say but it's worse now than before. When the girls see me now, they back away!"

The man looked at Fred carefully and, after a few moments, asked, "Have you dried dropping the potato down the *front* of your swimming costume?"