A concerned husband went to a doctor to talk about his wife. He says to the  doctor, "Doctor, I think my wife is deaf because she never hears me the  first time and always asks me to repeat things." "Well," the doctor  replied, "go home and tonight stand about 15 feet from her and say  something to her. If she doesn't reply move about 5 feet close and say it  again. Keep doing this so that we'll get an idea about the severity of her  deafness". 

Sure enough, the husband goes home and does exactly as instructed. He  starts off about 15 feet from his wife in the kitchen as she is chopping  some vegetables and says, "Honey, what's for dinner?" He hears no response. 

He moves about 5 feet closer and asks again. No reply. He moves 5 feet  closer. Still no reply. He gets fed up and moves right behind her, about  an inch away, and asks again, "Honey, what's for dinner?" 

She replies, "For the fourth time, vegetable stew!"