Explain the Joke

PsychoMath

Posted on May 31, 2014 by stfleming

Q: What did the math book say to the psychologist?
A: “Would you like to hear my problems?”

Explanation: A math book has problems, many math problems. The purpose of a math book is to teach you how to think like a mathematician and to solve math problems.

A psychologist can help you with problems with feelings or behaviors; a psychologist cannot help you with math problems.

This joke is funny because it plays with two different ideas of problems: math problems and psychological problems. And of course, math books can’t talk!

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged ELL, English, ESL, funny, humor, joke, jokes, kids, kids jokes, math, math book, math joke, math problems, mathematician, problems, psychological problems, psychologist, reading, solve, writing | Leave a comment

Hamburger Race

Posted on May 30, 2014 by stfleming

Q: Why did the hamburger always lose the race?
A: It could never ketchup!

Explanation: Ketchup is a thick liquid made from tomatoes; Ketchup is made from tomatoes. Many people put ketchup on their hamburgers. To “catch up” means to get to the same place as the person who is ahead of you.

“Ketchup” sounds like “catch up” and if you can’t catch up you can’t win the race! Silly joke!

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged ELL, English, ESL, food, funny, hamburger, humor, jokes, ketchup, kids, kids jokes, race, reading, writing | Leave a comment

Seams Funny

Posted on May 28, 2014 by stfleming

Q: Why was the sewing machine so funny?
A: It kept everyone in stitches!

Explanation: A sewing machine is used to make shirts, pants and anything made of fabric that needs to be sewn. When the sewing machine does its work, it makes stitches that hold two pieces of fabric together. To “keep someone in stitches” means to keep someone laughing.

This joke plays with the word stitch: the work that a sewing machine does and the idiom “to keep someone in stitches.” That is why it is funny! (Did you notice the title- a seam is where two pieces of fabric come together.)

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged ELL, English, ESL, fabric, funny, humor, jokes, kids, kids jokes, reading, sewing, sewing machine, stitch, writing | Leave a comment

Let me tell you…

Posted on May 27, 2014 by stfleming

Q: Why can’t the bank keep a secret?
A: It has too many tellers!

Explanation: When you go to a bank, the person who helps you deposit (put in) or withdraw (take out) money is called a teller. When you share a secret, you tell a secret. The -er ending on some nouns make that noun into the person who does that thing:
work-worker;
play-player;
make- maker;
tell-teller.

So, someone who tells could be called a teller. This joke plays with the word tell/ teller and that is why it is funny.

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged bank, ELL, English, er ending, ESL, funny, humor, joke, jokes, kids, kids jokes, reading, secret, tell, teller, writing | Leave a comment

Sandwich Humor 2

Posted on May 26, 2014 by stfleming

Q: What did the bread say back to the peanut butter?
A: I think you’re nuts!

Explanation: Peanut butter is made of peanuts, a type of nuts. To be nuts means to be crazy.

This joke plays with the word nut.

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged crazy, ELL, English, ESL, food, funny, humor, joke, jokes, kids, kids jokes, nuts, peanut butter, reading, writing | Leave a comment

Sandwich Humor

Posted on May 25, 2014 by stfleming

Q: What did the peanut butter say to the bread?
A: Quit loafing around!

Explanation: When you grind up peanuts, you get peanut butter. Bread that you buy at the grocery store, in the United States, mostly comes in a loaf; it is called a loaf of bread. Loafing around means to be lazy and not do anything.

This joke is funny for a few reasons: first, it is funny because the peanut butter is talking; second, it is funny because the peanut butter is telling the bread, a loaf of bread, to stop loafing around, stop just sitting there. This joke is playing with the word loaf.

Come back tomorrow to see how the bread responds!

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged bread, ELL, English, ESL, food, funny, humor, joke, jokes, kids, kids jokes, loaf, loafing, peanut butter, reading, writing | Leave a comment

Plumber’s Food

Posted on May 24, 2014 by stfleming

Q: What is a plumber’s favorite food?
A: A leek!

Explanation: A plumber is a person who fixes water pipes if they are clogged or are dripping; that is, if they have a leak.

A leek (two e’s) is a vegetable a lot like a green onion. A leak (one e, one a) is what happens to the water pipes when water drips out.

This joke plays with the word leek/ leak and that is what makes it funny.

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged ELL, English, ESL, food, funny, humor, joke, jokes, kids, kids jokes, leak, leek, plumber, plumbing, reading, writing | Leave a comment

Airless Eatery

Posted on May 23, 2014 by stfleming

Person 1: Did you hear about the new restaurant on the moon?
Person 2: No, what can you tell me about it?
Person 1: It has great food but no atmosphere!

Explanation: A restaurant is a place to eat. Usually in a restaurant someone asks you what you want to eat and then serves you your food; then you pay for the food. To some people the food is the most important (if not the only) part that matters. To other people, the atmosphere of the restaurant matters. The atmosphere of a restaurant is the way it looks, the way it sounds, the way it smells; it is the way you feel when you are there- much more than just the taste of the food.

The moon, of course, has no atmosphere. When we talk about the atmosphere of the moon we are talking about the layer of gasses that surround a planet or a moon. The moon has no atmosphere; the earth has an atmosphere- that is why we can breathe.

This joke plays with the double meaning of the word atmosphere and that makes it funny! Of course if you want an out of this world restaurant you could try The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged atmosphere, ELL, English, ESL, food, funny, humor, joke, jokes, kids, kids jokes, moon, no atmosphere, reading, restaurant, writing | Leave a comment

Dangerous Diet!

Posted on May 22, 2014 by stfleming

Q: Why did the lady wear a helmet every time she ate?
A: She was on a crash diet!

Explanation: A crash diet is a diet where a person loses a lot of weight in a short amount of time: lose weight fast. A helmet is protection for your head when you are playing a sport or working.

This joke is funny because it combines the idea of crashing (bumping into something really hard) and being on a diet. You don’t need a helmet when you are on a diet and that is why this joke is funny.

Posted in ELL, ESL, humor, Joke | Tagged crash diet, diet, ELL, English, ESL, food, funny, helmet, humor, joke, jokes, kids, kids jokes, reading, writing | Leave a comment

Minnesota Gets its Superbowl

Posted on May 21, 2014 by stfleming

This political cartoon/ editorial cartoon shows Minnesota winning its bid to host the Superbowl in 2018. The man with the red shirt is Zigy Wilf, the owner (well, part owner) of the Minnesota Vikings. It is funny because he is pictured in shorts which would never be worn in Minnesota in February when the average high temperature is the 20’s F. This cartoon combines the news about global warming and the Superbowl bid.

Thank you for the suggestion to explain an editorial cartoon, on occasion.

Cartoon by Gary Varvel Cartoonist Gary Varvel: Minnesota wins the 2018 Super Bowl

(click here to view)

Gary Varvel
Indianapolis Star
May 21, 2014

EditorialCartoonists.com

Posted in editorial cartoon, ELL, ESL, humor, political cartoon | Tagged cartoon, editorial, ELL, English, ESL, funny, global warming, humor, joke, Minnesota, political, reading, Superbowl, Vikings, writing, Zigy Wilf | Leave a comment