slow/wording

[Pooh]

This is from the sitcome, Friends.↓

Monica: (taking a drink from Joey) Are you through with that?
Joey: Yeah, sorry, the swallowing slowed me down.

As Monica's parents are going to visit her, she is in a hurry to clean her
room here, then Joey was drinking something slowly and she wnated him to finish it so that she can clean the glass.

My question is the Joey's line. Why he answered like that?
If I were him, I would just say, "Sorry for not dringking fast"
or "Sorry for my slow drinking." I just cannot understand his way of saying that.

Anybody help me? Thanks! :)

[Esl_Expert]

Hi Pooh,

It's just an ironically humorous way of giving her an excuse/reason for not drinking faster.

It also suggests that he didn't think he was drinking particularly slowly -- i.e. to have emptied the glass more quickly would have required no swallowing at all, but rather that the liquid just flowed steadily, without pause, down his throat.

_______________________________________________
"Flattery is like chewing gum. Enjoy it but don't swallow it." ~ Hank Ketcham

[Pooh]