sharing the life stories of immigrants, expatriates, and refugees to the United States
Two cannibals are eating a clown for dinner.
What's So Funny?
In English, when we think something tastes strange or not quite normal, we say it tastes funny. In this joke, the word "funny" has a second meaning because clowns are funny and make us laugh!
As we’ve discussed on previous shows, one difficult aspect of learning a second language is adapting to humor that involves plays on words. They are also called puns. The appropriate way to receive a pun when it is told is to pretend you didn’t think it was funny. You may stare at the pun-teller or even let out a groan (unnnhh!). We don’t want to give punsters credit for clever wordplay, but usually we end up smiling or even laughing. Here is a clever wordplay that most Americans would chuckle over. The question: is it funny to you?
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: “Does this taste funny to you?”
What's So Funny?
This joke involves a common English expression "to taste funny," which means to taste strange or odd. The line has a double meaning because the two individuals in the story are cannibals (people who eat the meat of other humans). They are eating a clown, whose job is to act funny and make people laugh.
A typical clown (photo source: Wikipedia)
Practice telling this joke, so you can share it with your American friends. See if they laugh (or groan) at this play on words.
Feel Like You Belong is a sometimes serious, sometimes funny, always “touch-your-heart” real conversation about fitting into the American culture. It introduces guests who have made the immigrant journey to the United States. The stories–of both struggle and success–will help newcomers feel more confident in sharing their opinions and expertise, more likely to want to stay in the U.S., be more productive in their jobs, and fully invest in their communities.
