# Funny, she doesnt look Jewish?..... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2005, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-she-doesnt-look-jewish/313611 "2005-07-22T09:07:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-she-doesnt-look-jewish/313611/21 "2006-02-07T14:10:43Z")
FWIW, I first encountered the phrase as the punch line to a different joke. A Jewish guy goes to Tokyo on business. He is observant, so on the Sabbath he finds the only synagogue in Tokyo. He particpates in the service, and then is chatting with other members of the congregation afterwards. He then wishes the rabbi good-bye and leaves. And the (Japanese) president of the congregation says to the (Japanese) rabbi, “Nice guy. I hope he comes again.” “Yeah”, says the rabbi, “but it’s funny - he doesn’t _look_ Jewish.” Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-she-doesnt-look-jewish/313611/22 "2006-02-07T15:11:19Z")
I was once at a presentation when a black guy introduced a long time family friend and Jewish lawyer as “Uncle Shelly.” When the person next to me said “_Uncle_ Shelly?” I replied “Yeah. He doesn’t look _Jewish_.” The person I was talking so started laughing so hard he had to leave. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-she-doesnt-look-jewish/313611/23 "2006-02-07T21:19:56Z")
The Chipmunks used this with “Irish” instead of “Jewish” in their rendition of “My Wild Irish Rose”. Between sections of the song, Alvin asks Dave if he’s Irish. The final exchange interrupts the song just before the last line. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-she-doesnt-look-jewish/313611/24 "2006-02-07T22:36:46Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Broadway (read: Jewish audience) Well, you don’t exactly have to drop your pants at the door (what would the feminine equivalent be? submit receipts proving you’ve never paid full retail?)…but yeah, Broadway is the one place you know a good % of your audience will be of the persuasion. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-she-doesnt-look-jewish/313611/25 "2006-02-07T23:17:00Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > Now that the question’s been answered to the OP’s satisfaction, I guess I can safely hijack this thread. What about the punchline, “I don’t know, I’ve never eaten one”? Is this just a general and obvious response to “do you like Jews (etc)?” which has probably been thought up independently over and over, or does it belong to some old joke? The way I heard this one (at least 40 years ago) is: - Do you like Brahms? - What’s a Brahm? ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-she-doesnt-look-jewish/313611/26 "2006-02-08T01:56:39Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > Now that the question’s been answered to the OP’s satisfaction, I guess I can safely hijack this thread. What about the punchline, “I don’t know, I’ve never eaten one”? Is this just a general and obvious response to “do you like Jews (etc)?” which has probably been thought up independently over and over, or does it belong to some old joke? It’s “Chinese.” Short for Chinese food, of course. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-she-doesnt-look-jewish/313611/27 "2006-02-12T00:27:40Z")
The way I heard it: “Do you like Kipling?” - “I don’t know, I’ve never kippled.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-she-doesnt-look-jewish/313611.md?page=1)