A “skeleton crew” has the minimum number of people—and not actual skeletons—but there’s a Halloween riddle:
Q: Who digs the graves when the grave diggers go on strike?
A: The skeleton crew.
The joke was posted to the newsgroup alt.humor on October 15, 1998.
Wiktionary: skeleton crew
Noun
skeleton crew (plural skeleton crews)
1. (idiomatic) The minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item at its most simple operating requirements, such as a ship or business, during an emergency or shut down, and at the same time, to keep vital functions operating.
Google Groups: alt.humor
Halloween Humor - 22
Craig Bennett
10/15/98
(...)
Who digs the graves when the grave diggers go on strike?
The skeleton crew!
Google Groups: alt.humor
Who digs the graves when the grave diggers go on strike?
Craig Bennett
10/17/01
Who digs the graves when the grave diggers go on strike?
The skeleton crew!
Google Groups: eunet.jokes
Who digs the graves when the grave diggers go on strike?
Peter The Great
10/31/02
Who digs the graves when the grave diggers go on strike?
The skeleton crew!
Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
Kids Puns of the Weak 10-26-04
Stan Kegel
10/26/04
(...)
Who digs the graves when the grave diggers go on strike?
The skeleton crew!.
Twitter
Tuffie Toys
@TuffieToys
Q: Who digs the graves when the grave diggers go on strike?
A: The skeleton crew!
8:56 PM - 31 Oct 2011
Google Books
Super Hot Jokes For Cool Kids!
By Various Authors
London: Buster Books
2014
Pg. ?:
Who digs graves when the gravediggers go on strike?
A skeleton crew.
Twitter
Babalou2
@robashworth
@spicysweet84
Q: Who digs graves when Gravedigger on vacation?
A: His skeleton crew! lol
4:59 PM - 16 Sep 2014
Cleveland, OH
Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.
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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps. Stolen and missing, 2021-2024.
Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Aug. 15, 1931, Binghamton (NY) Press, pg. 14.
Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce "The Big Apple," a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.
Also listen to a 1937 "The Big Apple" song by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra. See a 1929 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald and a 1931 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald.
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