“The team, the team, the team”
Many coaches stress the team concept, but this was especially important to University of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler (1929-2006). Schembechler said to his 1983 team: "We want the…
“Golden oldie”
Radio disc jockeys sometimes play old songs, called "golden oldies." The 1927 song "Me and My Shadow" was called a "golden oldie" in 1951. Rock and roll songs from the…
Coachella East (Panorama Music Festival nickname)
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, in Indio, California, was founded in 1999. In 2015, Coachella's founders sought to have a similar festival in New York City. The proposed festival…
“Wake me up when Kirby dies” (theatre saying)
Manhattan's Chatham Street Theatre (Chatham Street is now called Park Row) in the 1840s offered cheap admission, and was attended by New York's lower classes. J. Hudson Kirby (1810-1848)…
Pittsburgh Salad (with french fries)
"Pittsburgh salad" (also called "steak salad") is a specialty of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but has also been served in other places. The salad usually consists of chopped steak…
“Oldie but goodie”
"Oldie but goodie" is a term used in radio and television to refer to an old song or a repeat television program, but one that people still enjoy. New York-born gossip columnist Walter…
“Blast from the past”
Radio disc jockeys sometimes play old songs, referred to as "blasts from the past." The "blast from the past" term was used in New York City in 1961, but it's uncertain who…
“My doctor said to stay away from trans fats, so I left tumblr”
Tumblr is a social networking website that has been popular with the LGBTQ community and with people who post recipes. "Trans fats" does not mean "fat transsexuals," but a joke…
“The scrawny personal trainer had to give a too weak notice”
People who are dismissed from jobs are often given two weeks' notice. Failed personal trainers might be given, according to the pun, a "too weak notice." "Too weak notice"…
“If smoking is so bad for you, how come it cures salmon?”
"If smoking is so bad for you, how come it cures salmon?" is a funny one-line saying. The joke was printed in "Your Morning Smile" in The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Ontario) on…
“My doctor said to stay away from trans fats, so I left tumblr”
Tumblr is a social networking website that has been popular with the LGBTQ community and with people who post recipes. "Trans fats" does not mean "fat transsexuals," but a joke…
“A subatomic particle refused to pay bus fare. It just lepton”
"Lepton" (a particle) sounds like "leapt on," leading to several puns. "How did the electron travel to london? It just lepton the train" was posted on Twitter on…
“What do you call a pious pepper?”/“A holy peño.”
"Holy peño" is sometimes given for "jalapeño." A "Holy-Peno Burger" by 8-year-old Charlie Beckett from Rathdrum, Idaho, was cited on Twitter on December 5, 2008 and…
“How many hamburgers can you eat on an empty stomach?” (riddle)
A popular food riddle is: Q: How many hamburgers can you eat on an empty stomach?A: One. After that, your stomach isn't empty. The riddle has been cited in print since at least 1849, when it…
“Don’t smoke, drink or chew, or run with boys who do”
"Don't smoke, drink or chew, or run with boys/girls who do" is a popular Christian saying in the United States. The precise origin of the rhyme is unknown. "Me?...I never…
“Why do Baptists forbid kissing standing up?”/“It might lead to dancing.”
A joke about Baptists (or other denominations) is: Q: Why do Baptists forbid having sex while standing up?A: It might lead to dancing. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1983. Google…
“What’s the result of tossing a live grenade into a French kitchen?” (joke)
A French kitchen pun is: Q: What's the result of tossing a live grenade into a French kitchen?A: Linoleum Blownapart. The Napoleon Bonaparte/Linoleum Blownapart joke has been cited in print…
“Where do cows go for entertainment?”/“To the moo-vies.”
A popular cow joke is: Q: Where do cows go for entertainment?A: To the moo-vies. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1979. “Where do cows go on vacation?"/"Moo York" is…
“What did the boy scout say when he fixed the car horn?”/“Beep repaired.”
The motto of the Boy Scouts of America is "Be Prepared." There's a joke: Q: What did the boy scout say when he fixed the car horn?A: "Beep repaired." The joke has been…
“How many protesters does it take to change a light bulb?” (joke)
Many people believe that protesting doesn't work. A joke is: Q: How many protesters does it take to change a light bulb?A: Trick question. Protesters never change anything. The joke has been…