Q: Why do scientists think humming birds hum?
A: Because they can’t remember the words!
Explanation: “To hum” can be to sing, “la, la, la” when you don’t know the words to a song or keep your lips together and make the notes of a song. This joke is funny because hummingbirds don’t really hum; they chirp. They’re birds! I wonder why they can’t remember the words?
Here is a scene where Ingrid Bergman hums a few bars.
Q: Why did the police arrest the turkey?
A: They suspected it of foul play!
Explanation: “Suspected of foul play” means that the police think you did something illegal. The group of birds that include chickens, duck, geese and turkeys are known as fowl. “Foul” and “fowl” sound the same. This joke plays with the word fowl/ foul and is really a lot funnier if spoken, not read. (A foul is also a mis-play in a sport such as basketball. Isn’t English fun!)
Q: Should you have your whole family for Thanksgiving dinner?
A: No, you should just have the turkey!
Explanation: Another joke that plays with a double meaning. Imagine a conversation like this: “What did you have for dinner?” “I had soup and bread.”
“To have _____ for dinner” is to eat whatever you put in that blank space. Yesterday I had turkey for dinner. I did not have my family, that is, I did not eat my family (thank goodness!).
To “have your family for dinner” can also mean to invite them over to eat dinner with you. That is why the joke is funny. The listener is expecting advice on whether or not to invite the family over for dinner. The answer shows that the questioner had a different meaning in mind. It reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode, To Serve Man.
Happy day after Thanksgiving! And no, I am not going shopping.
Q: Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?
A: The outside!
Explanation: At first when you hear this joke, the expectation is that the answer will be the right side or the left side, perhaps the top, bottom, front or back. What the listener does not expect is the outside; that answer is too obvious. That is why the joke is funny!
Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Q: What is the musical part of a turkey?
A: The drumstick!
Explanation: “Drumstick” has two meanings: a drumstick is the piece of wood that a drummer uses to hit the drum and make music; a turkey leg, one that has been cooked and is ready to eat, is also called a drumstick. This joke plays on the double meaning of the word drumstick.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the United States. Everyday I am thankful!
Q: Why did the bee get married?
A: Because he found his honey!
Explanation: Sweetie, dear, my love, honey. These are all words/ phrases that a person might use for his or her significant other, for the love of your life. So, when you “find your honey” you find that person who means a lot to you. Then, you could marry that person.
This joke plays on the double meaning of the word honey: a sweet treat made by honey bees and someone who you love. In this case the bee found his honey, his love. The honey he made, is back at the bee hive.
Q: Why did the poor dog chase his own tail?
A: He was trying to make ends meet!
Explanation: “To make ends meet” is an expression used when someone is working hard to earn enough money to pay the bills. The word “poor” in “poor dog” can be an expression of sympathy such as “you poor thing” or it can mean poor as in a person with little or no money.
This dog is working to make ends meet by having its mouth grab its tail. If and when the dog bites its tail, its head will literally meet the tail; the two ends of the dog will meet. This joke is funny because it plays with the word “poor” and the expression “make ends meet.”
Q: How did the music teacher get locked in the classroom?
A: His keys were inside the piano!
Explanation: Well, the word “keys” in this joke has two meanings: 1) Keys are the white and black parts of the piano that your fingers touch when you play the piano; 2) Keys are the pieces of metal that you use to unlock doors. This joke is funny because piano keys are in the piano, they are part of the piano but if you leave the keys to your room in the piano then you cannot get into you room.
Piano teachers need to keep their keys in their pockets and not in their pianos!
Q: Why are graveyards noisy?
A: Because of all the coffin!
Explanation: A coffin is the box that dead people are buried in. Coughing is the body’s natural response when there is a tickle in the throat and you try to clear it- you cough.
This joke is funny because it plays on the similar sound of “coffin” and “coughing.” In English, many people drop the final ‘g’ sound on words ending in ‘ing.’ That makes “coffin” and “coughing” sound even more alike.
Don’t let your coughin’ send you to the coffin! See a doctor!
Q: What do you get from a pampered cow?
A: Spoiled milk.
Explanation: To be “pampered” is to be taken care of in a very nice way. Someone might go to the spa to have her nails done and get a massage and we could say, “She is being pampered.”
If you are too pampered or if you expect someone to always take care of you we could call you spoiled. “Spoiled brat” is a common phrase is to refer to a child who gets mad because he doesn’t get what he wants.
Knowing that we get milk from cows we can make the joke that pampered cows give us spoiled milk. The joke is funny because spoiled milk is what you get when you leave the milk out of the refrigerator for a long time and it turns sour, it spoils. It doesn’t come from cows who are getting their nails done at the spa.
Explain the Joke 