A third-grade teacher was giving her class a lesson on proper table manners. To make it fun, she asked,

“Alright kids, imagine you’re out at a fancy dinner. How would you politely excuse yourself if you needed to step away?”

She turned to Michael first.

Michael puffed out his chest and said, “Easy. I’d just tell her, ‘Hold on, I gotta go pee.’”

The class giggled, but the teacher shook her head. “That’s not very polite, Michael. Let’s try again. Sherman, what would you say?”

Sherman thought for a second and answered carefully, “I’d say, ‘Excuse me, I’ll be right back. I need to step out for a moment.’”

The teacher smiled. “Much better! But remember, at the dinner table we try not to mention bathrooms at all.”

Finally, she turned to Johnny, who was already grinning ear to ear.

Johnny leaned back in his chair and said, “I’d look at her and say, ‘My dear, may I excuse myself for just a moment? I need to have a quick chat with an old friend—don’t worry, I’ll introduce you after dessert.’”

The room went silent for two seconds, then erupted in laughter.

The teacher didn’t laugh. She fainted on the spot.