A man is washing the car with his son. The son asks, “Dad, can't you just use a sponge?”

Make It Land

Let “With” Do the Work

“Washing the car with his son” normally means father and son are working together. The son's question changes “with” into its tool meaning, as though the father is using him instead of a sponge. Read the first sentence as an entirely ordinary family chore and avoid signaling anything strange. Give the son's question a tired, practical tone. The absurd picture should emerge only after the word “sponge” forces listeners to reinterpret the opening sentence.