"I rolled a tin of chickpeas and a tin of lentils…

A “pulse” can mean a palpable beat of an artery, and a “pulse” can also mean an edible seed of the legume family. Some “pulses racing” jokes confuse the two meanings.

“I know it doesn’t sound like fun, but rolling lentils down a drain pipe to see which comes out first will set your pulses racing” was posted on X/Twitter by Moose Allain Ꙭ on June 18, 2014. “One of my favourite hobbies is filling jockeys’ saddles full of lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans. That gets the pulses racing” was posted on X/Twitter by Jeremy Grayson on February 27, 2016. “I rolled a tin of chickpeas and a tin of lentils down a hill to see which got to the bottom first. It really set the pulses racing!” was posted on X/Twitter by 💂🏻‍♀️👋🏻вєαя🍻🇬🇧™ on April 24, 2025.

“A man collapsed in the lentil aisle of the local supermarket. Fortunately, when the paramedics arrived, they found a pulse” is a related joke.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary
pulse
noun (1)
1a
: the regular expansion of an artery caused by the ejection of blood into the arterial system by the contractions of the heart
1b
: the palpable beat resulting from such pulse as detected in a superficial artery
also : the number of individual beats in a specified time period (such as one minute)
(...)
pulse
noun (2)
: the edible seeds of various crops (such as peas, beans, or lentils) of the legume family

Wikipedia: Lentil
The lentil (Vicia lens or Lens culinaris) is an annual legume grown for its lens-shaped edible seeds or pulses, also called lentils. It is about 40 cm (16 in) tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each.

Lentil seeds are used around the world for culinary purposes, most commonly in stews or soups.

X/Twitter
Moose Allain Ꙭ
@MooseAllain
I know it doesn’t sound like fun, but rolling lentils down a drain pipe to see which comes out first will set your pulses racing.
9:27 AM · Jun 18, 2014

X/Twitter
SGR
@DrRainey
I’m going to put lentils and chickpeas on a sprinter.
That should set pulses racing.
4:46 PM · Oct 1, 2015

X/Twitter
Jeremy Grayson
@graysonscolumn
One of my favourite hobbies is filling jockeys’ saddles full of lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans. That gets the pulses racing.
5:59 AM · Feb 27, 2016

X/Twitter
Moose Allain Ꙭ
@MooseAllain
I know it doesn’t sound like fun, but rolling lentils down a drain pipe to see which comes out first will set your pulses racing.
1:09 PM · Jun 14, 2016

X/Twitter
Andrew Raeburn
@andrew_raeburn
I pushed some lentils, chickpeas and broad beans down a hill to see which would win.
That really set pulses racing.
4:37 AM · Aug 5, 2016

X/Twitter
Paul Savage
@comedysavage
I’m going to grow a bunch of lentils, competitively against themselves.
Something to set the pulses racing.
9:57 AM · Apr 7, 2018

X/Twitter
James Luckey
@RevConcrete
So I fired the starter gun in a 100m sprint between some peas, beans and lentils.
That got the pulses racing I can tell you.
#BestDadJoke
2:00 PM · May 4, 2021

X/Twitter
Blakey🌱
@blakeyinnit
Today’s the day! I’m really excited as I’ve got all my beans and lentils lined up to see which one is the quickest. It’s certainly got my pulses racing…#RateMyPun #LunchPun
7:02 AM · Jun 3, 2021

X/Twitter
Sam Adams
@SamonChar
I put some chickpeas, mung beans & lentils on one end of a tray, & then tipped the tray to make a slope. Very exciting - really got the pulses racing. #LunchPun
7:00 AM · May 30, 2023

Facebook
Dave Smith
June 20, 2023 at 5:29 PM ·
Before I pour lentils into a pan I always say ‘Ready, Steady, Go.’ It always gets the pulses racing

Facebook
Julian Blatchley
February 1, 2024 at 5:39 AM ·
We’re going to have a race later. Lentils against chickpeas.
Hopefully, it will get our pulses racing.

X/Twitter
💂🏻‍♀️👋🏻вєαя🍻🇬🇧™
@BigBearF1
I rolled a tin of chickpeas and a tin of lentils down a hill to see which got to the bottom first.
It really set the pulses racing!
1:20 PM · Apr 24, 2025

X/Twitter
Robert Wilkinson
@robertwlk
I know it doesn’t sound like fun, but rolling lentils down a drain pipe to see which comes out first will set your pulses racing.
1:21 AM · Aug 9, 2026