Good, said the judge, rapping his gavel three times. "I always have trouble remembering the long ones. How about 'I am'? That's the shortest sentence I know."

The judge moves from long sentences to the tiny statement 'I am', treating a sentence as something to remember and recite. In a judge's mouth, the word also suggests a punishment. The joke lets the language of grammar intrude on the language of a courtroom.

Context reviewed 23 September 2026