“I met my ex-wife at the gym. We didn’t work out”
There's a difference between "workout" and "work out," and there's a pun: "I met my ex-wife down at the gym. We didn't workout." The joke was cited on…
“What’s the last thing that goes through a fly’s mind when it hits a windshield?” (riddle)
Bugs hit windshields, and there's a riddle about it: Q: What's the last thing that goes through a fly's mind when it hits a windshield?A: His ass. The joke has been cited in print…
“How is credit like cocaine?”/“Everyone needs just one more line.”
A credit riddle is: Q: How is credit like cocaine?A: Everyone needs just one more line. The joke was posted on Reddit on July 11, 2016. redditHow is credit like cocaine?submitted July 11, 2016 by…
“What newspaper do cows read?”/“The Moo York Times.”
The New York (NY) Times has a cow riddle: Q: What newspaper do cows read?A: The Moo York Times. The joke has been cited in print since at least 2009. The cow riddle was popularized on the American…
“What newspaper do cows read?”/“The Daily Moos.”
The Daily News (New York, NY) has a cow riddle: Q: What newspaper do cows read?A: The Daily Moos. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1979. “What newspaper do cows…
“What do you use to buy bar drinks?”/“Bar tender.”
A bar riddle is: Q: What do you use to buy drinks?A: Bar tender The joke was posted on Reddit on July 11, 2016. redditWhat do you use to buy drinks?submitted July 11, 2016 by signalranchBar tender…
“A bishop walks straight into a bar…” (bar joke)
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A chess version is: "A bishop walks straight up to the bar and the barman says,…
“He’s 20. In 10 years, he’ll have a chance to be 30” (a bad young player)
Casey Stengel (1945-2011) was departing as baseball manager of the New York Mets, and spoke in April 1966 of a young player he liked (first baseman Ed Kranepool) and one he didn't like…
“I want anarchy. Because my keyboard is missing one”
"Anarchy" can sound like "an 'R' key," and there's a pun: "I want anarchy. Because my keyboard is missing one." The joke was posted on Reddit on July 9,…
“Life without geometry is pointless”
"Life without geometry is pointless" (or "Life without geometry would be pointless") is jocular one-line saying that has been printed on posters, T-shirts and ecards. The…
“What’s easier to pick up the heavier it gets?”/“Women.”
A riddle that might be popular at some gyms is: Q: What's easier to pick up the heavier it gets?A: Women. The joke became popular in 2011. "Ah, sarcasm. Perhaps the only thing that gets…
“What does a nosy pepper do?”/“It gets jalapeño business.”
"Jalapeño business" sounds like "all up in your business," and there's a joke: Q: What do you call a nosy pepper?A: Jalapeño business! The joke has been cited since at…
Italian Sandwich (“big sandwich” from Angelo Basso)
Angelo Basso of Genoa came to New York City about 1868 and is credited for popularizing the Italian sandwich, which he sold for a nickel. This would later be called the "hero" sandwich,…
“If time is money, then an ATM is A Time Machine”
"Time is money" is a proverb that was popularized by Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790). "ATM" stands for "automated teller machine," but there's a joke: "If time…
“What do you call an Englishman in the World Cup final?”/“The referee.”
A soccer joke is: Q: What do you call an Englishman in the World Cup final?A: The referee. "What do you call an Englishman in the final of Euro 96?" was cited in June 1996. The…
“New York is the only city where you can get deliberately run down on the sidewalk by a pedestrian”
Russell Baker, an "Observer" columnist for the New York (NY) Times, wrote on June 25, 1977: "New York is the only city in the world where you can get deliberately run down on the…
Democracy Wall (Carroll Street subway station, Carroll Gardens)
China's "Democracy Wall Movement" existed from November 1978 to December 1979, when a brick wall at Xidan Street in Beijing included posters of protest. Brooklyn's…
“You haven’t lived until you died in New York”
American critic Alexander Woollcott (1887-1943) wrote in While Rome Burns (1934): "You haven't lived until you died in New York." The one-line saying has been included in lists of…
Booyah (stew)
A "booyah" is a thick soup or stew and is probably derived from the French word "bouillon" (broth). "'Boo-Yah' is a very popular soup among the boys on Humboldt…
Caesar Salad
Caesar salad is not named after the Roman emperor Julius Caesar (100 BC-44 BC). Caesar Cardini (1896-1956), an Italian immigrant, operated a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, where it's claimed…