Q: Who keeps the ocean clean? 
A: The mermaid!
Explanation: A mermaid is a mythological creature who is part woman, part fish. A “maid” is a person who cleans a house or a hotel. This joke plays on the meaning of the word “maid.” Does a mer-maid do windows?
Q: How did the farmer mend his pants? 
A: With cabbage patches!
Explanation: To mend a pair of pants, such as jeans, is to fix them. If there is a hole in the knee you will need to patch the hole with a patch. Yes, “patch” can be used as a verb and a noun. ”Patch” also means a small area of land that is planted with a the same type of vegetable such as cabbage: a cabbage patch. This joke plays on the multiple meanings of the word “patch.”
Q: Why was the king only a foot tall? 
A: Because he was a ruler!
Explanation: A ruler is one who rules, that is, one who is in charge like a king or a president. A ruler is also a stick used for measuring items. In this case a ruler is 12 inches long, a foot long. This joke plays on the double meaning of the work ruler. This joke really measures up!
Q: Why did the lettuce win the race? 
A: He was a head!
Explanation: Lettuce is a green, leafy vegetable like in the picture. When you buy lettuce you buy “a head” of lettuce. The person who wins a race finishes first, that is, the person is ahead of the other. This joke plays on the difference between “ahead” and “a head.”
Q: What did the mommy rope say to the baby rope? 
A: “Don’t be knotty!”
Explanation: When you tie a rope you make a knot. To behave badly is to be naughty (naw- tee); it is a word that is used with small children. ”Knotty” sounds like “naughty“ and “naughty” is a word that a mommy might use with her child, like in the joke! Be good; don’t be naughty!
Q: What is a whale’s favorite game?
A: Swallow the leader!
Explanation: Whales are known for eating lots and lots of fish and krill; that is, they swallow them. ”Follow the Leader” is a well known children’s game where one personis the leader and the other children have to follow the leader, doing and going where the leader goes. This joke plays on the rhyming words follow and swallow.
Q: How is a baseball team similar to a pancake?
A: They both need a good batter!
Explanation: The word “batter” can refer to the person on a baseball team who has the bat and is hitting the ball. The word “batter” can also mean the thick liquid that a cook uses to make pancakes. The batter is poured onto the griddle; the cooked batter is called a pancake. This joke plays on the double meaning of the word “batter.”
