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Why Did the Chicken Really Cross the Road? Read on to Find Out
A non-serious look at the question “Why did the chicken cross the road?”. Why has it become one of the most well known jokes and one that has so many anwsers it has become ridiculous.
Seriously though there is not one definite answer to the question ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’. In fact, there are so many different answers that to recite them all would take a very long time indeed. Within this article you will see ten drawings of a chicken with ten of the answers to the question ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’
Here is the first of those.
1. Why did the chicken cross the road?
Some people class this question as a joke and others see it more as a riddle but one thing that is sure is that the name of the person who first came up with it has been lost in the midst of time. Although, it is known where it first appeared in print, the New York monthly magazine, ‘The Knickerbocker’ mentioned it in 1847. The reason they gave for the chicken to cross the road was ‘to get to the other side.’
2. Why did the chicken cross the road?
A joke that was started in the 19th century still seems to be going strong, even though it is not in the slightest bit funny. Not that that has put anyone off as over the years the number of answers to the question has grown exponential from the mildly humorous (the first time you hear it) to the downright bizarre and everything in between.
3. Why did the chicken cross the road?
It would appear that as the joke grew more widespread, more and more elaborate answers came about and the joke became twisted round. Instead of asking about a chicken other animals were involved, such as;
Why did the duck cross the road?
It was the chicken’s day off.
One version of the joke was about language;
Why did the turkey traverse the road?
It had a better vocabulary than the chicken.
4. Why did the chicken cross the road?
Once other animals got involved in the joke it was only a matter of time before other objects got involved. These jokes range from the simple to the almost unbelievable or shocking.
Why did the chewing gum cross the road?
It was stuck to the chicken’s leg.
Why did the baby cross the road?
It was stapled to the chicken’s back.
Really that is just bizarre.
The sad sad thing is that this whole joke (if you can call it a joke) still remains popular and new and new answers seem to come about on a daily basis and yet no one has come up with a definitive answer to why the chicken did cross the road.
5. Why did the chicken cross the road?
I bet most people do not care at all why the chicken crossed the road and many of those people couldn’t care less if the chicken actually managed to do it. Yet there are still many people who ponder what the answer could be, even famous people, even philosophers.
Ok that is a bit of a lie although if it was true it would be interesting to find out what some of their answers to the question would be. Here is a link to a page of answers that famous people may have given had they been asked the question.
Philosophical answers to why the chicken crossed the road.
At this point, I would like to point out that I realize that the original joke is really a fowl joke. Hahahaha. Do you see what I did there? Fowl joke? No?. Oh please yourself, then.
6. Why did the chicken cross the road?
So what answer would you give to the question? If someone came up and asked you ‘why did the chicken cross the road?’ would you say I don’t know, knowing full well that the person asking is going to come out with a punchline that you have no doubt heard a million times before. Or would you come out with your own punchline. Well one of my favourite ones is illustrated in the image below. But hey that is just me, I appreciate the absurdness of things.
7. Why did the chicken cross the road?
How worrying is it really that such an old ‘joke’, whose original punchline is useless, has now been transformed into something that has a semblance of humor about it. The varying answers that can be given to the question show more about the human personality than anything else.
8. Why did the chicken cross the road?
How worrying is it really that such an old ‘joke’, whose original punchline is useless, has now been transformed into something that has a semblance of humor about it. The varying answers that can be given to the question show more about the human personality than anything else.
9. Why did the chicken cross the road?
I hope by now that you have all realized that this whole article has been pretty much pointless and that nothing has been learned at all. In fact I bet the only reason you even got this far was because you were amazed at the artwork in the sketches. Either that or you really do appreciate the humor of the chicken jokes. Let us presume it is the simplicity of the artwork that has kept your attention. If so I hope you enjoy the last one.
10. Why did the chicken cross the road?
Oh by the way, feel free to add some of your favourite responses to ‘why the chicken crossed the road’ as answers below. You know it would be eggsalant if you did.
