# Help with a joke **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2025, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724 "2025-07-11T05:20:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/1 "2025-07-11T05:20:51Z")
Apparently it’s big on tik tok. Why did the school end early? Fettuccini macaroni tuna dip. ETA: [TikTok - Make Your Day](https://www.tiktok.com/@dominicditanna/video/7231570972594179370?lang=en) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/2 "2025-07-11T05:38:19Z")
But if I explain the joke it won’t be funny. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/3 "2025-07-11T05:40:41Z")
It’s a fish dish: Fettuccini macaroni tuna dip. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/4 "2025-07-11T06:33:02Z")
This is still going around? From three years ago: > **[Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/w2ua67/need_help_with_a_joke_i_heard_on_tiktok/)** ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/5 "2025-07-11T11:30:28Z")
No soap, radio. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/6 "2025-07-11T15:14:02Z")
I googled it and couldn’t find any dip or recipe labeled as such. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/7 "2025-07-11T16:24:58Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > This is still going around? From three years ago: > > [Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/w2ua67/need_help_with_a_joke_i_heard_on_tiktok/) From your link: > The school refers to a school of fish. The school of fish ended early because the fish were scared off. The person fed a teeny macaroni (**[a macaroni is a species of penguin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroni_penguin)**) The act of feeding the penguin caused the tuna to dip. (tuna dipped) Therefore the school of fish was a school of tuna fish. > > To summarize the statement. Why did the school end early? I fed a penguin and scared the fish. **Fettuccini macaroni tuna dip = Fed a teeny macaroni (penguin), tuna dip** The joke also relies on a recentish use of the verb “dip” to mean “make one’s leave”. A lot of unfamiliar elements make for a weirdly niche, largely inscrutable joke. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/8 "2025-07-11T16:38:06Z")
I think a better answer would be: Fettucini Noodle Oregano Romesco Dish ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/9 "2025-07-11T17:48:57Z")
You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna dip. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/10 "2025-07-11T17:56:20Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > But if I explain the joke it won’t be funny. Yet if you do not explain the “joke”, it still will not be funny… ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/11 "2025-07-11T18:21:36Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > But if I explain the joke it won’t be funny. I wasn’t asking for someone to make it funny, just an explanation. Though I suspect your answer was a little tongue in cheek? > [@bordelond](#): > > > The school refers to a school of fish. The school of fish ended early because the fish were scared off. The person fed a teeny macaroni (**[a macaroni is a species of penguin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroni_penguin)**) The act of feeding the penguin caused the tuna to dip. (tuna dipped) Therefore the school of fish was a school of tuna fish. > > > > To summarize the statement. Why did the school end early? I fed a penguin and scared the fish. > > **Fettuccini macaroni tuna dip = Fed a teeny macaroni (penguin), tuna dip** > > The joke also relies on a recentish use of the verb “dip” to mean “make one’s leave” This seems wildly implausible. That’s a lot of shoe-horning that, even with explanation, still doesn’t quite work. Compounded by the fact that those young kids were laughing manically - even if that joke works in that context, is not _that_ funny. My guess was either that it’s a non-sense response -ala shaggy dog story - which they think is hilarious, or they snuck in a coded ‘fuck my teacher’ reference… which they think is hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/12 "2025-07-11T21:37:15Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > they snuck in a coded ‘fuck my teacher’ reference… which they think is hilarious. I assumed it was one of those “see you next Tuesday” references that kids think are very clever. Kids have done that kind of thing probably for as long as we’ve had language. ---
**Author:** ![TheBryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@TheBryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBryan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/13 "2025-07-12T00:56:36Z")
When I was in high school, a friend asked me the joke “Why is the elephant’s trunk so long?” “Because it’s ears are so big.” After a few minutes, he asked “don’t you get it?” And most people would say “yes, it’s not funny”, and walk away. That was the funny part because the joke had no point. Of course, the issue was that the person telling me the joke couldn’t tell it with a straight face. To him, telling a joke with a nonsense punchline was about the most uproariously funny thing possible. I told him a joke back that had no point. He thought about it for a good 30 seconds before bursting out in laughter and saying “that makes no sense at all!” I’m certain he went on to tell others my joke. And I think therein lies your answer. I’ve seen the clip that made this “joke” go viral, and the kid telling it reminded me very much of the kid who told me the elephant “joke”. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/14 "2025-07-12T11:53:46Z")
> [@TheBryan](#): > > I’m certain he went on to tell others my joke. To be fair, all these years later and you’re still telling his joke too. ---
**Author:** ![TheBryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@TheBryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBryan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/15 "2025-07-12T12:05:45Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > To be fair, all these years later and you’re still telling his joke too. Well, to be fair back, while not necessarily funny, I do find it to be amusing. I’m not going to lie. I watched the “fettuccini macaroni tuna dip” video on repeat a dozen times and laughed my butt off, but that probably had more to do with the kid’s delivery. He nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/16 "2025-07-12T12:10:38Z")
> [@TheBryan](#): > > When I was in high school, a friend asked me the joke “Why is the elephant’s trunk so long?” > > “Because it’s ears are so big.” Sounds a bit like another joke with an actual punchline: — Why do gorillas have big nostrils? — Because they have big fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-joke/1020724/17 "2025-07-12T14:57:06Z")
I like the way you pulled the ol’ switcheroo on his animal joke.