Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
A political riddle went viral in November 2016 (around the U.S. presidential election): Q: What's the difference between a politician and a flying pig?A: The letter F. The "lying…
A banana riddle is: Q: What is a sheep's favorite fruit?A: A baa-nana. "What would you get if you crossed a sheep and a banana? A baa-nana" was included in a 1996 book of riddles.…
A Thanksgiving dinner riddle is: Q: Should you have your whole family for Thanksgiving dinner? A: No, you should just have the turkey! The riddle was posted on the newsgroup alt.humor.puns on…
A turkey riddle is: Q: How can you make a turkey float?A: You need 2 scoops of ice cream, some root beer, and a turkey. The punchline describes a "root beer float" -- with a turkey added.…
A popular riddle about cranberries is: Q: What’s the difference between a pirate and a cranberry farmer?A: A pirate buries his treasure, but a cranberry farmer treasures his berries. The riddle…
New York City's 102-story Empire State Building opened in 1931 and was the tallest building in the world until 1970. A popular Thanksgiving turkey riddle is: Q: Can a turkey jump higher than…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Gooey butter cakeGooey butter cake is a type of cake traditionally made in the American Midwest city of St. Louis. Gooey butter cake is a flat and dense cake…
A pickle riddle is: Q: What is a crazy pickle?A: A daffy dill (daffodil). "If a Daffydil's a crazy pickle will it make a night blooming cereus?" was printed in a 1911 newspaper.…
A bowling riddle is: Q: What is the quietest sport?A: Bowling, because you can hear a pin drop. The riddle was printed in many newspapers in January 1958. However, the "you can hear a pin…
Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides reproductive health and maternal and child health services. A Washington (DC) Times editorial on December 4, 2003 opposing Planned Parenthood was…
A marble cake riddle is: Q: What cake is as hard as a rock?A: Marble cake. The riddle has been cited in print since at least 1976. "What cake would a sculptor use? Marble" was printed in…
A tennis riddle is: Q: What is the loudest sport?A: Tennis, because everyone raises a racquet (racket). "Why is tennis such a noisy game? Because every player raises a racket" was printed…
Baseball umpires frequently dust off home plate. A baseball riddle is: Q: Why are many umpires fat?A: Because they always clean their plate. The riddle has been cited in print since at least 2006.…
A jocular definition of a baby has been cited in print since at least 1937: "A baby is an alimentary canal with a loud mouth at one end and without responsibility at the other." Ronald…
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency -- the opposite of fiat money (such as U.S. dollars). A riddle is: Q: What kind of car will a bitcoiner never drive?A: A Fiat. The bitcoin joke was posted on Reddit on…
A watermelon riddle is: Q: Why did the cantaloupe jump into the lake?A: It wanted to be a watermelon. The riddle was published in Boys' Life magazine in July 2006. Google BooksJuly 2006,…
"News Klux Klan" (news + Ku Klux Klan) is a term used for a news media that is intolerant (like the KKK). "FOX News Klux Klan" was posted on Twitter on February 22, 2011. The…
Baseball umpires frequently dust off home plate. A baseball riddle is: Q: Why are many umpires fat?A: Because they always clean their plate. The riddle has been cited in print since at least 2006.…
New York Yankees rookie player Yogi Berra (1925-2015) was honored with a Yogi Berra Night on June 6, 1947 at his old neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri. Berra wrote in the book When You Come to a…
A story was told in the June 12, 1947 New York (NY) Times about Yankees baseball player Yogi Berra (1925-2015) that manager Bucky Harris (who first managed the Yankees in 1947) told Berra to think…