the soldiers
Ret's ESL Jokes
A soldier ran up to a nun. Out of breath, he asked, “Please, Sister, may I hide under your skirt? I’ll explain later.”
The nun agreed… and a moment later, two Military Cops ran up and asked, “Sister, have you seen a soldier go by here?”
The nun replied, “He went that way.”
After the Military Cops had turned the corner, the soldier crawled out from under her skirt and said, “I can’t thank you enough, Sister. You see, I don’t want to go to Iraq.”
The nun said, “I understand completely.”
The soldier added, “I hope I’m not being rude, but you have a great pair of legs!”
The nun replied, “If you had looked a little higher, you would have seen a great pair of something else. I don’t want to go to Iraq either.”
Vocabulary
Nun: a woman who belongs to a religious order.
Skirt: a piece of clothing worn from the waist down.
Rude: impolite or disrespectful.
Grammar Focus
Past simple: used for completed actions in the past.
He ran toward the nun.Third conditional: talks about unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.
If you had looked a little higher.
Synonyms & Alternatives
Rude: impolite, cheeky
Hide: conceal, take cover+ He was not rude or cheeky to the Military Cops.
+ They were trying to conceal their identity.
Mini Dialogue
Soldier: May I hide here?
Nun: Very well.
Soldier: Thank you, Sister.
Nun: I understand.
🌱 If you enjoy this blog, consider buying me a coffee.
Clever setup using the unexpected twist to teach the third conditional. The vocabulary breakdown for 'rude' vs 'impolite' is practical, and pairing the joke with grammar reinforcement helps retention way better than textbook drills alone. The mini dialogue section is also smart for practicing conversational flow without overwhelming beginners with the full context all at onec.