# Christmas cracker mottos

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-cracker-mottos/719036>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 1, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-cracker-mottos/719036 "2015-05-01T19:31:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-cracker-mottos/719036/1 "2015-05-01T19:31:50Z")

</div>

Are the jokes inside of Christmas crackers referred to as ‘mottos’? Or are mottos and jokes different? Or is it ‘A joke is a motto, but a motto is not necessarily a joke’?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-cracker-mottos/719036/2 "2015-05-01T19:48:24Z")

</div>

Merriam-Webster defines motto as:

> [@](#):
>
> : a short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular person or group

I have never heard of a joke being referred to as a motto.

However, a quick search indicates this is a UK usage, as is the custom of [Christmas crackers.](http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Christmas-Crackers/)

It appears in this context that “motto” is a general term for the messages in the crackers, which started out as love poems. Jokes are one type of cracker motto.