Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
An animal riddle (frequently told at Easter) is: Q: What did the bunny say when he had only thistles to east?A: "Thistle have to do!" The "thistle" pun has been cited in print…
Workers in the 1950s took smoke breaks. Workers in the 21st century take breaks for other reasons, frequently associated with social media. "I have decided that the Internet is this…
"Why did the chicken cross the road?"/"To get to the other side" is a classic riddle from the 19th century. A cow version is: Q: Why did the cow cross the road?A: To get to the…
"There's a fine line between a numerator and a denominator (Only a fraction of people will find this funny)" is a jocular saying that has been printed on several images.…
A solar eclipse riddle is: Q: What kind of underwear should you wear during an eclipse?A: Fruit of the moon. The joke was posted by Boys' Life magazine on August 16, 2017. Wikipedia: Fruit of…
On "National Tell a Joke Day" (August 16, 2017), the Library of Congress Blog told the story of what could be the first audio recording of a joke. The joke concerned the Tariff Act of…
"Programming is like sex: One mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life" is a jocular programming saying that has been printed on many images. Michael Sinz (Amiga…
A baseball riddle is: Q: What famous Greek might have invented baseball?A: Homer. "That old Greek feller, Homer, the one who invented Baseball Batting averages, or something" was printed…
A tuna fish riddle is: Q: How do you tune a (tuna) fish?A: With its scales. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1916. “You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish” is a related…
A joke about marches -- and fat people -- was posted on Reddit -- Jokes on August 19, 2017: "I don't see why in this day and age there aren't marches against fat shaming. Because…
"You should get an employee discount for using self-checkout in a store" is a saying that has been printed on several images. "If I use self checkout at home depot shouldn't I…
A jocular line about being a tour guide was posted on Twitter by Brynnester™ on August 11, 2017: "As I get older and I remember all the people I've lost along the way I think to…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Reddit -- JokesThe American flag on the moon has turned white due to radiationsubmitted August 17, 2017 by BrokeBorkLensarNow it looks like the French landed on the moon
"Off his rocker" (meaning a crazy person) sounds like "office rocker." "My boss traded in his desk chair for a recliner & became addicted to playing 'Guitar…
A "New York strip steak" has nothing to do with a New York strip club (although some clubs serve the steak), but there are jokes. "When I'm in a steak house I order the NY…
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company, and many gamers have criticized its product launches. A joke was posted on Reddit -- Jokes on August 18, 2017: Q: What's the…
The word "watermelon" is 50% water and 50% melon. However, a watermelon is actually about 90% water. "Watermelon: 50% water 50% melon" was posted on Twitter on June 27, 2010.…
Entry in progress -- B.P.: Wikipedia: Microsoft OfficeMicrosoft Office is an office suite of applications, servers, and services developed by Microsoft. It was first announced by Bill Gates on 1…
A joke about marches -- and fat people -- was posted on Reddit -- Jokes on August 19, 2017: "I don't see why in this day and age there aren't marches against fat shaming. Because…
A Ku Klux Klan (KKK) joke is that its members favor "white powder" donuts. "Propaganda editors at both Dunkin' Donuts and the KKK are perpetually nervous about the phrase…