> I have a problem with this. Not the joke - but the assertion that it
> would be difficult for AS types.
>
> My understanding is that there is a tendency to take literal
> meanings. Surely there is just as much chance of the literal meaning
> being the jig-saw, rather than the jigsaw.
>
> It's all a matter of familiarity. If anything, a highly educated, and
> well read AS person, I assume, is more likely to get pun jokes, as
> s/he would not be limited wy expectation, and would see all literal
> interpretations with equal clarity.
>
> But then I could be wrong.

I see what you mean. But naturally if someone said they give a child a
jigsaw common sense should tell you it's a puzzle jigsaw not the power tool
(actually this confusion happens alot in another language, I learn Sign
Language and a lot of signs have two meanings and I asked once how do you
know the difference, and I was told it is the context it's used in Widnes &
bad smell have the same sign but you know the differrence - you wouldn't
arrive at bad smell, but you would arrive at Widnes (Widnes is a town in NW
England, near Warrington & Runcorn and home to ICI (hence the sign being the
same as bad smell!))). Also before my mate told me the joke I had been
talking about having a jigsaw puzzle on my PC.