Longest Side of a Right Triangle

I’m rather tall — between 5’11” and 6’4″, depending on which convenience store I’m leaving — but my wife is quite a bit shorter. One of her great laments was our decision to install a tall toilet in our main bathroom when we had it remodeled. I love it, but her feet dangle three inches off the floor when she uses it.

This morning, she knocked on the door while I was in that bathroom. “Are you in there?” she asked.

“Yep,” I said, “and it feels like the longest side of a right triangle in here.”

She was about to ask, “What?” Then she saw it was a set-up, so she didn’t. But I don’t need no stinkin’ straight man; I delivered the punch line anyway:

High pot in use.

The typical set-up for that punch line usually goes something like

What do you call a kettle of boiling water on top of Mount Everest?

A better set-up is

What do you call a kettle of boiling water in a hangman’s rope?

because then the punch line is, “High pot in noose,” which sounds more like the real term.

But based on this morning’s incident, I think the best set-up may be

What do you call a tall toilet in an occupied bathroom?

Whatever, pick your poison. It’s not like any of ’em is gonna win you a free beer at the next improv comedy night.