An engineer, a
mathematician, and a physicist were standing around the university
flagpole when an English professor wandered by. “What are you doing?”
he asked. “We need to know the height of the flagpole,” said one, “and
we’re discussing the formulas we might use to calculate it.” “Watch!”
said the English professor. He pulled the pole from its fitting, laid
it on the grass, borrowed a tape measure and said, “Exactly 24 feet.”
Then he replaced the pole and walked away. “English professor!” sneer
the mathematician, “We ask him for the height, and he gives us the
length.”