Don't know wether or not its been said but for the past 12 yrs my Response has been......
"Been trying that with my wife for the past 25 yrs ....& she's still there!!"

Can you make my wife disappear ?
Just carry on being yourself sir,she`ll vanish soon enough.

Really like "No. That's the Sorcerer's Guild. It's a union thing. Sorry." but prefer the sunset line as it flatters both parties. No desire to **** off someone who is enjoying my act..

Best answer ever!

Hudson

Magicians don't make things disappear, they make things invisible.... You don't want that do you?

I always thought that a good response to "Can you make my wife disappear" or any of the similar comments so often made is to genuinely laugh like you have never heard it before.
People often say things like this because they are nervous or they want to make an impression on their friends and they are looking for a laugh - why not give it to them? By all means after you have laughed look at the wife and shrug and say "What can you do?" or whatever but maybe give the guy his moment of glory.

Six months ago my girlfriend broke her arm and after it was plastered in hospital the doctor said to rest it for 6 weeks. I said "But who's going to do the washing up?". He laughed as he got with his notes. Afterwards my girlfriend said "How often do you think he has heard that before?"
Of course he had heard that before, countless times probably, though to me it was a new experience just as seeing a magician is a unique experience for most people too.

I once watched a stand-up comedian get heckled by someone and the heckle was very funny. Instead of putting him down the comedian just said "Now you are a funny guy!". It was a really nice moment.

I'm not saying it is the only way to go but maybe, before leaping in with a riposte, just let the spectator have his moment when he makes a funny.

I think I'm going to use jugglestruck's reaction followed by Tim's comment. Sometimes I say, "Come on now... won't you miss that pretty face?"

[quote]On 2005-03-15 22:08, Lee Darrow wrote:
"Hey! This is Chicago - ANYBODY can disappear for only $50! Of course, in MY neighborhood, it's down to $19.95 - and we'll throw in a set of Ginsu Knives!"

Thanks Lee, that's one of the best I've heard

Make him a blindfold out of a table napkin, then continue with the show?

Just say "YES WE CAN..."

This one is actually pretty funny! It accomplishes what they ask without really offending anyone.

Dave Hill of http://themagicdollarstore.com

Has some silks with a picture and words on of it of husband and wife 6" silk you can vanish.

Not on his website but I saw them at a convention this weekend!! call him up and order up tell him I sent ya!!

Have a clear cup filled about halfway with nickles, when they ask, drop another one in and say something like, and that's just today...see if they catch the "If I had a nickle" reference and don't say anything else...

"Henny Youngman, 1949"

Great Line!!!-Hilarious...

Well, I don't know if it sounds good translated in english but in France, I answer most of the time
" Sorry, I perform magic, not miracles !"
" Well, yes, I can do it, but if you are interested please join the waiting list, I am full until 2015 for that"

No! WHat do you think I am, a magician?"

I perform magic, not miracles.

Please, stop say that... I think I heard this expression from every french magician in the past....

This is not funny, and nothing special at all...

Say something diferent and subtle, something like...

Including the airbags?

I always get a laugh when I say this to them. In the past 6 years that I have been performing magic I have probably been asked if I can make their wife dissapear 100 times, and everytime I say the above line, I have always get a laugh.

It may be the 100th time you have heard it, but for spectators it's the first time they have seen a magician in person, and it's certainly the first time they have asked the qustion, so to them that answer is funny and different.

To be honest people read far too much into one liners and trying to catch out spectators. Just get a laugh, big or small and move onto the next routine, I have been asked the question far too many times to care enough to focus on giving a different answer each time. The above works for me, it gets a laugh.