I was watching Three’s Company today and observed the following joke which seemed to get quite a laugh:
Maybe I’m overlooking something obvious, but I don’t get it. I asked a couple friends of mine and they don’t understand it either. Does it rely on some contemporary reference that none of us is familiar with, or are we all just thick?
It refers to the old expression “the rabbit died” for a positive pregancy test. The rabbit got better, so the shotgun wedding got called off.
For Three’s Company, it’s practically Wildean.
The Rabbit died is an euphemism for a positive pregnancy test. Since, the bunny got better he didn’t have to get married.
Also, Larry’s shirt was probably garish. Which is very funny.
pat
A rabbit used to be used to test for pregnancy. I fhte rabbit died then the woman was pregnant. Presumably Jack was going to marry someone because they thought the rabbit died and the woman was pregnant, but then it got better and he didn’t have to get married.
“The rabbit died” is an expression that means that a woman isn’t pregnant. The expression came about because of an urban legend that a woman’s urine would be injected into a rabbit and if the rabbit died it meant that the woman was pregnant.
Yep, in the old days they used rabbits to test if a woman was pregnant. Presumably if she was the rabbit reacted to the urine/blood sample? badly.
As I was pipped, here’s the Rabbit Test on Snopes.
In the days before one pissed on a little stick, questions of pregnancy required what was called “the rabbit test,” which necessitated the death of said rabbit.
Thus, if one wanted to indicate relief at having avoided a pregnancy scare, you would say the rabbit lived or got better.
Having drained all the humor out of an old joke, my work is done.
There’s a story about an old pregnancy test where a woman’s urine was injected into a rabbit; if the rabbit died, she was pregnant.
ETA: Drats, I pause to back it up with the Internet and I’m beaten to the punch… mercilessly, over and over.
Eight responses in five minutes! I’ve never had such an overwhelming response to a question of mine! 
It sure is different here than in GQ… Thanks to everyone.
This has to be some kind of record for “most simulposts”.
You said it. In all seriousness, one of the main reasons I watch the show is to gawk at the characters’ wardrobes. (See my recent thread on Mr. Furley’s mysterious garment.)
I can’t remember how things went in that storied Duran Duran - Rio thread. Does anyone have a link?
I guess it is too late to talk about the Rabbit Test. Man you all are fast.
Jim
Yeah, but there’s no way to determine how many of those were sincere before the obvious jokes started. I think all the posts in this one are genuine.
Aerosmith sang of the dead rabbit in “Sweet Emotion”
(I hope this doesn’t violate the board rules about posting lyrics, I’ve been warned for posting more than a stanza before)
True. Still, I imagine it would be fair to take most of the posts from, say, the first minute as sincere. At any rate, I’d be curious to revisit it.
So… how old are you guys? Too young to remember when the show was actually on the air, I’m betting. I think I’ll ask my little brother (24) tomorrow if he gets the joke.
I’m 21 and I get it, but I watch a lot of MAS*H, so I’m used to dated references. Plus I’m weird.
There’s also Joan River’s movie Rabbit Test, about the first pregnant man.
Everybody used to know that joke, but it vanished in recent years.