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38 Comments
Now that was fun to read this morning,has not heard a why did the chicken cross the road joke in a long time.Interesting article with a million and one possibilities why he did cross the road.One thing is for sure,he didnt cross it to wind up in a pot of chicken and noodles if he didnt make it.
Good piece Alistait.Why did the chicken cross the road? He was running from the coyote.
Nice article..good topic. =)
Such a cool article Alistair! The one about it being the chicken’s day off had me falling off my chair, I’d not heard it before.
Very cool article.
In an article, published on Triond a couple of months ago (plug, plug) I discussed ancient jokes, none of which were funny by our standards but presumably were at the time. The chicken joke is probably in the same category, a knicker wetter at the time but as funny as toothache nowadays.
Refering to the last commenter (commentator?):
Why did the Quail cross the road?
To comment on Alistairs article!
Sorry!!
George feel free to post your link in your comment if it is of a similar topic.
haha – - very cute, thoughtful, interesting article!
Blessings.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
Because he wanted to it’s stripes.
Hey, it’s late and I need to go to bed!
Thanks,
Clay
Hahaha, I remember one as a kid … why did the baby cross the road? Because it was stapled to the chicken. (Sorry, bad taste, but that always comes to mind).
And the chicken even didn´t say “cockoroco”
Thanks for a fun read.
Inna
Alistair has kindly invited me to place a link to the article that I referred to in Comment #6
‘Funny you should say that’ can be found at:
http://www.purpleslinky.com/Jokes/Funny-You-Should-Say-That.494571
Thank you Alistair.
Great read. I vote for suicidal!
Very funny Alistair great topic for aticles lol
That poor chicken, crossing the road for all those innumerable reasons, for the amusement of generation after generation!
Have you heard this one? She wanted to lay it on the line.
Very funny with enjoyable illustrations. Why did the chicken cross the road? He wanted to avoid being Kentucky fried.
Chicken don,t actually cross roads ..they like to eat small stones and gravel…to hardern their egg shells..and since they don,t find much on the grass they eventually find some on side ditch and roads
Funny Alistair!!I think the chicken crossed to road because he thought the slaughterhouse was on the other side.
It is because his boots are made for walking!
Arguably the worst joke ever but that is what makes it good !!!!
…to get to the body shop – oh dear, that was the skeleton.
…it thought it was an egg-cellant idea at the time
…it wanted to fly after all these years, so headed for the bonnets…
ok these are crap yours were better =)
haha, i had a good laugh with this one… excellent job!
What is this? Scotland Friend Chicken.
Nice work Alistair – loved it
I hadn’t heard the turkey version before!
Why did the chicken cross the road? — This question always me thinks of Kroans. When I was young I would sit really long and try to thing of the “Right” answer.
Great article, and a fun read! For the life of me I am not able to come up with a good reason for the chicken to have crossed the road – you’ve mentioned all the reasons I know.
I enjoyed the read and comments from your wonderful friends. I love to laugh! This made me laugh!
Wow! That sure was a fun and interesting read. You are very creative!
My best to you,
Momma Tells
I thought it was because he missed breakfast and was going back for some eggs.
Delightful article. Very creative and entertaining.
I love it, especially the one that goes cause someone called him chicken, so cute!!
To escape lousy chicken crossing the road jokes.
My favorite
My favorite “Why did the chicken cross the road” joke of all time is:
TO PROVE TO POSSUMS IT CAN BE DONE !!!!
Excellent=eggsalant?
Another slank?
Good Donald Duck!
Very cute!
It’s funny – cause it’s true. This was actually a top notch article.
Because it was on heat………I have seen randy bulls do that when on heat,
May be it was in labour…..labour pain causes many to loose their orientation.
Better still it had a toothache….now that is deadly, Once i had a toothache in the middle of the night and i didn’t how i reached the dentist office at midnight mind you.