Riddle joke
A riddle joke, joke riddle, pseudo-joke or conundrum is a riddle that does not expect the asked person to know the answer, but rather constitutes a set-up to the humorous punch line of the joke.[1]
It is one of the four major types of riddles, according to
Nigel F. Barley.[2] There are many cycles of jokes in the form of a conundrum, such as Elephant jokes,[1] "Why did the chicken cross the road?" and lightbulb jokes
.
Joke cycles implying inferiority or other
Pollack joke) have a considerable amount of joke riddles.[1]
Examples
- Elephant joke
- Lightbulb joke
- Newspaper riddle
- "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
- Radio Yerevan jokes
Abstract riddles
In areas which have historical ties with
Asia Minor
, such as Greece, Turkey, Armenia, of popularity are "abstract riddles" that follow templates: "What is this: A inside and B outside?" or "What is this: A is around and B in the middle?". For example:
Q: What is fur outside and cotton inside?
A: A poodle in front of a drugstore with cotton swabs on sale.[3]
Q: What is water around and the law in the middle?
A: Judge Karapetyan in his pool.
Q: What is meat outside and iron inside?
A: Tailor
Hovhannes
having swallowed a needle.
See also
- Riddle-tales
References
- ^ a b c Mac E. Barrick, "Racial Riddles & the Pollack Joke", Keystone Folklore Quarterly, Volume 15, Issue 1, 1970, p. 3-15
- ^ Nigel F. Barley, "Structural Aspects of the Anglo-Saxon Riddle", Semiotica 10 (2) (1974)
- ISBN 978-5-9953-0202-5, p. 17.
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