All the ducks are swimming in the water

[venta]

In respect of yesterday's poll: hurrah, you are all sensible people. And you have confirmed my belief that one of my colleagues, who unexpectedly proclaimed "what's the difference between a chicken?" (and then insisted that "duck" was insanity), is Just Wrong.

Comments

[sammason]

I'm going to 'fess up now. The poll you posted got me entirely confused and I seem to have been the only person on your Flist who didn't get the joke.

[venta]

I was a bit surprised that everyone typed in the answer I was expecting - suggesting they knew the joke[*] - maybe lots more people just thought "eh?" and ignored it...

[*] though I think actually "joke" is a bit of a strong word in the circs ;)

[shui_long]

people just thought "eh?" and ignored it...

err.. yes

[satyrica]

Not the only one!

[sammason]

Oh good. I feel better now ;-)

[venta]

I was kind of hoping that I might learn some variants of the joke, or indeed someone might create an inspiring new version.

I was intrigued that everyone (who filled in the poll and wasn't Dutch) was almost word-for-word the same. I wonder if the joke has a common origin (eg a particular TV show, or something). If not, it's impressively widespread for what isn't really even a particularly funny joke.

[undyingking]

I remember hearing it at school when quite young. But my mum knew it from her own childhood. I suspect it predates TV.

From the level of surreality, I'm tempted to guess that it can't be from further back than the late C19. But I could easily be completely wrong about that…

[mrlloyd]

I had to google it, but did think I'd heard it before.