Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
American bandleader Lawrence Welk (1903-1992) often started his music with, "And a 1! And a 2!" "Anna one, anna two..." is a jocular version that has been cited in print since…
"Memory lane" is an imaginary path through the nostalgically remembered past and not an actual street. However, a computer memory joke was posted on Twitter on March 17, 2010: "I…
A joke about spicy food was printed in many newspapers in July 1962: WIFE: Were the peppers too hot, darling?HUSBAND: No, dear. Smoke always comes out of my ears when I eat. The joke became a…
"Bada bing" is slang that was used in the film The Godfather (1972) and the American crime drama television series The Sopranos. Both entertainments involved Italian-American gangster…
A cannibal riddle is: Q: What food are you able to can? A: Cannibal (cannable) food. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1976. Google BooksBiggest Riddle Book in the WorldBy Joseph…
"Gym" sounds like the personal name "Jim" (a male name for "James"). "A buddy and I used to call the gym "the James" because we didn't know it well…
"Lawn distance relationship" is a pun on the term "long distance relationship." "People always said I should have dated the girl next door. I'm glad I didn't, I…
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A spark plug version is: "A spark plug walks into a bar. The bartender says,…
"I was attacked by a gang of mimes. They did unspeakable things to me" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "Just been gang raped by a group of mime artists. . .…
A hamburger riddle is: Q: Why do hamburgers feel sad at barbecues?A: They get to meet their old flames! The joke was printed in the book 101 Hamburger Jokes (1978) by Phil Hirsch. Google Books101…
"From Chris Purdy's Facebook Status: I farted in the lift at work this morning.... it was wrong on so many levels" was posted on Twitter on October 7, 2009. "I farted in an…
"Alcoholism is a disease. Get your shots here!" is a jocular bar saying that has been printed on an image. "Bar sign in Casper: Alcoholism is a disease. Get your shots at…
The fruit juice-flavored drink Hi-C sounds like "high sea." "Q: What do pirate kids drink to prevent scurvy? A: High Sea" was posted on Twitter on September 19, 2008.…
"It's national pasta day.....so my sauces tell me..." -- a pun on "my sources tell me" -- was posted on Twitter on January 24, 2013. "Apparenty, the Heinz ketchup has…
A communism riddle was posted on Reddit -- Jokes on January 14, 2018: Q: What do two communists have in common?A: Everything. Wikipedia: CommunismIn political and social sciences, communism (from…
"Faux pas" is sometimes punned as "faux pa." The pun is especially frequent on Father's Day. "A friend tried to tell me recently that I'm not allowed to make dad…
A "capitalist" is sometimes just a person who likes to write in all capital letters. "All caps" is regarded online as shouting or yelling. A joke was posted on Reddit --…
"Efficiency is clever laziness" is another form of the old saying, "Choose a lazy person to do a hard job because that person will find an easy way to do it." The saying…
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service offered by Amazon.com. It has nothing to do with prime numbers, but there have been several jokes. "What's the derivative of Amazon prime?…
"Prawn" sounds to some like "pawn." A riddle is: Q: How could the dolphin afford to buy a house?A: He prawned everything. The joke was posted on the newsgroup…