Suit #1: Life preservers are for pussies.
Suit #2: Yeah, I can make a flotation device out of my jeans.
Suit #1: Oh, yeah? Were you in the Navy?
Suit #2: No, I just took a water safety class. But that’s why the guys in the Navy wear bell-bottoms — so they can take their pants off without taking off their boots, so their feet won’t freeze.
Suit #3: Can you use any jeans for this?
Suit #2: Fire-resistant ones are best.
–Elevator, 61 Broadway
Overheard by: Duncan Pflaster
Suit #1: Man, I’m so old. I have two white hairs now.
Suit #2: Aw, man.
Suit #1: I know. I mean, before I had only one white hair, but two — that totally changes everything.
–Golden Theater
Overheard by: Miranda
Customs agent: What business you in?
Young suit with acne: Um, I’m a stock broker.
Customs agent: Are you old enough to do that?
Young suit with acne: Barely.
Customs agent: Doubtful. Look at you. All that stuff on your face — take care of that shit and get it cleaned up. Get yourself a woman.
Young suit with acne, biting lip: Thank you, sir. Have a nice day.
–LaGuardia airport
Suit #1: What hour do you get into the office?
Suit #2: I arrive around seven and leave at six-thirty.
Suit #1: So, you work twelve-hour days? Do you ever sit at your desk and just fondle your balls?
–Italian restaurant, UES
Suit: Sometimes I want to ask Dan* if he’s gay. I can’t figure out if he is or not.
Woman: Is he flamboyant?
Suit: Yeah, but that could be because he’s a southerner.
–550 Madison Ave
Overheard by: DrDorn
Male suit: That book you’re reading — Any Bitch Can Cook! — that’s funny.
Female suit: You know what ‘bitch’ stands for, right?
Male suit: What?
Female suit: Babe in total control of herself.
Guy at next table: I dunno. I know some bitches who are totally out of control.
–Chinese restaurant, Montague St, Brooklyn
Overheard by: Big Larry
Suit: So that’s odd — your friend is into gay, World War Two German Army porn.
Hipster: It’s actually not as weird as you think.
Suit: I see.
–Spring & Broadway
Overheard by: Jasper
Suit: I was up in Toronto last week. It was nice, but it was really cold.
Guy: Yeah, it’s beautiful up there, but they get winter really early. It’s like that Shakespeare line, ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’
Suit: [Befuddled silence.]
–LIRR into Penn Station
Overheard by: It was Dickens, DickWad
Newspaper guy: Free Post! Free New York Post right here!
Suit: Not if you paid me.
Newspaper guy: Yeah, don’t blame you… Free Post!
–Wall St & Broadway
Overheard by: NYT reader
Crazy guy: Have you ever sniffed some good ass?
Suit: Huh?
Crazy guy: Have you ever smelled some really good asshole?
Suit: I would say… yes, I have. But I don’t really want to discuss it with you, okay?
–E 42nd & 5th
Overheard by: Big Larry
Headline by: space coyote
Runners-Up:
· “It’s Between Me and My Mother” – King of the Jews
· “It’s really more a question of taste…” – Rusty
· “Not now, Dad.” – again.
· “Wall Street’s Don’t Sniff and Tell policy” – Ceetar
· “What Happens at an HMO-covered Therapy Session” – Barry Negrin
