An elderly man visits the doctor, worried his wife is going deaf but unsure how to address it without offending her. The doctor suggests a simple test:
"Stand far away and ask her a question. If she doesn’t respond, move closer one step at a time. Tell me the distance when she finally hears you—we’ll assess her hearing then."
The man returns home and sees his wife cooking dinner.
He stands in the doorway, 30 feet away, and asks:
"My love, what are you cooking?"
No response.
He moves 10 feet closer (now 20 feet away) and asks again.
Silence.
He steps right behind her, 3 feet away, and shouts:
"MY LOVE! WHAT ARE YOU COOKING?"
His wife spins around, angry, and shouts back:
"For the third time, haricot beans!"