The joke works on a double‑misunderstanding:

1. The monk’s perspective – He’s lived in a cloister for decades, never having encountered prostitution. When the two women say “twenty dollars for a quicky,” he assumes “quicky” means a brief sexual act (the usual slang “quickie”).

2. The mother superior’s perspective – She either pretends not to know the slang or deliberately pretends she doesn’t. When the monk asks what a “quicky” is, she answers literally: it’s the price – twenty dollars – just as the street prostitutes said.

The humor comes from the monk’s naive expectation that the word must have a sexual meaning, and the mother superior’s dead‑pan reply that the word is simply a label for a $20 transaction. The punch line flips the expected explanation (what a quicky is in the sense of a sexual act) into a matter of cost, highlighting the monk’s cluelessness and the absurdity of the situation.

The joke hinges on a double‑meaning of the word quickie.

1. “Quicky” in everyday slang – The phrase “twenty dollars for a quicky” is what a prostitute says when offering a quick sexual encounter. The word quickie (or quicky) is slang for a brief, usually paid‑for, sexual act.

2. The monk’s confusion – The head of the monastery has been isolated for 30 years, so he’s completely out of touch with common slang. When he hears “twenty dollars for a quicky,” he takes it literally as if it were some product or service he doesn’t understand (“What’s a quicky?”). He’s naively picturing a product rather than a sexual proposition.

3. Mother Superior’s punchline – She answers, “Twenty dollars, same as in town.”

• On the surface, it sounds like she’s saying the price of the item is the same as it is elsewhere.
• In reality, the line is a tongue‑in‑cheek way of saying, “A quickie costs $20, just like it does in the town,” i.e., the same price a prostitute would charge.

4. Why it’s funny

• Unexpected context: A cloistered religious figure asking about a slang term creates an incongruity.
• Double entendre: The answer deliberately plays on the word “quicky,” letting the audience catch the sexual meaning while the monk (and the audience) are initially misled.
• Relief of tension: The punchline clears up the misunderstanding in a witty, slightly risqué way, delivering the “aha!” moment.

So the humor comes from the monk’s innocent, clueless question and the Mother Superior’s witty, double‑meaning answer that reveals the true, sexual nature of the “quickie.”

Of course! This is a classic joke that works by subverting your expectations about a character. Let’s break it down. The Simple Explanation

The humor comes from the shocking and unexpected punchline. You expect the holy Mother Superior to be horrified by the term “quicky” and to scold the monk for even asking. Instead, her answer reveals that she is not only familiar with the concept but also knows the current market price, implying she’s involved in the very same business as the prostitutes in town. A More Detailed Breakdown

To fully get the joke, you need to look at the three key parts:

1. The Setup: The Innocent Character

• The old monk is the perfect “straight man” for the joke. He’s been in a secluded monastery for 30 years, making him completely naive and innocent about the outside world.
• His confusion is genuine. He doesn’t understand the slang term “quicky” (which means a brief, illicit sexual encounter for money) and seeks knowledge from a figure of authority within his own world—the Mother Superior.
• The audience knows what a quicky is, so we are in on the secret. We expect the Mother Superior to explain it to him in a shocked, religious way.

2. The Punchline: The Subverted Expectation

• The core of the joke is the Mother Superior’s reply: “Twenty dollars, same as in town.”
• This response is funny for two main reasons: * It’s not a definition: She doesn’t explain what a quicky is, she just gives a price. This immediately signals that something is wrong. * It’s a price comparison: The most brilliant part of the punchline is the phrase “same as in town.” It implies that not only is she familiar with the service, but she’s also aware of her local competition’s pricing and is matching it.

3. The Implication: The Shocking Truth

The punchline forces you to re-evaluate the Mother Superior’s character entirely.

• She’s not innocent: Instead of being a symbol of piety and purity, she’s revealed to be worldly, pragmatic, and possibly running her own “side business” out of the monastery.
• The Joke’s World is Turned Upside Down: The most holy person in the monastery is revealed to be the most street-smart and corrupt, while the monk is blissfully unaware. The people who are supposed to be farthest from sin are revealed to be experts in it.

In summary: The joke sets you up to expect a lesson on morality, but instead, it delivers a punchline that reveals the “moral authority” is a savvy businesswoman. The humor lies in the massive disconnect between the Mother Superior’s holy title and her shocking, real-world knowledge.

This joke is a classic example of a double entendre and relies on misunderstanding and irony.

Here’s how it works:

1. Setup: A monk who has lived in seclusion for 30 years goes into town for the first time. He’s completely out of touch with modern slang and social norms.

2. Inciting Incident: Two sex workers offer him a “quicky” for twenty dollars. In this context, “a quickie” is slang for a brief sexual encounter.

3. The Monk’s Confusion: The monk doesn’t understand the term “quicky” because he’s lived a celibate, isolated life. So he goes back to the monastery and asks the Mother Superior—his superior in the religious order—what “a quicky” means.

4. The Punchline: The Mother Superior replies, “Twenty dollars, same as in town.”

Why it’s funny:

• The humor comes from the unexpected implication that the Mother Superior does know what a “quicky” is—and not only that, but she seems to be pricing it competitively.
• This suggests, absurdly and ironically, that there might be some kind of “monastery brothel” or that religious figures are somehow involved in sex work—which is completely contrary to expectations.
• It’s also funny because the Mother Superior doesn’t explain the meaning of “quicky”—she just quotes the price, implying she’s familiar with the transaction, not the definition.

In short: The joke plays on the contrast between the monk’s innocence and the Mother Superior’s seemingly worldly knowledge. The punchline subverts expectations by implying that even in a secluded monastery, “a quicky” costs twenty bucks—just like in town. It’s absurd, cheeky, and mildly sacrilegious, which adds to its comedic effect.