“Why did the chicken double-cross the road?”/“It was working for the other side.”

“Why did the chicken cross the road?”/“To get to the other side” is a classic riddle from the 19th century. Several versions ask, “Why did the chicken double-cross the road?”
   
“Why did the chicken double cross the road? It was fowl play” was printed in The Globe and Mail (Toronto, ON) on July 27, 2006. “RT @joke_time Why did the chicken double cross the road? To get to the other spies!” was posted on Twitter by comedy journalist on July 13, 2010. “Why did the chicken double cross the road? It was working for the other side” was posted on Twitter by Luxury Yacht on January 17, 2013. “Why did the chicken double-cross the road? Because the road was on the other side” was posted on Twitter by TheSurrealistFridge on May 5, 2015. “Why did the chicken double-cross the road? To change sides” was posted on Reddit—Jokes on August 17, 2015. “Why did the chicken double-cross the road? It was working for the other side!” was posted on Twitter by Comedy Club 4 Kids on March 5, 2017.
 
     
27 July 2006, The Globe and Mail (Toronto, ON), “Your Morning Smile,” pg. A2, col. 3:
Why did the chicken double cross the road?
It was fowl play.

—Jerry Kitich, Hamilton
   
Twitter
Paul W
@whatsamatta_u
Why did the Sicilian Chicken double-cross the road?
1:42 AM · Jun 3, 2010
   
Twitter
comedy journalist
@comiccollector
RT @joke_time Why did the chicken double cross the road? To get to the other spies! http://tumblr.com/xoldc4xeg
10:10 AM · Jul 13, 2010
   
Twitter
Neutrontrilogy
@Neutrontrilogy
Why did the chicken double cross the road? BECAUSE THE ROAD KILLED HIS PARENTS AND TORTURED HIS SISTER MAN! HE JUST WANTED REVENGE! :(
11:25 PM · Jun 1, 2012
   
Twitter
Rebeckah Groves
@rebeckahgroves
Why did the chicken double cross the road? I don’t know, but now he’s on the lamb.
8:33 AM · Jun 14, 2012
   
Twitter
Luxury Yacht
@LXYacht
Why did the chicken double cross the road? It was working for the other side.
6:01 AM · Jan 17, 2013
   
Twitter
You can call me Q (from a safe distance) 🇺🇦
@QuintinForbes
Q: Why did the chicken double-cross the road? A: Because the road squealed on the chicken to the feds. The dirty rat.
7:20 AM · Feb 7, 2013
   
Twitter
MJ Alba
@MattJAlba
Why did the chicken double cross the road? Because he was a heartless son of a bitch
12:10 PM · Jun 25, 2013
   
Twitter
~
@daniel_barker
Why did the chicken double-cross the road? To get information to the other side.
5:17 AM · Oct 24, 2013
   
Twitter
Top 8 Saddest Anime Deaths of All Time
@PSusmilch
Why did the chicken double-cross the road? The road knows what it did.
5:46 PM · Feb 16, 2014
   
Twitter
Greg Jenner
@greg_jenner
Why did the chicken double-cross the road? Because the chicken was secretly a vengeful Soviet agent, and his dad had been killed by a road.
11:17 AM · Jan 2, 2015
 
Twitter
Dan! McKee - special guest appearance
@danieljmckee
@greg_jenner why did the chicken double cross the road
Because in soviet Russia road double crosses you
11:51 AM · Jan 2, 2015
   
Twitter
TheSurrealistFridge
@otterleeism
Why did the chicken double-cross the road? Because the road was on the other side.
7:05 PM · May 5, 2015 from Durham, England
 
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/roblitzmanguy August 17, 2015
Why did the chicken double-cross the road?
To change sides.
       
Twitter
Jim
@GibJimson
Why did the chicken double-cross the road?
Because it runs these streets.
6:43 PM · Nov 20, 2015
   
Twitter
Robin Flavell
@RobinFlavell
Why did the chicken double-cross the road? I suspect fowl play.
6:27 AM · May 19, 2016
   
Twitter
Machine Pun Kelly 🇺🇦
@KellyScaletta
Why did the chicken double-cross the road?
He wanted to be on the other side.
2:48 PM · Sep 10, 2016
   
Twitter
Comedy Club 4 Kids
@ComedyClub4Kids
Why did the chicken double-cross the road? It was working for the other side!
8:26 AM · Mar 5, 2017
 
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/GeorgieWashington July 22, 2017
From my 10 y/o cousin: Why did the chicken double-cross the road?
To get to the other spy…in the CIA. Chicken Intelligence Agency.
   
Twitter
and CMj
@CMjohnson77
Why did the Chicken double cross the road?
He was treacherous
8:39 PM · Aug 3, 2019
   
Twitter
lippyduck
@lippyduck
Q. Why did the chicken double cross the road?
A. Because it didn’t know either (so came back).
3:48 PM · Apr 26, 2021
 
Reddit—Cleanjokes
Posted by u/ViolinDavis May 29, 2023
Why did the chicken double-cross the road?
To sell it out to the other side!