Author Archives: stfleming

About stfleming

Reader, writer, teacher, thinker and dreamer. Lector, escritor, profesor, pensador y soñador. I teach in Lima, Peru, and in Minnesota. Enseño en Lima, Peru y en Minnesota.

Hickory Dickory Clock

Posted on September 19, 2021 by stfleming

Q: What time is it when your clock strikes 13? A: Time to get a new clock! Explanation: When a clock “strikes the hour” it means that it is exactly on the hour, 8:00 or 11:00 for example (not 8:17 or … Continue reading →

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged clocks, EAL, English, ESL, funny, hour, humor, joke, reading, time, writing | Leave a comment

Them’s Fighting Words!

Posted on September 12, 2021 by stfleming

Q: Why did the dentist and the manicurist decide not to be friends?A: Because they were always fighting tooth and nail! Explanation: A dentist is a doctor that improves the health of your teeth. A manicurist is a specialist who … Continue reading →

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged dentist, EAL, English, ESL, funny, health, humor, Idiom, injustice, joke, manicure, tooth and nail | Leave a comment

Picking Up the Pieces

Posted on September 5, 2021 by stfleming

Q: Is collecting shells on the beach easy to learn?A: Yes, you’ll pick it up right away! Explanation: Picking up shells on a beach is easy because, if the beach has shells, you just bend over and lift them up with … Continue reading →

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged beach, EAL, English, ESL, funny, guitar, humor, idioms, joke, Learn, pick up, play, shell | Leave a comment

A Weight Off My Shoulder

Posted on August 29, 2021 by stfleming

Q: Why was the pirate sad when his parrot left? A: It gave him the cold shoulder! Explanation: Yes, the last parrot joke for a while. Have you seen those pictures of a pirate with a parrot sitting on his shoulder? … Continue reading →

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged Adele, Cold Shoulder, EAL, English, ESL, funny, humor, Idiom, ignore, joke, parrot, pirate, shoulder, warm | Leave a comment

A Parrot and a Shtick

Posted on August 21, 2021 by stfleming

Q: What is bright orange and sounds like a parrot?A: A carrot! Explanation: Yes! A second parrot joke! As you can hear when you read the joke aloud, parrot rhymes with carrot. This joke is funny because the question has a … Continue reading →

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged bird, carrot, distance learning, EAL, Elmo, English, ESL, funny, humor, jimmy buffet, joke, learning, parrot | Leave a comment

Bee Amazing!

Posted on August 14, 2021 by stfleming

Q: What creature is smarter than a talking parrot?A: A spelling bee! Explanation: And we’re back! Perhaps you have seen or heard parrots that talk. Well, they actually mimic (copy) the sounds that they hear. It is quite amazing. In English … Continue reading →

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged Bee, English, ESL, funny, humor, joke, jokes, kids, parrot, spelling, words, writing | 1 Comment

Ghost Ships

Posted on June 26, 2021 by stfleming

Q: Where do ghosts like to go sailing?A: Lake Eerie! Explanation: If you ever get the chance to go sailing, I would highly recommend it. It is a beautiful experience to let the wind move your boat without using a motor. … Continue reading →

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged EAL, eerie, English, ESL, frightening, funny, Ghosts, Great Lakes, humor, joke, Lake Erie, sailing, Scary, strange | Leave a comment

Made in the Shade

Posted on June 20, 2021 by stfleming

Q: Why didn’t the girl trust the trees near her home?A: They seemed a little shady! Explanation: Shade is the darker, cooler area under a tree when the sun is shining on the tree. If you want to get out of … Continue reading →

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged EAL, English, ESL, father, funny, humor, Idiom, Illegal, joke, Ray Bradbury, Shade, shady | Leave a comment

One-Trick Pony

Posted on June 12, 2021 by stfleming

Q: Why couldn’t the pony talk?A: He was a little horse! Explanation: For most people, a pony is a small horse. There is actually a difference between a horse and a pony. In common conversation, though, most people do not make … Continue reading →

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged EAL, English, ESL, funny, hoarse, horse, humor, idioms, joke, pony, soccer, vocabulary | Leave a comment

Shaggy Dog Story

Posted on June 6, 2021 by stfleming

Q: Why aren’t dogs good dancers? A: They have two left feet! Explanation: Dogs have four feet called paws: two front feet and two back feet. You could also say that they have two right feet and two left feet. Sounds … Continue reading →

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged animals, dancing, dogs, EAL, English, ESL, feet, figurative language, funny, humor, idioms, joke, salsa | Leave a comment