"What do you call a retired Heinz…

“Bean” can sound like “been,” and there’s a pun:

QL What do you call a retired vegetable?
A: A has-bean.

“What do you call an obsolete Java Bean? A “has”-Bean” was posted to the newsgroup comp.lang.java.programmer on June 6, 1999. “What do you call a long, thin, green vegetable that’s seen better days? A has-bean” was posted to the newsgroup alt.humor on July 25, 2003. “What do you call a retired vegetable? A has-bean” has been cited in print since at least 2006.

“What do you call a bean that’s not cool anymore? A has-bean” was posted on Reddit—Dadjokes on January 19, 2019. “What do you call a retired Heinz worker? A has bean”—Heinz Baked Beans is a famous brand—was posted on Twitter by Dzintra - Author on September 10, 2021. “What do you call a bean that was previously famous? A ‘has bean’” was posted on Twitter by Ali on December 21, 2021. “WHAT DO YOU CALL OLD FRIJOLES? HAS BEANS” was posted on Twitter by El Arroyo (as shown on the restaurant’s sign) on August 24, 2022.

Google Groups: comp.lang.java.programmer
Visual J++ 6.0. What is it good for?
Dan Hinojosa
6/6/99
(...)
> What do you call an obsolete Java Bean?
>
> A “has”-Bean

Google Groups: alt.support.childfree
Bastards Listen Up
Lurker Above
1/29/02
(...)
Q: what do you call a retired coffee shop barista?
A: a has-bean

Google Groups: soc.penpals
bLobbi listen up
Lurker Above
Jan 29, 2002, 1:38:03 AM
(...)
Q: what do you call a retired coffee shop barista?
A: a has-bean

Google Groups: alt.humor
Puns of the Weak 07-25-03
Stan Kegel
7/25/03
(...)
What do you call a long, thin, green vegetable that?s seen better days?
A has-bean. (Cynthia MacGregor)

Jamie Oliver—Forum
shammrok
Thu 09 Nov 06 2:39am
(...)
What do you call a retired vegetable?
- A has-bean

Google Books
101 Short and Hilarious Jokes for Kids:
Jokes They’ll Tell Again and Again
By Scott Allen
Delabarre Publishing at Smashwords
2010
Pg. ?:
What do you call an elderly vegetable?
A has-bean.

Passy’s World of ICT
FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010
Fruity Friday Funny
(...)
Q: What do you call a retired vegetable?
A: A has-bean.

Twitter
5adaynz
‏@5adaynz
What do you call a retired vegetable? A has-bean! hehe how is everyone going back at work? Love Fredge xx
3:04 PM - 17 Jan 2011

Twitter
United Fresh NZ Inc.
@unitedfreshnz
What do you call a retired vegetable? A has-bean! hehe how is everyone going back at work? Love Fredge xx
4:04 PM · Jan 17, 2011·Twitter Web Client

Secret Seed Society
Top 100 veggie jokes of all time
April 27, 2011
Here’s a growing collection of the top 100 veggie jokes of all time…
(...)
COMMENTS
Evan on August 22, 2011 at 5:46 pm said:
What do you call a retired vegetable?
A has bean!

Twitter
dclapp818
‏@dclapp818
What do you call an elderly vegetable? A has-bean!
5:06 PM - 23 May 2011

Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/impromptu_rhyme_guy September 17, 2017
What do you call vegetables that are no longer fresh?
Has-beans.

Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/[deleted] January 19, 2019
What do you call a bean that’s not cool anymore?
A has-bean

Twitter
Dad Jokes
@Dadsaysjokes
What do you call a bean that’s not cool anymore?
A has-bean.
4:40 AM · Jan 20, 2019·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Amy Brown
@RadioAmy
What do you call a bean that’s not cool anymore?
A has-bean.
#TheMorningCorny
8:02 AM · Jan 24, 2019·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Doc🐕
@DocAtCDI
What do you call a bean that’s not cool anymore?
A has-bean.
3:17 AM · Nov 18, 2020·erased17488918_DXPSyblGL3

Twitter
Kello
@Kello_Lello
Replying to @SisipoTheGuy
Now that is a CORNY joke!
-What do you call a retired vegetable? A has bean.
12:42 PM · Jul 7, 2021·Twitter for Android

Twitter
Dzintra - Author
@DzintraSullivan
What do you call a retired Heinz worker?
A has bean.
#notsorry
6:12 AM · Sep 10, 2021·Twitter for Android

Reddit—ApparentJokes
Posted by u/DokCyber October 31, 2021
What do you call a bean that’s not cool anymore? A has-bean.

Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/beerdappel December 4, 2021
What do you call that brand of beans that used to be popular?
Oh, yeah. Has-beans

Twitter
Ali
@AMURx17
Replying to @AzukiOfficial
What do you call a bean that was previously famous? A “has bean”
1:49 PM · Dec 21, 2021·Twitter for Android

Twitter
PascAl
@pascalm__
Replying to @NARAKATHEGAME and @FallGuysGame
What do you call a bean that was previously famous? A “has bean”.
8:38 AM · Jul 20, 2022·Twitter Web App

Twitter
El Arroyo
@ElArroyo_ATX
Beans beans the magical fruit…
Shoutout to Sean M for this one! https://instagr.am/p/Chpj6leOweT/
(The following text is shown on the restaurant’s sign.—ed.)
WHAT DO
YOU CALL
OLD FRIJOLES?
HAS BEANS
1:19 PM · Aug 24, 2022·IFTTT

“What do you call a retired Heinz worker?”/“A has bean.”