Wizard of Id by Parker and Hart for November 21, 2023

Spit, spit!

He advertises it as a job to die for.

“Some of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.” – Lord Farquaad, ruler of the kingdom of Duloc. (Shrek, 2001)

That temp… I thought it was a little guy on the table until I noticed the legs

It’s hard to keep a permanent person in this position.

The Fink uses a temporary agency but the job turns out to be a job for life for the less fortunate food tasters.

Because he couldn’t find a VERY temp agency!

Does he have Seasonal Help for the salt and pepper?

Where’s the mini Ketchup bottle? Oh, wait, that’s Trumpeter.

You always learn of the downside after the fact !

It just now dawned on me that being a taster for a king is not all that risky. Having a taster makes the chances of successfully poisoning the target unlikely, and poisoning the taster would be treated as attempted regicide. The practice of employing a taster makes any poisoning less likely, and makes poisoning the targeted far less likely.

I assume there is no “comp” time?

Not a bad job for a peasant in ID, at least you will not starve to death.

Must pay very well I guess

Unless the taster is trained on how to recognize the flavor or scent of various poisons, they won’t be very effective. Most ingested poisons don’t have a quick enough effect to see the result until it’s too late.

This dude needs a taller chair. How is he supposed to see the food on his plate?

Somebody ordered the king the three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce special!

…and the practice still is enforced today….oy

Guess he didn’t have his bezoar stone available.

The taster “Temporary” ?

Poison or the cook ran out of ideas and threw whatever was available in the pot for the night’s dinner.

On the flip side the protected ones have to do the left overs.