The big chess tournament was taking place at the Plaza in New York. After the first day's competition, many of the winners were sitting around in the foyer of the hotel talking about their matches and bragging about their wonderful play. After a few drinks they started getting louder and louder until finally, the desk clerk couldn't take any more and kicked them out.
The next morning the Manager called the clerk into his office and told him there had been many complaints about his being so rude to the hotel guests....instead of kicking them out, he should have just asked them to be less noisy. The clerk responded, "I'm sorry, but if there's one thing I can't stand, it's chess nuts boasting in an open foyer."
Originally posted by heinzkat"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" is the first line of the classic Christmas song known as "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire)."
As a non-fluent speaker of English, I have never understood this joke. I do understand it should resemble "chestnuts boasting in open fire", but what's up with that?