"Bean” can sound like “been,” and there’s a pun:
QL What do you call a retired vegetable?
A: A has-bean.
“What do you call an obsolete Java Bean? A “has"-Bean" was posted to the newsgroup comp.lang.java.programmer on June 6, 1999. “What do you call a long, thin, green vegetable that’s seen better days? A has-bean” was posted to the newsgroup alt.humor on July 25, 2003.
“What do you call a retired vegetable? A has-bean” has been cited in print since at least 2006.
Google Groups: comp.lang.java.programmer
Visual J++ 6.0. What is it good for?
Dan Hinojosa
6/6/99
(...)
> What do you call an obsolete Java Bean?
>
> A “has"-Bean
Google Groups: alt.support.childfree
Bastards Listen Up
Lurker Above
1/29/02
(...)
Q: what do you call a retired coffee shop barista?
A: a has-bean
Google Groups: alt.humor
Puns of the Weak 07-25-03
Stan Kegel
7/25/03
(...)
What do you call a long, thin, green vegetable that?s seen better days?
A has-bean. (Cynthia MacGregor)
Jamie Oliver—Forum
shammrok
Thu 09 Nov 06 2:39am
(...)
What do you call a retired vegetable?
- A has-bean
Google Books
101 Short and Hilarious Jokes for Kids:
Jokes They’ll Tell Again and Again
By Scott Allen
Delabarre Publishing at Smashwords
2010
Pg. ?:
What do you call an elderly vegetable?
A has-bean.
Passy’s World of ICT
FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010
Fruity Friday Funny
(...)
Q: What do you call a retired vegetable?
A: A has-bean.
Twitter
5adaynz
@5adaynz
What do you call a retired vegetable? A has-bean! hehe how is everyone going back at work? Love Fredge xx
3:04 PM - 17 Jan 2011
Secret Seed Society
Top 100 veggie jokes of all time
April 27, 2011
Here’s a growing collection of the top 100 veggie jokes of all time…
(...)
COMMENTS
Evan on August 22, 2011 at 5:46 pm said:
What do you call a retired vegetable?
A has bean!
Twitter
dclapp818
@dclapp818
What do you call an elderly vegetable? A has-bean!
5:06 PM - 23 May 2011
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 Popeye's fast food restaurant on Google Maps.
Recent entries:
•
“My favorite game is trying to take something out of the refrigerator…” (Refrigerator Jenga) (5/25)
•
“Just paid my taxes. The roads should be fixed any day now” (5/24)
•
Refrigerator Jenga (5/24)
•
“I just paid my car registration. The roads will be fixed any day now” (5/24)
•
Fridge Jenga (5/24)
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.