At a tea for officers and their wives, the commanding general of a base delivered a seemingly endless oration. A young lieutenant grumbled to the woman sitting beside him, “What a pompous and unbearable old windbag that slob is!” The woman turned to him, her face red with rage.

“Excuse me, Lieutenant. Do you have any idea who I am?”

“No, ma’am,” the man fumbled.

“I am the wife of the man you just called an unbearable old windbag.”

“Oh,” said the lieutenant. “And do you have any idea who I am?”

“No,” said the general’s wife.

“Thank God,” said the lieutenant, getting up from his seat and disappearing into the crowd.