# Explain the 'Prince Albert in a can' joke to me, please **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017 "2005-07-11T16:43:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/1 "2005-07-11T16:43:55Z")
OK, so the thread about Price Albert’s illegitimate child reminded me of a joke I often hear repeated on TV and inmovies, or maybe in a joke book for kids or something, that is a prank call. For those unfamiliar with it, it goes: Caller: Excuse me, but do you have Prince Albert in a can? Callee: Yes. (Why they say yes I ahve no idea…) Caller: Then you’d better let him out! So…umm…I don’t get it. Why does the callee admit to having Prince ALbert in a can? ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/2 "2005-07-11T16:45:59Z")
The way I heard it was “Count Hamilton” which is a brand of pipe tobacco around here. I imagine Prince Albert is another substance. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/3 "2005-07-11T16:46:02Z")
You’d call a store to ask the question – Prince Albert was a brand of pipe tobacco that came in cans. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/4 "2005-07-11T16:46:44Z")
IIRC, Prince Albert was once a popular brand of tobacco. It came in cans. ---
**Author:** ![byomtoob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@byomtoob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/byomtoob)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/5 "2005-07-11T16:46:49Z")
They say yes because its a product – pipe tobacco I believe – and it comes in both a pouch and a can. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/6 "2005-07-11T16:49:19Z")
[Prince Albert](https://www.lilbrown.com/Pipe-Tobacco/PRINCE-ALBERT.htm) is _still_ in the can. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/7 "2005-07-11T16:53:10Z")
i’ve not heard this variation myself. when i was a kid it was “robin hood by the bag” (flour) and “olive oil in a jar” ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/8 "2005-07-11T16:54:42Z")
Ahhhh. I guess I’m jsut too much of a youngin’ to know about this kind of stuff. Either that, or not enough of a smoker. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/9 "2005-07-11T16:55:00Z")
Just out of curiosity: Is your refrigerator running? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/10 "2005-07-11T16:56:43Z")
Oh, and before anyone brings this up, the Prince Albert in question does NOT refer to Queen Victoria’s husband, but her eldest son, Prince Albert Edward (King Edward VII). Prince Albert Sr. NEVER smoked, but his son smoked like a chimney. The illustration on the package is clearly that of Albert Jr., too. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/11 "2005-07-11T16:58:46Z")
Could you ask everyone if Amanada Hugenkiss is there? Or just got Helen Wate and ask her. ---
**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:** [July 11, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/12 "2005-07-11T17:04:08Z")
The original prank was to call a tobacconist, or more commonly a corner candy store or some other place that sold tobacco products, and ask them this question. Many places used to sell Prince Albert tobacco in a can. We had a long thread some time ago on the proper way to phrase the question, and what the exact interpretation was supposed to be. The question may be phrased as either “Prince Albert in _a_ can,” or “Prince Albert in _the_ can.” Some think that the joke is that you have Prince Albert in a small can, as implied by the first formulation. Others say this is ridiculous, since the Prince obviously couldn’t fit in a small can, and the joke is that you have Prince Albert locked in your bathroom, as implied in the second formulation. I always though the second one was right, but apparently many others heard it the first way. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/13 "2005-07-11T17:04:29Z")
I bought a Prince Albert can. I giggled. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/14 "2005-07-11T17:08:34Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > I bought a Prince Albert can. I giggled. That’s nuthin’. I used to have a cat named Prince Albert in a Can (Bert for short). He was grey, geneologically (and indeed, taxanomically) unrelated to the Hanovers, and he didn’t smoke. He did however, like to explore cans (and boxes, and heating ducts). Er…what was the question again? 😉 Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/15 "2005-07-11T17:16:54Z")
Hey, is Hugh Jass there? How about Heywood Jablomee? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/16 "2005-07-11T17:23:16Z")
I once visited Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. And I definitely spent some of that time in the can. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/17 "2005-07-11T17:34:59Z")
If your [Prince Albert](http://tattoo.about.com/cs/beginners/a/blprincealbert.htm) is in your can, then you should probably sue your piercer. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/18 "2005-07-11T18:04:21Z")
> [@byomtoob](#): > > They say yes because its a product – pipe tobacco I believe – and it comes in both a pouch and a can. Right and it had to be asked if the store had it in the can because it came in both cans and pouches. If it only came in cans there would be no need to ask. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/19 "2005-07-11T18:15:18Z")
I have a collection of joke names, and one is Anita Nothershot. A friend was sitting at the end of the bar, and she cellphoned the bartender to ask if Anita Nothershot was there. The bartender paged Anita Nothershot, and several folks at the bar raised their hands. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017/20 "2005-07-11T18:21:03Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > Just out of curiosity: > > Is your refrigerator running? Does your nose run and your feet smell? _You’re built upside-down!_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-prince-albert-in-a-can-joke-to-me-please/312017.md?page=2)