What did the gavel say to the bench?

This legal jest hinges on a clever bit of wordplay, specifically a pun that takes full advantage of the phrase "striking matters." On one hand, you have the literal image of a gavel, the judge's trusty wooden mallet, physically striking the bench to call for order or signal a decision. This is its primary, and rather forceful, action in the courtroom.

However, the humor truly lands when we consider the second meaning of "striking matters." In a legal context, "matters" are the issues or topics being debated and decided. To have the "final say in striking matters" also refers to the judge's ultimate authority to make definitive decisions on important or impactful issues, sometimes even literally "striking" (removing) evidence or testimony from the record. The gavel, as a symbol of that authority, represents the judge's power to bring things to a definitive close.

So, the joke playfully blends the physical act of the gavel hitting the bench with the judge's absolute power to resolve significant legal questions. It's a neat little package of humor, highlighting the dual nature of words and the symbolic weight of courtroom tools, all without getting too bogged down in legal jargon.