Why so many nipples?

[LazyPup]

Many years ago while serving in the Air Force I was a warehouseman in the civil engineering supply point. One of my daily duties was to call in parts requests to the main supply warehouse.

One day I happened to be calling in an order for plumbing supplies, and as luck would have it, they had a new lady taking the callins at the main office.

I was running down the list...Stock Number........ Quantity 2 nomenclature "nipple" (meaning pipe nipples that is")

After about the 5th or 6th line the lady asked "How can you have so many stock numbers for the same item?"
"Because nipples come in different sizes" i replied.
Whaaaam, she went off, cussing me out for being a pervert and slamming the phone down.
A half hour later i was summoned to the commanders office with orders to bring the actual supply request and a supply catalog to confirm what i had been telling her.
After about an hours discussion, and aided with the plumbing catalog I was finally able to convince both the commander and the lady that I was not being a pervert, but was in fact describing the parts by thier proper name, at which time i was dismissed to return to my duties.

Just before i left the office I looked the Colonel in the eye and said "I guess ordering the stop cocks and bastard files is out of thw question."