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 stereotypes of certain categories of people, such as blonde jokes, or ethnic jokes (such as Pollack joke) have a considerable amount of joke riddles.[1]

Examples

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 wool 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.

References

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)
Salcia Landmann, Der Jüdische Witz, Soziologie und Sammlung ("The Jewish Humor, Its Sociology and a Collection", citing from the Russian translation: Еврейское остроумие, 2002, ISBN 978-5-9953-0202-5, p. 17.

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[kfq-1] Mac E. Barrick, "Racial Riddles & the Pollack Joke", Keystone Folklore Quarterly, Volume 15, Issue 1, 1970, p. 3-15

[2] Nigel F. Barley, "Structural Aspects of the Anglo-Saxon Riddle", Semiotica 10 (2) (1974)

[3] Salcia Landmann, Der Jüdische Witz, Soziologie und Sammlung ("The Jewish Humor, Its Sociology and a Collection", citing from the Russian translation: Еврейское остроумие, 2002, ISBN 978-5-9953-0202-5, p. 17.