“Why did the turtle cross the road?”/“To get to the Shell station.”

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.

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Entry from January 21, 2018

“Why did the turtle cross the road?”/“To get to the Shell station.”

“Why did the chicken cross the road?”/“To get to the other side” is a classic riddle from the 19th century. A turtle version has been printed on several images:

Q: Why did the turtle cross the road?
A: To get to the Shell station.

The turtle joke has been cited in print since at least 1973.

Wikipedia: Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc (LSE: RDSA, RDSB), commonly known as Shell, is a British–Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in the Netherlands and incorporated in the United Kingdom. It is one of the six oil and gas “supermajors” and the sixth-largest company in the world measured by 2016 revenues (and the largest based in Europe). Shell was first in the 2013 Fortune Global 500 list of the world’s largest companies; in that year its revenues were equivalent to 84% of the Netherlands’ $556 billion GDP.

4 June 1973, The Palladium-Item (Richmond, IN), “Mini Jokes,” The Mini Page, pg. 4, col. 1:
Q. Why did the turtle cross the road?
A. Because he saw a shell station on the other side!
Bugs Johnson, Richmond.

17 July 1977, Boston (MA) Herald American, “From the Mail Bag,” comics sec., pg. ?:, col. 1:
Why did the turtle cross the road?
From JOHN HIGGINS, 10, Dover. N.H.
Riddle Answer: To get to the Shell station.

30 June 1979, Newsday (Long Island, NY), Kidsday sec., pg. II, pg. 12, col. 3:
SMILES
Why did the turtle cross the road?
To get to the shell station.
—Melissa Adelman,
West Hempstead

Google Books
The Zaniest Riddle Book in the World
By Joseph Rosenbloom
New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
1984
Pg. 13:
Why did the turtle cross the road?
To get to the Shell station.

Google Books
Squeaky Clean Jokes for Kids
By Bob Phillips and Steve Russo
Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers
1997
Pg. 151:
Delbert: Why did the turtle cross the road?
Darlene: My mind is a blank.
Delbert: To get to the Shell station.

Twitter
Joe‏
@DarkTetsuya
Replying to @mistyolr
@mistyolr ‘why’d the turtle cross the road? to get to the shell station’ (I’m so sorry XD <3)

11:28 AM - 17 Jun 2008

tapatalk
A few Chicken Jokes
Painted Pony
01 May 2010, 02:33 #1
(...)
Why did the turtle cross the road ?
To get to the shell station

Reddit—Clean Jokes
Why did the turtle cross the road? (self.cleanjokes)
submitted July 12, 2012 by tazwarner
To get to the nearest Shell Station!

Reddit—3amjokes
Why did the turtle cross the road? self.3amjokes
Submitted March 10, 2013 by ElGringoPicante77
To get to the Shell Station!

Google Books
What a Joke!:
For Kids of All Ages
By Marlize Schmidt
Lulu Press (Lulu.com)
2014
Pg. ?:
Q: Why did the turtle cross the road?
A: To get to the Shell Station.

Reddit—Jokes
Why did the turtle cross the road?
submitted October 17, 2016 by zaraturtle23
To get to the shell station.

Twitter
GET LOLIFIED!‏
@TheLOLWorld
Why did the turtle cross the road?
To get to the Shell Station! | Read: http://ift.tt/1MEBJbi
4:24 AM - 21 Jan 2018

Posted by Barry Popik
New York City • Streets • Sunday, January 21, 2018 • Permalink

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