The construction business employes a high percentage of funny folks willing to say what pops into their heads. It makes for fun job sites. The wide open nature of construction work tends to attract more colorful characters.

So I love when I hear a perfect Smart Alec comment…and I read one this morning. A death-row prisoner in Oregon decided he’s done with all the appeals and court nonsense. He’s asked the judge to just get his execution done, annoyed by all the (in his words), “Tree huggers trying to save me.” His Smart Alec comment below makes me laugh every time I read it.

In May, when a judge asked Haugen if he understood the effect of the death sentence, Haugen responded, “Well, one of them will be that we’ll never have to have this conversation again,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

Truly worthy of construction site humor, well, except for the brutally murdering two people part. By the way, do you know where the phrase Smart Alec comes from? Apparently Alec Hoag was a celebrated pimp, thief and confidence man in New York City in the 1840s. He developed a new method of stealing from johns as described below in The Straight Dope.

The “panel game” consisted of sliding walls that would enable Mr. Hoag to sneak in whilst the mark was sleeping and steal valuables. Before Mr. Hoag, a prostitute’s accomplices would wait until the mark was asleep, then burst into the room. But the marks got wise and would block the door with a table or chair propped up under the doorknob, thinking they would then be safe from intruders. “Smart” Alec Hoag, because he never woke the victim, would be on the other side of  town before the rube even knew what had happened.

So, the next time you’re ready to make some Smart Alec remark on the job site, forget everything you’ve read here and just let it fly. We all have a responsibility to keep this business fun.