A popular Halloween pumpkin riddle is:
Q: What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?
A: Squash.
The riddle was posted with other Halloween jokes to the newsgroup alt.jokes.pentium on October 8, 1998.
25 October 1992, Aberdeen (SD) American News, pg. 7A, col. 1:
Students drop pumpkins in annual squash squash
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP)—Is there a way to drop a pumpkin from the roof of a 10-story building without turning the squash into pie filling?
Google Groups: alt.jokes.pentium
Need Children Jokes..Please
HLapla3527
10/8/98
HALLOWEEN Q&A’S
(...)
Q: What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?
A: Squash
Google Groups: microsoft.public.inetexplorer.ie4.outlookexpress.stationery
I didn’t get lost...back home..a little Halloween for you
Rocky
10/23/98
(...)
Q: What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?
A: Squash.
29 October 1999, Anniston (AL) Star, “Halloween Humor,” pg. 5C, col. 2:
What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?
Squash.
Google Groups: .humor.puns
Halloween Puns of the Weak 10/26/01
Stan Kegel
10/27/01
(...)
What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?
Squash (From Gary Hallock)
Google Books
Puns Spooken Here:
Word Play for Halloween
By Richard Lederer
Illustrations by Jim McLean
Layton, UT: Wyrick & Company
2006
Pg. 14:
What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?
Squash,
20 May 2006, The Coloradoan (Fort Collins, CO), “Pumpkins can add brilliant color to gardens” by Charleen Barr, pg. C2, col. 1:
When is a pumpkin not a pumpkin?
When you drop it, then it’s a squash.
Google Books
Let’s Eat in the Funny Zone
By Gary Chmielewski
Illustrated by Jim Caputo
CHicago, IL: NorwoodHouse Press
2008
Pg. 13:
What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?
Squash!
Twitter
Lady_ChrisTina
@Ladie_Christina
@pocketedward Day 18:
Q: What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?
A: Squash
1:09 AM - 19 Oct 2009
Google Books
More Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids
By Rob Elliott
Grand Rapids, MI: Revell
2014
Pg. ?:
Q: What do you get when you drop a pumpkin.
A. Squash.
Google Books
Halloween Jokes 4 Kids Part 2
By Peter Crumpton
PeteyRF Creative
2015
Pg.: ?
When is a pumpkin not a pumpkin?
When you drop it; then it’s squash!
Google Books
Halloween Jokes For Kids - 51 Jokes!
By Peter Crumpton
PeteyRF Creative
2015
Pg. ?:
What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?
Squash
Twitter
Brianna
@its_Briyonce
What do you get when you drop a pumpkin? Squash 👻🎃 thx I’ll be here all week
10:08 AM - 31 Oct 2016
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:
•
“Instead of conspiracy theorist, I prefer to be called a connect the dots specialist” (3/20)
•
“Let’s reduce drunk driving by taking cars away from sober drivers” (3/20)
•
“When the Berlin Wall fell, which side did the people run to?” (3/20)
•
“You are being conditioned to give up your rights every time there’s a crisis” (3/20)
•
Entry in progress—BP (3/20)
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.