The math term “rhombus” sounds like “wrong bus,” and there’s a pun:
Q: Why was the math teacher late for school?
A: He took the rhombus.
“Rhombus. Wrong bus?” was posted to the newsgroup alt.timewasters on January 12, 1999. “In Italy, I took a rhombus to get to the Vatican (Richard Lederer)” was in a “Puns of the Weak” post to the newsgroup alt.humor.puns on February 16, 2001. The math joke has been printed on several images.
Math Open Reference
Rhombus plural: rhombi
Definition: A quadrilateral with all four sides equal in length.
Google Groups: alt.timewasters
Geometry
Judy Stephens
1/12/99
>>>>>>>>Everyones! I take no sides.
>>>>>>>How about angles?
>>>>>>Nope - I’m too square!
>>>>>I thought you were obtuse! 😊
>>>>No, I am running around in circles.
>>>Parallelogram?
>>Hypotenuse? Pythagorean Theorem!
>
>Rhombus.
Wrong bus? Hey, Taxi!
Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
“Puns of the Weak” 2/16/01
Stan Kegel
2/16/01
(...)
In Italy, I took a rhombus to get to the Vatican (Richard Lederer)
Wolf Pack W.O.W.
February 16, 2005
He Took the Rhombus
Twitter
Johnny Worthington
@jworthington
When visiting Italy last year, I got lost going to Florence and took the rhombus
10:04 PM - 22 Feb 2007
Twitter
DaveCon5
@dave_conklin
I was a gifted child; I took a rhombus to school.
8:56 PM - 22 Sep 2010
Twitter
Anna
@Markby
Why was the mathematician late for work? He took the rhombus.
3:42 PM - 12 May 2012
Twitter
Nerf Karate
@ManVsPuppet
Maybe you were such a nerdy kid you took a rhombus to school.
7:57 AM - 26 Oct 2013
Twitter
ワフラ ノマド マシャカ
@KiddyYusuf
Why was the mathematician late for work?
She took a rhombus
4:12 AM - 23 Jul 2014
Reddit
Why was the math teacher late for school?
submitted October 16, 2016 by shortsyaq
He took the rhombus
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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps. Stolen and missing, 2021-2024.
Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Aug. 15, 1931, Binghamton (NY) Press, pg. 14.
Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce "The Big Apple," a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.
Also listen to a 1937 "The Big Apple" song by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra. See a 1929 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald and a 1931 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald.
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