A hipster riddle has been printed on several images:
Q: How did the hipster drown?
A: He went ice skating before it (the lake—ed.) was cool.
The riddle is funny only if the listener knows that it combines two other hipster riddles:
1. “How do you drown a hipster?"/"In the mainstream.”
2. “How did the hipster burn his tongue?"/"He drank his coffee before it was cool.”
“Why did the hipster drown? Because he went ice skating before it was cool” was posted on Twitter by cara on September 7, 2011. Authorship is uncertain.
Twitter
cara
@caraelling
Why did the hipster drown? Because he went ice skating before it was cool.
8:45 PM - 7 Sep 2011
Twitter
ＮｏｒｔｈＶａｎＭｉｋｅ
@NorthVanMike
Replying to @VancityBeerGuy
@VancityBeerGuy Why did the hipster drown?
He went ice skating before it was cool.
7:32 PM - 8 Sep 2011
Twitter
MissM
@MariRoseM
How did the hipster drown? He went ice skating before it was cool.
8:13 PM - 9 Sep 2011
Reddit—Jokes
Why did the hipster drown, when he was iceskating?
submitted December 21, 2013 by Hitno
He was skating before it was cool
Reddit—Jokes
Why did the hipster drown?
submitted January 25, 2014 by pulltheanimal
They tried to skate on the river before it was cool.
Reddit—Jokes
Why did the hipster drown?
submitted March 27, 2014 by Limpykin
He went ice Skating before it was cool
Twitter
milk
@miilkkk
How did the hipster drown?
He went ice skating before it was cool.
8:33 PM - 22 Oct 2014
25 March 2017, Sydney (New South Wales) Morning Herald, “Wordplay” by David Astle, pg. 21:
Have you heard the latest hipster joke? Wait, I have it on vinyl somewhere. Ah here it is: how’d the hipster drown? He went ice-skating before it was cool. But seriously, how do you drown a hipster? Easy - you throw her in the mainstream.
Twitter
insane puns
@insane__puns
why did the hipster drown?
he went ice skating before it was cool
3:00 PM - 28 Jul 2018
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:
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“Never let someone who has done nothing tell you how to do anything” (6/6)
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Entry in progress—BP (6/6)
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Entry in progress—BP (6/6)
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“Never let people who have done nothing tell you how to do anything” (6/6)
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Entry in progress—BP (6/6)
More new entries...
Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps.
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.