“Sex is like bridge…” (bridge joke)
The game of bridge has a popular sex joke connected with it: "Sex is like bridge: if you don't have a good partner, you better have a good hand." The joke has been cited in print…
“We need the eggs” (joke)
A popular joke has a man visit a psychiatrist, saying, "Doctor, my son thinks he's a chicken." The psychiatrist suggests that the boy be sent to an institution. "We'd like…
Aquacise (aqua + exercise)
"Aquacise" (aqua + exercise) is an exercise done in water, such as in a swimming pool or a lake. "Aquacise" has been cited in print since at least April 1970, when it was…
“What do you get when you play a new age song backwards?”
New age music is incomprehensible to many people, hence the joke: Q: What do you get when you play a new age song backwards?A: You get a different new age song. The new age music joke has been…
“What do you call a person who plays the viola?”/“A violator.”
A person who plays the viola is called a "violist" or simply a "viola player." However, a popular joke is: Q: What do you call a person who plays the viola? A: A violator. The…
“What do you have to know to be a real estate salesman?”/” Lots.”
A popular real estate riddle is: Q: What do you have to know to be a real estate salesman?A: Lots. The riddle has been cited in print since at least 1976. “What does an auctioneer need to…
“How do you make a bandstand?”/‘Take away their chairs.”
There's an old joke told about bandstands: Q: How do you make a bandstand?A: Take away their chairs. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1976. "How do you make a hot dog…
“The mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates”
American proverbs author William Arthur Ward (1921-1994) wrote in the 1960s (probably 1965): "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The…
“The boss said I was tardy” (joke)
The word "tardy" (late) is not the same as the politically incorrect word "retard," but William Ader joked on Twitter on December 21, 2012: "Yesterday my boss asked why I…
Body Woman
A "body man" is a politician’s special personal assistant. A "body man" was always, historically, a man. New York (NY) Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd's June 29, 2008…
“Jewish dropout: A boy who didn’t get his Ph.D.”
American Jewish families in the 20th century valued education. A popular joke defined a "Jewish dropout" as "a boy who didn't get his Ph.D." The joke has been cited in…
Maiter (model + waiter)
A "maiter" is a male model who is also a waiter. "The Secret Lives of Maiters" by Charlotte Cowles, published in New York magazine on May 24, 2012, helped popularize the term.…
Nodel (not a model)
A "nodel" is someone who is "not a professional model," but models anyway. A nodel might be a friend or family member of a designer, a local celebrity, a person of certain…
“Waiter, does the pianist play requests?” (joke)
Some diners enjoy live music, but many diners do not. A popular joke has been cited in print since at least 1922, with the following example (with a waiter) from 1964: Night club patron: "Does…
“Home Sweet Homeroom” (“Home Sweet Classroom”)
"Home Sweet Homeroom" (or "Home Sweet Classroom") is a saying that has been printed on wall hangings that are frequently seen in school classrooms. The saying is a variation…
“Where do children learn their ABCs?”/“In LMN-tary school”
A popular alphabet joke is: Q: Where do children learn their ABCs? A: In LMN-tary school. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1996. Google BooksFunniest Riddle Book in the WorldBy…
“I looked for the key to success and then found it’s a combination lock”
People often seek the key (or keys) to success. The "key" is a metaphor, but another metaphor is often added -- that success is a "combination lock." Business author Jonathan…
“I failed to make the chess team because of my height”
Bronx-born comedian, author and film director Woody Allen joked in 1964: "I failed to make the chess team because of my height." A young Woody Allen was short, but he was athletic and…
“Every time someone goes into a deli and orders a pastrami on white bread, somewhere a Jew dies”
Pastrami on rye, with mustard, is a classic New York Jewish deli dish. A popular joke has a non-Jew entering a deli and ordering a pastrami sandwich -- on white bread, with mayonnaise. "He…
“The horse I bet on was so slow, the jockey kept a diary of the trip”
"The horse I bet on was so slow," an old joke goes, "that the jockey kept a diary of the trip." The joke was credited to Jewish-American singer and actor Al Jolson (1886-1950)…