Every year our company sends out corporate Christmas cards, and towards the end of November a list of potential recipients gets passed around. The managers are supposed to go through it, and check off which cards we'd like to sign, as well as make any additions or corrections to the list. My pass at the list went like this:

Me: I think there's a mistake here. You've got the wrong company and address listed under [this guy]'s name. He doesn't work for [local lab]. He owns [local company].

C (my assistant): No, there are two guys with the same name. One works for [local lab], the other owns [local company].

Me: So, [this guy] gets a card, but [other this guy] doesn't?

C: Exactly.

P (the sales manager's assistant, taking list from me): Actually, he doesn't. He's dead. (Scratches name off the list.)

Me: He's dead?

P: Yep.

Me: So, there is only one [this guy].

P: Yep. And he's not getting a card.