"Only add soy sauce when the chef is standing…

Kikkoman (a Japanese food manufacturer that makes soy sauce, among other products) sounds like “kick a man,” and there have been jokes. The Kikkoman joke has been printed on several images.

“Never Kikkoman when he’s down. Soy sauce joke. #howfunnyiscondimenthumour” was posted on Twitter by Kids At Midnight on February 13, 2011. “Only add soy sauce when the chef is standing upright. Never Kikkoman when he’s down” was posted on Twitter by Zoë Coombs Marr on July 30, 2013. “I bought my depressed friend a Chinese takeaway to cheer him up. I passed him the soy sauce and it upset him even more. You should never Kikkoman when he’s down…” was posted on Twitter by The Dad Joke Man on October 16, 2019.

Wikipedia: Kikkoman
Kikkoman Corporation (キッコーマン株式会社 Kikkōman Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese food manufacturer. Its main products and services include soy sauce, food seasoning and flavoring, mirin, shōchū, and sake, juice and other beverages, pharmaceuticals, and restaurant management services.

Google Groups: rec.food.cooking
Soy Sauce Dangers
Keith Wootten
6/25/01
In article <3B33CB67…@rcn.com>, Jean B.

writes
[snip]
>Er, hate to tell you but many years ago there was a study that said
>this brand was high in carcinogens. This from someone who loves
>K———n but since then has tried not to use it.

Shame on you! Never Kikkoman when he’s down!

Twitter
Kids At Midnight
@kidsatmidnight
Never Kikkoman when he’s down. Soy sauce joke. #howfunnyiscondimenthumour
10:45 PM · Feb 13, 2011·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Zoë Coombs Marr
@zoecoombsmarr
Only add soy sauce when the chef is standing upright. Never Kikkoman when he’s down.
9:17 PM · Jul 30, 2013·Twitter for iPhone

Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/EightBit April 8, 2017
My wife gave me some bad news today
“But,” she said, “I bought your favorite soy sauce to help cheer you up.”
“Great,” I said. “Just Kikkoman when he’s down, huh?”
I’m very soy for that pun. I’ll just wok away now.

Reddit—Puns
Posted by u/RonPalancik May 2, 2018
My friend ran out of soy sauce, but I didn’t make fun of him.
You shouldn’t Kikkoman when he’s down.

Twitter
Jo
@kiwiaussiejo
Wife: “Your boss called, to say you’re fired. So I bought your favourite soy sauce.”
Husband: “Oh, I see. Kikkoman when he’s down, huh?”
3:38 PM · May 14, 2018·Facebook

Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/Lancerozman September 20, 2018
A man tells his wife he’s not feeling well.
When she comes home from the grocery store, she brings him his favorite soy sauce to cheer him up. He says “Oh, I see, Kikkoman when he’s down”.

Twitter
Monster J Patrick
@EmJayPatrick
My friend was depressed so I gave him some soy sauce.
It didn’t help.
You can’t Kikkoman when he’s down.
12:43 PM · Jan 30, 2019·Twitter for Android

Reddit—Cleanjokes
Posted by u/honolulu_oahu_mod August 11, 2019
Why is soy sauce forbidden in fights?
Cause you should never Kikkoman when he’s down.

Twitter
🤣 The Dad Joke Man 😉
@DadJokeMan
I bought my depressed friend a Chinese takeaway to cheer him up.
I passed him the soy sauce and it upset him even more.
You should never Kikkoman when he’s down…
4:31 PM · Oct 16, 2019·Twitter for iPhone