Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
A Halloween riddle about wide-screen television is: Q: What kind of TV do you find inside a haunted house?A: A wide scream TV. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1998. Google Books3650…
An ethnic stereotype is that Jewish people are stingy with money. A joke is: Q: What's the difference between a Jew and a canoe?A: A canoe tips. The joke has been cited in print since at least…
"'Your money or your life!' 'Haha! Joke's on you, I don't have either of those things'" is a joke about an attempted robbery that was posted on Twitter on…
A skeleton riddle is: Q: Why don't skeletons play music in church?A: They have no organs. The popular Halloween riddle has been cited in print since at least 1992. The joke was used in the…
Successful acupuncture has been called "a jab well done" (a pun on "a job well done"). "Definition of acupuncture: A jab well done" was published in American…
A national anthem is, technically, "country" music. "No matter the musical style, a nation's national anthem is 'country music' Daily Jumble in 1:14, score 1115"…
"Lettuce leaf" sounds like "let us leave." "I remember a time my friends and I got trapped in a garden...the owners wouldn't lettuce leaf" was posted on Twitter…
A baseball riddle is: Q: What superhero do you want on your baseball team?A: Batman. "Which superhero do baseball players like the best? Batman" was published in a 1996 book. Wikipedia:…
"The early bird catches the worm" is a proverb dating from at least the 17th century; it means that whoever does something first has the best chance of success. However, what about the…
A popular airlines joke is that they would charge for "emotional baggage" if they could. "Airlines to charge extra for emotional baggage..." was posted on Twitter on January 18,…
Passwords are often four, six or eight digits long. A "digit" pun was posted on Reddit -- Shower Thoughts on October 29, 2017: "A fingerprint sensor on your phone is a one-digit…
Some houses don't have a mailbox -- just a mail slot in the front door. "If your front door has a mail slot, then you live in a mailbox" was posted on Reddit -- Shower Thoughts on…
A witch riddle is: Q: What do you call a witch’s garage?A: A broom closet. The popular Halloween riddle was posted on the newsgroup soc.culture.filipino on October 22, 1996. Google Groups:…
"Why is the grapefruit called a grapefruit? I mean, there is already a fruit called a grape. Doesn’t make a lick of sense" was asked on Twitter on April 28, 2009. "Why is it called…
A shady business is a "fly-by-night." Is a shady restaurant business a "fry-by-night"? A pun is: Q: What kind of company is a 24-hour hamburger joint?A: Fry-by-night. The joke…
People work out to "see some definition," such as muscles coming out from what used to be fat. "Been bench pressing dictionaries, starting to see some definition in my arms..."…
Activia is a brand of yogurt; the name sounds like "activity." "Would it be gauche to bring the script for my "Paranormal Activia" skit to snl tonight? It's like…
"Dewey, Cheatham & Howe" is a jocular fictitious law/accounting/consulting firm name. "Ditcher, Quick & Hyde" is a jocular fictitious divorce law firm name.…
"I, for one, like Roman numerals" -- "I'" is the Roman numeral for "one" -- is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on many images. The saying was…
"Dehydration is not something to cry about" is a jocular one-line saying that was posted on Twitter on December 10, 2012. The saying was posted on Reddit -- Oneliners on October 27, 2017.…