“What travels around the world but stays in one corner?” (riddle)

A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps. Stolen and missing, 2021-2024.

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Entry from June 21, 2016

“What travels around the world but stays in one corner?” (riddle)

A popular children’s riddle is:

Q: What travels around the world but stays in one corner?
A: A postage stamp.

The riddle has been cited in print since at least 1959.

Google News Archive
June 1959, Boys’ Life “Think and Grin,” pg. 86, col. 2:
John: “What travels around the world but stays in a corner?”
Joe: “I give up, what?”
John: “A stamp.” — Michael Vargo, Baltimore 24, Md.

23 December 1963, Austin (TX) Statesman, “Fun Time—The Riddle Box,” pg. 26, col. 5:
What goes around the world yet stays in the corner?
A postage stamp.

12 October 1975, Washington (DC) Star, “Mini Jokes,” Mini Page, pg. 3, col. 1:
Q. What goes around the world but stays in a corner?
A. A stamp.
Sheryl Westbrook

Google Books
Biggest Riddle Book in the World
By Joseph Rosenbloom
Illustrated by Joyce Behr
New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
1976
Pg. 213:
What travels around the world but stays in a corner?
A stamp.

Google News Archive
31 May 1979, The Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario), “Kids only club” by Shari Lewis, pg. 57, col. 4:
Yesterday’s brain twister: What travels around the world but is supposed to stay in a corner?
Answer: a postage stamp.

Google Books
Scholastic Literacy Place
Volume 2
1996
Pg. 107:
“What travels around the world but stays in one corner?” Amy asked.

“A stamp,” Peter said.

Google Books
Ridiculous Riddles
By Cyl Lee
Edina, MN: ABDO Publishing Company
2004
Pg. 21:
What travels around the world while sitting in a corner?
A stamp.

Google Books
Mama’s Little Book of Tricks
By Lynn Brunelle
San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books
2007
Pg. 133:
What goes around the world but stays in the corner?
A stamp!

Google Books
Wise Crackers:
Riddles and Jokes About Numbers, Names, Letters, and Silly Words
By Julie Gassman
Mankato, MN: Picture Window Books
2011
Pg. 29:
What travels around the world but stays in one corner?
A postage stamp.

YouTube
Jokes - What stays in one corner but travels around the world? A stamp.
jokesus
Published on Oct 2, 2015
Joke :
What stays in one corner but travels around the world?
A stamp.

Posted by Barry Popik
New York City • Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health • Tuesday, June 21, 2016 • Permalink

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