A Navy man walks into a bar, gives the bartender a conspiratorial wink, and says, “Quick, pour me a drink, before the trouble starts.” The bartender pours a drink and watches as the Sailor downs it in one gulp.
The Sailor slams the glass down on the bar and says, “Quick, give me another one before the trouble starts.” The bartender pours another glass and the Sailor drinks it as quickly as he had the first. The Sailor pauses, lets out a belch, and demands a third drink ‘before the trouble starts.’ After several rounds of this, the bartender says, “Look Sailor, you’ve been talking about trouble for ten minutes. Just when is this ‘trouble’ going to start?”
The sailor looks at the bartender and grins. “The trouble starts just as soon as you figure out that I don’t have any money.”
Explanation: The humor builds through suspense as the sailor repeatedly hints at impending “trouble.” The punchline delivers the twist: the real problem isn’t a fight or chaos, but the fact that he can’t pay for his drinks. The unexpected revelation makes the joke funny.
