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November 9, 2022
Time/Weather

“What if they’re not stars, but holes poked into the top of the container so we can breathe”

"What if they're not stars, but holes poked into the top of the container so we can breathe" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "u believe in stars? fool.…

November 9, 2022
Time/Weather

“What if they’re not stars? What if they’re holes poked in the top of a container so we can breathe”

"What if they're not stars, but holes poked into the top of the container so we can breathe" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "u believe in stars? fool.…

April 24, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“What if this quarantine is just the aliens fattening us up before the big harvest?”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in quarantines. Many people ate and got fat. "Corona virus is really just aliens fattening us up before they come eat us" was posted on Twitter…

January 3, 2018
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“What if tinfoil producers create conspiracies so people buy their tinfoil?”

"Tin foil hat" has become a stereotype for a conspiracy theorist. A joke was posted on Reddit -- Shower Thoughts on January 4, 2018: "What if tinfoil producers create conspiracies so…

November 12, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“What if UFOs are just billionaires from other planets?”

Billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson all created companies to explore space. "What if UFOs are just empty vehicles sent into space by the eccentric billionaires of…

November 12, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“What if UFOs are just empty vehicles sent into space by eccentric billionaires of other planets?”

Billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson all created companies to explore space. "What if UFOs are just empty vehicles sent into space by the eccentric billionaires of…

November 16, 2022
Food/Drink

“What if when you dunk a cookie in milk and see bubbles come up it’s the cookie trying to breathe..”

"What if when you dunk a cookie in milk and see bubbles come up it's the cookie trying to breathe and really you just drowned a cookie and you're a murderer" is a saying that…

March 24, 2021
Food/Drink

“What if you pronounced ‘female” like ‘tamale’?”

The words "female" and "tamale" are pronounced differently. "Why is the word 'female' not pronounced like 'tamale'? Civilization will end if I do not…

December 15, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthPets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)

“What if your father was a horse thief?” (political affiliation joke)

A classic political affiliation joke involves Theodore Roosevelt or a Northerner. The Northerner asks a Southerner what political party he's a member of and why. The Southerner responds that…

June 18, 2019
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“What instrument can only be played by a pair of sheep?”/“The tubaa.”

"Tuba" sounds like "two baa," and there are puns. "What instrument did the two sheep play? the tuBA" was posted on Twitter by Lexie Irwin on April 9, 2013. A riddle…

October 24, 2016
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“What instrument does a skeleton play?”/“A trombone.”

A popular Halloween riddle about skeletons is: Q: What instrument does a skeleton play?A: A trombone. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1976. Google BooksBiggest Riddle Book in the…

February 12, 2021
Pets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)Windy City, Second City, Chi-Town (Chicago nicknames)

“What is three-sevenths of a chicken, two-thirds of a cat and one-half of a goat?”/“Chicago.”

An animal riddle is: Q: What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat and 2/4 goat?A: Chicago. The listener probably expects some sort of animal (or a culinary dish like "turducken"). The city name of…

February 12, 2021
Food/DrinkPets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)

“What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat and 2/4 goat?”/“Chicago.”

An animal riddle is: Q: What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat and 2/4 goat?A: Chicago. The listener probably expects some sort of animal (or a culinary dish like "turducken"). The city name of…

February 11, 2023
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“What is a barista’s favorite month?”/“Febrewary.”

Some people put the "brew" in "February" and spell it "febrewary." "October is the great time for brewing ale, we believe, but we should have thought…

March 21, 2018
Pets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)Sports/Games

“What is a baseball dog?”/“One that chases fowls.”

People know what a bird dog is, but what's a baseball dog? A joke was printed in the Milwaukee (WI) Journal on May 23, 1937: Salt -- I've got a baseball dog.Pepper -- What's a…

August 14, 2017
Food/Drink

“What is a bear’s favorite drink?”/“Koka-Koala.”

The animal name "koala" sounds a bit like "cola." A popular children's riddle about the soft drink Coca-Cola is: Q: What is a bear's favorite drink?A:…

September 22, 2020
Food/Drink

“What is a brothel? Is it a soup factory?”

Many people get confused between the words "broth" and "brothel." Is a brothel a soup factory? An exchange in the movie The House Bunny (2008) is: Mrs. Hagstrom: [about the…

July 26, 2016
Food/Drink

“What is a cannibal?”/“Someone who is fed up with people.”

An old joke definition of a cannibal is: Q: What is a cannibal?A: Someone who is fed up with people. The joke has been cited in print since at least July 1943, when the newspaper PM (New York, NY)…

February 10, 2018
Food/Drink

“What is a cannibal’s favorite cheese?”/“Limburger.”

Limburger cheese (originating from the historical Duchy of Limburg, which is now divided between Belgium, Germany) doesn't contain any limbs, but there's a riddle: Q: What is a…

May 15, 2017
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“What is a cannibal’s favorite restaurant?”/“Five Guys.”

A cannibal and also a restaurant riddle is: Q: What is a cannibal's favorite restaurant?A: Five Guys. There have been many jokes on the "Five Guys" name. "Um, we didn't…

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BARRY POPIK is a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, Dictionary of American Regional English, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Yale Book of Quotations and Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. Since 1990 he has also been a regular contributor to Gerald Cohen's Comments on Etymology.

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