Brevity by Dan Thompson for December 02, 2020

Too many pieces to this to figure it out without help. Anyone? (To save time: I understand dim sum, karaoke, and “A Total Eclipse of the Heart”. Now pull it all together.)

In this context, is Dim Sum meaning ‘touch heart’ ?

Bonnie Tyler……

I’m thinking the joke is kinda backwards…

The customer is saying the dim sum gets in the way of the karaoke…

but the… sign? … song title?… behind the musician says “Total Eclipse of Ala Carte”…

To me, that means the karaoke would be eclipsing the dim sum.

Then again, if that’s what Dan does mean….

Dim sum is served not only ala carte

but from a cart… an actual table-side serving cart…

So wouldn’t it be “Total Eclipse of The Cart”??

That fits the meter of the song better, and thus the pun, as well.

Oy

Diner: I need a hero, I’m holdin’ out for a hero ‘til the end of the night.

Waiter: You’re in luck, we just added a 5-foot sub to the menu.

looks like they’re putting the cart before the hoarse…

Ohh…..really reaching there, Dan.

The “of” is superfluous and breaks the scan.