“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…
Archive for 07/2016
“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…
“The 24-hour Indian restaurant is a naan-stop”
"Naan" (a flatbread) is the subject of several puns, such as: "The 24-hour Indian restaurant is a naan-stop." "I have a friend who wants to open a 24 hour indian…
“Why did the biology students almost fail?”/“They were bio-D-grade-able.”
A biology class pun is: Q: Why did the biology students almost fail?A: They were bio-D-grade-able. "You're not biodegradable, but you are bio-D-grade-able!" was cited on Twitter on…
“No cuts, no buts, no coconuts”
"No cuts, no buts, no coconuts" is a rhyming way of saying that one shouldn't cut in line. The "no coconuts" is not necessary, but is added to fill out the rhyme. The…
“How does this restaurant prepare the chicken?” (joke)
A restaurant joke about preparing chicken is: WAITER: May I take your order?CUSTOMER: How do you prepare your chickens?WAITER: Oh, we don't do anything special. We just tell them straight out…
“A boomerang walks into a bar…” (bar joke)
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A boomerang version is: "A boomerang walks into a bar. The bartender says, 'Hey,…
“What’s the most musical part of a turkey?”/“The drumstick.”
A turkey riddle is: Q: What's the most musical part of a turkey?A.: The drumstick. The riddle has been cited in print since at least 1998. Google Groups: alt.teens.penpalsA Question I have…
“Close enough for jazz” (music adage)
Jazz often involves a lot of improvisation. The term "close enough for jazz" has been cited in print since at least 1937 and reflects the sometimes wild and improvisational nature of jazz…
“What’s the most musical part of a turkey?”/“The drumstick.”
A turkey riddle is: Q: What's the most musical part of a turkey?A.: The drumstick. The riddle has been cited in print since at least 1998. Google Groups: alt.teens.penpalsA Question I have…
“My hockey mom can beat up your soccer mom”
"My hockey mom can beat up your soccer mom" is a jocular line that has been printed on many gift items, such as bumper stickers and T-shirts. The bumper sticker has been cited in print…
Tiger Beat on the Potomac (Politico nickname)
Politico is a website that specializes in American politics. Charles P. Pierce of Esquire magazine has dubbed it "Tiger Beat on the Potomac" since 2912. Tiger Beat is a teen fan magazine…
“Who stopped payment on my reality check?”
"Who stopped payment on my reality check?"is a jocular line that has been printed on T-shirts, posters and an ecard. "OK, who stopped payment on my reality check?" has been…
“Yo mama is so stupid, she plays solitaire for cash”
Solitaire is a card game for a single player. A popular "yo mama" insult joke is: "You mama is so stupid, she plays solitaire for cash." "Plays solitaire... for cash"…
“Honk if you love peace and quiet” (bumper sticker)
"Honk if you love peace and quiet" is a jocular bumper sticker saying. The saying was cited in a 1993 Indiana newspaper. 3 March 1993, Columbia County Chronicle (Augusta, GA), "This…
“If work was so good, the rich would have kept more of it for themselves”
Haitian writer Jacques Roumain (1907-1944) wrote in Gouverneurs de la Rosée (1944), translated as Masters of the Dew (1947): "If work was such a good thing, the rich would have grabbed it all…