The answer, according to a rather dated paperback of the same name I picked up at my favorite used bookstore the other day: "Thank you very much. I'm sorry. That won't happen again."
I didn't claim it was a funny book. (And I'm not telling you the real answer.)
A far better satirical look at Wasps can be found in William Hamilton's Anti-Social Register, which I found at the same store. (I suspect the two books may have been longtime shelf-mates and were donated together.) Hamilton is best known for his New Yorker cartoons featuring uptight bankers and other patrician types. Though my edition of the book dates from 1977, and the cover (pictured at right) features a couple of freakish late hippies, many of the punchlines have stood up well to the test of time.
For example, in light of the current accounting scandal engulfing camera and medical imaging giant Olympus, this one is amusing. The caption reads, "In examining our books, Mr. Matthews promises to use generally accepted accounting principles, if you know what I mean."
And then there's this one: "I guess people are just going to have to tighten their belts and fall back on their trust funds for awhile."
(I suppose that could also be labeled "What do Wasps say in a recession?")
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