A newcomer asked his sponsor about the difference between a non-alcoholic, a potential-alcoholic, and the hopeless-alcoholic, explaining that he was confused by this terminology in the Big Book.  So the sponsor took the new comer to the raunchiest bar in town.  Upon arriving, they stopped out back and sifted through the dumpster for flies.  This seemed strange to the sponsee, but he did not question the old-timer.  When they had collected enough dead flies they entered the bar.  Soon a fight broke out, and everyone in the bar rushed over to watch it, except for the two AA's.  The sponsor began dropping flies into beers at the bar.  When the fight broke up everyone returned to their seats.  One man picked up his beer, noticed the fly, and promptly asked the bartender for another draft.  "That", said the sponsor "is what we call a non-alcoholic."  A second man sat down, noticed the fly in his drink, tossed it aside, and drank his beer anyway.  "That's what we call a potential-alcoholic", said the sponsor.  The newcomer then said "If that's only a POTENTIAL-alcoholic, then what the hell is a hopeless-alcoholic?"  Before he could finish a third man sat down at the bar, picked the fly out of his beer, held it up to his face, and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!  SPIT IT OUT!!!"