“When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground” (proverb)
Amadou Hampâté Bâ (1901-1991), a Malian writer and ethnologist, is credited for saying before UNESCO in 1960: "En Afrique, quand un vieillard meurt, c’est une bibliothèque qui…
Nicknames/Slogans
“When any nation mistrusts its citizens with guns it is sending a clear message”
George Washington (1732-1799) is often credited with saying: "When a nation mistrusts its citizens with guns it is it sending a clear message. It no longer trusts its citizens because such a…
“When anyone says he’s a country boy, you better put your hand on your wallet”
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) is supposed to have said: "When anyone says he's a country boy, put your hand on your wallet." The saying means that the "country boy" holds…
“When astronauts get sick, do they feel over the weather?”
When people get sick, it's said that they are "under the weather." "When astronauts get sick, do they feel over the weather?" was posted on X/Twitter by Ultimate Dad Jokes…
“When baking dog biscuits, be sure to use collie flour”
"Cauliflower" sounds like "collie flour." "Dog biscuits are made out of collie-flour" is a pun that has been cited in print since at least 1928. A riddle was printed…
“When beef stew gets in trouble, his parents probably call him beef stewart”
"Beef stew" is not short for "beef stewart" or "beef stuart," but there are jokes. "Stew: I'm just so angry! Geoffrey Jellineck: Obviously you have a beef,…
“When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween”
"When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, May luck be…
“When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion”
A popular cannibal pun is: "When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion." The "taste of religion" joke has been cited in print since at least 1907, with…
“When checking out at the store, ask your checkout person what kind of candy bar they like and buy them one…”
Stores usually sell candy at the checkout line, and there's a joke about this. "When checking out at the store, ask your checkout person what kind of candy bar they like and buy them one.…
“When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?”
“Say ‘Cheese!‘“ is what photographers often say to get people to smile. A popular joke is: "When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?" The jocular one-liner was posted…
“When Christianity came to America, it became a business”
Dr. Richard C. Halverson (1916-1995), chaplain to the U.S. Senate, was credited in 1984 for a speech before the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church: "In the beginning the church was a…
“When Chuck Norris eats at a restaurant, the wait staff tips him”
"When [X] eats at a restaurant, the waiter/waitress tips him" is a joke said about several powerful people, including American martial artist and actor Chuck Norris and Dos Equis beer…
“When Chuck Norris eats at a restaurant, the waiter tips him”
"When [X] eats at a restaurant, the waiter/waitress tips him" is a joke said about several powerful people, including American martial artist and actor Chuck Norris and Dos Equis beer…
“When Chuck Norris eats at a restaurant, the waitress tips him”
"When [X] eats at a restaurant, the waiter/waitress tips him" is a joke said about several powerful people, including American martial artist and actor Chuck Norris and Dos Equis beer…
“When communists have sex, do they seize the means of reproduction?”
Communists usually seek to control the "means of production," but there are "reproduction" jokes. "Sex communists, seizing the means of reproduction" was posted on…
“When computers ask ‘Are you a robot?’ they might just be trying to find their family”
Computers often query users, "Are you a robot?" "When computers ask 'are you a robot' they might just be trying to find their family..." was posted on Reddit --…
“When did innocent until proven guilty become sick until proven healthy?”
"Sick until proven healthy" has been used during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and has been compared to "guilty until proven innocent" (the opposite of "innocent…
“When did my muffin top turn into a 5-layer cake?”
"When did my muffin top turn into a 5-layer cake?" is a jocular saying that has been printed on several images. That is, the speaker has gone from one roll of fat to several.…
“When did the Japanese start eating omelettes?”/“A long tamago.”
"Tamago" (Japanese for "grilled egg") sounds like "time ago." "I used to make jokes about Japanese eggs... But I quit a long tamago" was posted on Reddit --…
“When did you stop beating your wife?”/“When her chess game improved.”
"Have you stopped beating your wife?" is a famous loaded question. A joke on this was posted on Reddit -- Jokes on July 5, 2017: Q: When did you stop beating your wife?A: When her chess…