“Diner: I can’t eat this! Call the manager! Waiter: It’s no use. He won’t eat it, either.”

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.

Recent entries:
•“Buying frozen pizza is such a lie. ‘Oh I’ll save this for when I don’t feel like cooking’. Surprise, surprise. Day one” (4/22)
•“Earth Day implies the existence of Moon Night” (4/22)
•“Earth Day implies the existence of Moon Day” (4/22)
•“Earth Day implies the existence of Water Day. Fire Day and Air Day” (4/22)
•“Earth Day implies the existence of Space Week” (4/22)
More new entries...

Follow @barrypopik

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.

This site is edited by Barry Popik. These are the Cookies and Privacy Policies.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Entry from April 04, 2019

“Diner: I can’t eat this! Call the manager! Waiter: It’s no use. He won’t eat it, either.”

A joke was printed in the Greensboro (NC) Record on October 22, 1925:

Diner: “This soup is terrible! Send the manager here right away!”
Waiter: “It’s no use, sir. He won’t eat it, either.”—Heartrouble.

The joke became a standard in the category of restaurant waiter jokes.

22 October 1925, Greensboro (NC) Record, “The Fun Shop” by Maxson Foxhall Judell, pg. 1, col. 1:
USELESS
Diner: “This soup is terrible! Send the manager here right away!”
Waiter: “It’s no use, sir. He won’t eat it, either.”—Heartrouble.

27 October 1925, Moline (IL) Daily Dispatch, “The Fun Shop” by Maxson Foxhall Judell, pg. 9, col. 1:
Useless.
Diner: “This soup is terrible! Send the manager here right away!”
Waiter: “It’s no use, sir. He won’t eat it, either.”
HEARTROUBLE.

Google Books
August 1946, Boys’ Life, “Think and Grin” by Frank Rigney, pg. 43, col. 2:
WHAT’S THE USE
“I can’t eat this stuff. Call the manager.”
“No use, sir! He won’t eat it either.”

Google Books
The Toastmaster’s and Speaker’s Handbook
By Herbert V. Prochnow
New York, NY: Pocket Books
1955
Pg. 329:
HE WON’T EAT IT EITHER
Disgusted Diner: “You can’t expect me to eat this stuff! Call the manager.”
Waiter: “It’s no use; he won’t eat it either.”

Google Books
Joys of Jewish Humor
Compiled and Edited by Henry D. Spalding
Middle Village, NY: J. David Publishers
1985
Pg. 259:
“Waiter,” he yelled, “I can’t eat this meal. Call the manager!”

“It wouldn’t do you a bit good,” said the waiter. “He won’t eat it either!”

Google Books
Steve Allen’s Private Joke File
By Steve Allen
New York, NY: Three Rivers Press
2000
Pg. 216:
DINER: I can’t eat this stuff. Call the manager.
WAITER: It’s no use. He won’t eat it either.

Google Books
Ultimate Book of Jokes:
The Essential Collection of More Than 1,500 Jokes
By Scott McNeely
San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books
2011
Pg. 155:
Waiter, waiter! I can’t eat this chicken, call the manager.
It’s no good, sir, he won’t eat it either.

Twitter
You Are Joking
@lahlahbean
#badjokethursday
Guest at a restaurant: “I refuse to eat this roastbeef. Please call the manager!”
Waiter: “It’s no use. He won’t eat it either.”
2:15 AM - 4 Apr 2019

Posted by Barry Popik
New York City • Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores • Thursday, April 04, 2019 • Permalink

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.