“Why did the chicken cross the road?” - this is how a common American joke sounds, the essence of which is to find the reason why the bird decided to get to the other side. This is an example of the struggle with humor, because a curious installation of a joke leads the listener to the expectation of a traditional punchline, that is, an acute denouement of a joke. But instead, they are given a simple statement of fact. The phrase "Why does the chicken cross the road?" became a landmark example of how a common joke, to which most people know the answer, has changed many times in the course of history.
The first versions of the joke
The first mystery appeared in the 1847 edition of The Knickerbocker, a monthly magazine in New York.
The joke became widespread in the 1890s after publication.
This joke fully demonstrates classic American humor.
Joke “Why did the chicken cross the road?”: Joke variations
There are many options that require familiarity with this famous riddle and its answer, for example, by submitting another answer, such as: "It was too far to go." One class of variation includes a creature other than chicken as a joke.
For example, a duck (or a turkey) crosses the road “because it was chicken’s day off,” or a dinosaur crosses the street “because the hens did not exist then.” In most cases, such options are puns or references to the original. For example, “Why did the duck cross the road?” “To prove she's not a chicken.”
Chicken crossing the road ... are you sure it was a chicken?
A pun is also formed by replacing the word "street." For example, “Why did the whale cross the ocean? “To get to another strait.” In the variation of mathematicians, this joke sounds like this: “Why did the chicken cross the Mobius strip? “To get to the same side.”
There is a dark variation on this joke: for example, a chicken falling on the other side can be considered a euphemism for death. In this case, crossing the road is a suicide method.
In another class of variations intended for written rather than oral transmission, a parody is used: famous people have characteristic answers to the question posed by the riddle. So why did the chicken cross the road? Answers of famous personalities.
How would celebrities respond?
Albert Einstein: The chicken has not crossed the road. The road passed under the chicken.
Isaac Newton: Chickens at rest tend to remain at rest. Hens in motion tend to cross roads.
Wolfgang Pauli: There was already a chicken on this side of the road.
Blaise Pascal: The chicken was under pressure, which forced her to cross the road. However, when she switched sides, she still felt the same pressure.
Albert Michelson and Edward Morley: Our experiment was unsuccessful. We could not find the road.
Galileo Galilei: Why does a chicken cross the road? Because she put one foot in front of the other and took enough steps to cover a distance greater than or equal to the width of the road. Note that the reason is not that the Earth is not the center of the universe. Oh great! The next term of imprisonment.
Ludwig Boltzmann: If you have a lot of chickens, almost certainly one of them will cross the road.
Max Planck: Why does the chicken want to cross the road? It seems to be a white chicken. Sorry, I only deal with black bodies.
Erwin Schrödinger: Chicken does not cross the road. Most likely, it exists simultaneously on both sides ... you just don’t look in.
CIA: Give us fifteen minutes and we'll find out.
Archimedes: I ran around the streets, screaming and screaming, and only then did I realize that I have chicken.
Marie Curie: Good question. And much less hazardous to health.
Amadeo Avogadro: What, only one? I deal only with a very large number of chickens.
Pierre de Fermat: Forget about why. I will show you how she can get there in a minimum amount of time.
Other funny answers
Since the variations are a joke “Why does the chicken cross the road?” many, we present to your attention some of the funniest answers.
- Because she understands that on the other hand there is a cock.
- To avoid stupid and hackneyed jokes.
- She wanted to spread her legs.
- Because the hens are really, really dumb.
- To find a world in which no one would question her intention to cross the road.
- Because in our country, democracy: anyone can go anywhere!
- Because she wanted to know what was the point of this joke.
- She tried to kill herself.
- Why does the chicken cross the road? Because the road is too long to go around.
- Because she was running away from a KFC employee?
- Because the traffic light showed a green light.
- Why did the chicken run across the road? All her friends did.
- Police said that since the investigation is still ongoing, they will not provide any specific information about the chicken’s intent, medical status or whereabouts.
- To get out of the coco lot.
This is how variations of answers of ordinary people sound.
Change of context
Using other characters as a joke allows you to completely rethink the joke. So, the following examples use the technique of referring to the original joke.
- Why did he cross the road here? Because he has night blindness!
- Why did a woman cross the road? Who cares why, how she left the kitchen - an important question!
- Why did Anakin Skywalker cross the road? To get to the dark side.
- Why didn't the ghost cross the road? He did not have a body to walk.
As indicated above, the number of variations on this subject is infinite. And what answer can you give to the legendary question?