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Claim: Hillary Clinton stamp fails to stick because wrong side is being spit upon.
Example: [Collected via e-mail, September 2007]
Origins: As the 2008 Presidential race heats up, expect to see any number of old jokes dragged from where they've been hiding, dusted free of cobwebs, and sent around again, this time with new names inserted in place of old. The joke quoted above is one such howler. In previous years it has been aimed at other figures in American politics, such as John Kerry and
[Collected on the Internet, February 1999]
The jape is also sometimes put to use to slam those in the music world:
Tehran, Feb 24 (Reutres) - Thousand of Iranian stamps with the picture of Ayatollah Khamenei which were called back from the market three years ago are sent back for sale again. Millions of Iranian citizens who had bought the stamps had complained that the stamps do not stick to the envelopes the way they should. Government tried to ease the situation by calling all the stamps with Ayatollah Khamenei's picture back to the producing company for major rework. Several test were made on the thin paper and the glue used to make the stamps. After a period of three years all stamps were sent back on market. The Iranian PTT chairman told the reporters in an interview: "There is nothing wrong with our stamps, people do not use them properly". Asked the question what people did wrong, the PTT chairman said: "They spit on the wrong side of the stamp". [Collected on the Internet, July 2002] I heard that when the pound coin was first introduced, some people called it a "Thatcher", because it was thick, brassy, and acted like a sovereign. I also heard that Thatcher wanted her portrait to replace Queen on the postage stamps. However the Royal Mail vetoed the idea pointing out that most people would be inclined to spit on the wrong side of the stamp.
[Collected on the Internet, July 1995]
And sports figures:
Regarding the Grateful Dead 30th Anniversary Postage Stamp: Word has it that the Abkhasians were considering a stamp with a picture of Bruce Hornsby and his accordion, but were worried that everyone would spit on the wrong side.
[Wilson, 1985]
But of course no matter who its target, the joke is a bit of a stretch since postage stamps that need to be moistened are usually licked, not spit upon.
When you're 0-4, you get no respect, said Tulane Coach Mack Brown: "I called Dial-a-Prayer, and they hung up on me." "They told me they were going to do a commemorative stamp of me, but they had to scrap that idea Barbara "'they kept licking the wrong side' wouldn't have made nearly as good a punchline" Mikkelson Last updated: 19 September 2007 Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2008 by snopes.com. This material may not be reproduced without permission. snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of snopes.com.  Sources:
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