“What’s the difference between a puppy and a folk singer?” (joke)
A riddle about singer-songwriters has been cited in print since at least 1997:
Q: What’s the difference between a puppy and a singer-songwriter?
A: Eventually, the puppy stops whining.
The same joke was told about folk singers in 1997:
Q: What’s the difference between a puppy and a folk singer?
A: The puppy stops whining after six months.
5 January 1997, Journal Star (Peoria, IL), “Internet a good place for musician jokes: Website devoted to musical humor can brighten a winter day” by Gary A. Panetta, pg. B3:
“What’s the difference between a puppy and a singer-songwriter? Eventually the puppy stops whining.”
13 March 1997, St. Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch, “Music and Media” by Patrick Daily, pg. 15:
“What is the difference between a puppy and a folksinger? The puppy stops whining after six months.”
Google Groups: rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic
Married and strumming (it’s a bit long I’m afraid-look out, Mort)
Adrian Legg
10/19/98
(...)
I think I’ll lower the tone immediately with an old gag.
“What’s the difference between a puppy and a singer-songwriter?”
“Eventually a puppy stops whining”
Google Groups: alt.music.jethro-tull
Tony Levin’s bass theology
Bill Hubauer
10/24/98
(...)
Q-What’s the difference between a puppy and a folk singer?
A-Eventually the puppy stops whining.
Google Books
The Best Musicians’ Jokes
By Bruno Kassell and Carlo May
Pacific, MO: Mel Bay Publications, Inc.
2005
Pg. 13:
What’s the difference between a puppy and a singer-songwriter?
Eventually the puppy stops whining.
Google Books
A Prairie Home Companion
Pretty Good Joke Book
Introduced by Garrison Keillor
Minneapolis, MN: HighBridge Company
2005
Pg. 215:
What’s the difference between a puppy and a singer-songwriter?
Eventually the puppy stops whining.
Twitter
Mick_Shrimpton
@Mick_Shrimpton
What’s the difference between a puppy and a singer-songwriter? ...Eventually the puppy stops whining.
12:06 AM · Dec 19, 2008·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
jimi photon
@pinkjimiphoton
Q. What’s the difference between a puppy and a folksinger?
A. Eventually the puppy stops whining.
Q. What did… (link: http://fb.me/3TKojReC0) fb.me/3TKojReC0
1:44 PM · Apr 19, 2014·Facebook
Twitter
Bletted Medlars
@BlettedMedlars
What’s the difference between a puppy and a folksinger?
A puppy stops whining after about six weeks.
11:10 AM · Nov 5, 2014·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
Jer_the_gamer
@Jerthegamer1
Q: What’s the difference between a puppy and a singer-songwriter?
A: Eventually the puppy stops whining.
5:30 AM · Nov 10, 2018·Twitter Web Client