“What goes up and down without moving?”/“A staircase.”
“What goes up and down at the same time? Stairs” is a riddle that was printed in The Daily Home News (New Brunswick, NJ) on July 15, 1934. “What goes up and down without moving? A staircase” was printed in the Miami (FL) Daily News on January 1, 1939. “What goes up and down without moving? A staircase” was printed in the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle on April 4, 1958. “What goes up and down but doesn’t move? A staircase.” as printed in the book Laughs, Hoots & Giggles (1987) by Joseph Rosenbloom.
“‘What goes up and down stairs without moving?’ (A carpet)” was printed in the book The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren (1959) by Iona Archibald Opie and Peter Opie. “What goes up and down the stairs without moving. Carpet” was posted on the newsgroup affrc.chat on December 13, 2001. “What goes up and down stairs with out moving? Carpet” as posted on Twitter by Best Dad Jokes on May 18, 2020.
15 July 1934, The Daily Home News (New Brunswick, NJ), pg. 15, col. 1:
What goes up and down at the same time?
Stairs.
Newspapers.com
1 January 1939, Miami (FL) Daily News, “Riddles,” pg. 5E, cols. 2, 7:
4. What goes up and down without moving? Sent by George M. Smith.
A staircase.
Newspapers.com
21 June 1941, The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, LA), pg. 7, cols. 3, 7:
What goes up and down at the same time?—Marion Kalio, West Springfield, Mass.
Stairs.
Newspapers.com
4 April 1958, Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle, “The Riddle Box,” pg. 13, col. 6:
What goes up and down without moving?
A staircase.
Google Books
The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren
By Iona Archibald Opie and Peter Opie
New York, NY: Oxford University Press
1959
Pg. 78:
‘What goes up and down stairs without moving?’ (A carpet).
19 August 1960, Austin (TX) Statesman, “Fun Time—The Riddle Box,” pg. 26, col. 4:
What goes up and down at the same time?
Stairs.
Newspapers.com
19 October 1960, Decatur (AL) Daily, “Fun Time—The Riddle Box,” pg. B-5, cols. 3-4:
What goes up and down at the same time?
Stairs.
Google Books
Arithmeriddles
By Lowry Waring Harding
Columbus, OH: Association for the Study of Educology, Ohio State University
1961
Pg. 32:
Q. What goes up and down at once?
A. Stairs.
Newspapers.com
2 May 1966, Vancouver (BC) Sun, “Sun-Ray Club” conducted by Uncle Ben, pg, 28, col. 7:
Q: What goes up and down stairs and never makes a sound?
A: A carpet.
Google Books
Principles and Practices of Teaching Reading
By Arthur W. Heilman
Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company
1977
Pg. 161:
What goes up and down without moving? (a staircase)
Google Books
The Crack-a-Joke Book:
Chosen by children in aid of Axfam
Harmondsworth, UK: Puffin Books
1978
Pg. 83:
What goes up and down but never moves?
Stairs.
Google Books
Laughs, Hoots & Giggles
By Joseph Rosenbloom
Illustrated by Joyce Behr
New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Company
1987
Pg. 12:
What goes up and down but doesn’t move?
A staircase.
Google Groups: fido7.su.game.strategy
Загадки в HMM 2
Vladimir Povar
Jun 5, 1998, 3:00:00 AM
(...)
What goes up and down but never moves?
/Что встает, но никогда не движется? ;- )/
STAIRS (Звезды)
Google Groups: affrc.chat
what
Les
Dec 13, 2001, 9:08:26 PM
(...).
B: What goes up and down the stairs without moving.
(...)
B: Carpet
Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
Puns of the Weak 01-16-04 Part 2 The Puns
Stan Kegel
Jan 17, 2004, 4:40:10 AM
(...)
What goes up and down but doesn’t move?
A staircase. (Joseph Rosenbloom)
Twitter
Thai Trades
@Thai_Trades
RT @DoubleSmusician: What goes up and down the stairs without moving? Carpet?
2:00 AM · Nov 10, 2009·Twitter Web Client
4 March 2014, The Observer (Gladstone, Queensland), pg. 10:
What goes up and down stairs without moving?
Carpet.
Google Books
Laugh-Out-Loud Road Trip Jokes for Kids
By Rob Elliott
New York, NY: HarperCOllins
2017
Pg. ?:
Q: What goes up and down but never moves?
A: A flight of stairs
Twitter
Best Dad Jokes
@BestDadJokes2
What goes up and down stairs with out moving?
Carpet.
7:17 PM · May 18, 2020·TForm
Parade
101 Riddles That Will Stump You Every Time (But Don’t Worry—We’ll Give You the Answers)
APRIL 30, 2020 – 8:15 AM
(...)
32. Riddle: What goes up and down but doesn’t move?
Answer: A staircase
Twitter
E • M • Z (Hell Week is Not Yet OVER Right pointing backhand index Page with curl🖋🖊)
@EmzHermosa05
What goes up and down but doesn’t move?
Answer: A staircase
AbunDANt Love4KISSES
@KissesDelavin#KissesDelavin
E • M • Z (Hell Week is Not Yet OVER Right pointing backhand index Page with curl🖋🖊)
7:30 AM · Oct 25, 2020·Twitter for Android
Twitter
Lincoln Moving & Stg
@LincolnMoveStor
What goes up and down but doesn’t move?
Stairs!
4:13 PM · Feb 10, 2021·Sendible
Twitter
Jimmy RevJim Olsen
@mybuddyjimmy
What goes up and down but doesn’t move? A staircase. #RiddleoftheDay
11:17 AM · Mar 2, 2021 from West Des Moines, IA·Twitter for iPhone