We were helping Beth with her homework on the American Revolution this evening, and it was great fun. I fancy myself the household expert on history, so I was right in my element. However, helping with a big homework assignment until ten p.m. makes me yearn for my high school days (when I didn’t). It didn’t help that we were all pretty tired.

Anyway, there was a point in all this when Beth got a little punchy and said, “What, there were two armies in the Revolution?” (Presumably referring to the Continental Army, formed by the Second Continental Congress, and the British Army.) I don’t remember what prompted this outburst of sarcasm, but I remember my reaction. My first instinct is usually to answer sarcasm with sarcasm, so I replied, “Yeah Beth, it’s tough to have a war with just one. It takes two to tango.”

Actually, I didn’t get the whole word “tango” out of my mouth. I only got through the first syllable, when I realized my error.

Boy do I feel foolish.