"Where does virgin wool come from? The sheep that runs the fastest"

Harry F. Banks’ quip, “Where does virgin wool come from? The sheep that runs the fastest,” is a clever play on words, blending humor with a subtle nod to both language and human tendencies. On the surface, the phrase seems like a simple joke, evoking the image of sheep fleeing from those seeking their wool. However, lurking beneath this humorous veneer is a commentary about language, innocence, and perhaps the human proclivity to assign meanings or laugh at the nuances of wordplay.

“Virgin wool” by industry definition refers to wool harvested from a sheep’s first shearing, pure, untouched, never before processed. Banks amusingly twists this meaning, suggesting that “virgin” is a quality to be protected, hence the sheep’s speedy escape. The joke lies in the imaginative leap: the sheep, aware of the implications of losing their “virgin” status, are motivated to run, thus only the swiftest can claim the prestigious label of “virgin wool.” The humor comes from anthropomorphizing the sheep, projecting onto them a human concept of innocence and chastity.

There's also a playful satire on how humans ascribe purity and exclusivity to products. The value attached to “virgin wool” is partly a creation of clever marketing and human psychology, and Banks hints at the arbitrariness of such designations. It’s a gentle lampoon of both the wool industry’s branding and the consumer’s willingness to chase after imagined superiority, often driven by little more than semantics.

At another level, the jest underscores our fascination with the untouched or the original, chasing after what we believe to be pure, even if it leads us to ridiculous logical conclusions. Banks wraps a sly observation in sheep’s clothing, inviting us to smile at the complexities and foibles of both language and our endless search for authenticity.