“Why did the chicken cross the road?” The answer has always been considered humorous in an odd sort of way: “To get to the other side.” This old joke has been amusing folks for nearly 200 years, especially little kids, though maybe not so much for grownups.
It was on this date in 1904 that one of the first North Dakota newspaper references to the question appeared in the Langdon Courier-Democrat, in connection with a politician spinning humorous tales. The gag is often called a form of anti-humor, where the listener expects a punchline, but instead gets a literal answer: “to get to the other side.”
Most sources trace the U.S. version of the joke to Knickerbocker Magazine, March 1847. The wording: “Why does a chicken cross the street?” “Because it wants to get to the other side.”
It was presented as a ‘conundrum.’ A confusing or difficult question that later morphed into a joke, often with a pun or riddle involved. But oddly, the chicken joke has eggs-actly zero puns.
The idea is clearer with examples like: “Why does a fireman wear red suspenders?” “To hold up his pants.” Or more modern twists: “What did the man say when he couldn’t find his truck?” “Where’s my truck?” And: “What do you call a homing pigeon that can’t find its way home?” “A pigeon.”
Historically, the chicken joke showed up in minstrel shows, then vaudeville, and never really disappeared.
North Dakota had its own versions. In 1941: “Why does a chicken cross the road?” “Under modern traffic conditions, it never gets to the other side.” Later, the turkey got involved: “Why did the turkey cross the road?” “It was the chicken’s day off.”
And from schoolyards: “Why did the chicken cross the playground?” “To get to the other slide.” And if you’re wondering how old chicken jokes really are, consider this one, possibly the oldest known joke: “What time of day was Adam born?” “Just before Eve.”
As the old humorist “O.B. Joyful” used to say, some jokes never grow old.
Dakota Datebook by Steve Hoffbeck, retired MSUM History Professor
Sources:
- “When Chauncey Speaks,” Langdon Courier Democrat, September 8, 1904, p. 3.
- “Conundrums,” The Knickerbocker, Vol. XXIX, No. 3 (March 1847), p. 283.
- “It Is Not Generally Known,” San Franciso Call and Post, December 23, 1894, p. 16.
- “Barbs,” Bismarck Tribune, September 11, 1941, p. 7.
- “The Book Review Campaign,” Fargo Forum, November 7, 2000, p. B6.
- “Why Does The Chicken Cross The Street,” Electric Traction Weekly (St Louis, MO), Vol. VII, No. 15 (April 15, 1911), p. 425.
- “Old Jokes Home Makes A Record Of 16,237 Old Jokes Captured In Four Months,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 5, 1903, p. 1, Editorial Section.
