# I don't get this joke about Hitler **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 1, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823 "2010-08-01T21:31:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/1 "2010-08-01T21:31:15Z")
I was watching _To Be Or Not To Be_ yesterday and they had a joke about Hitler. If they named a brandy after Napoleon and a herring after Bismarck, what’s Hitler going to be? A piece of cheese. I don’t get it. Is it supposed to be saying Hitler’s a rat? Or that he’s cheesy? From the context in the movie, it’s clear that the joke is insulting to Hitler. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/2 "2010-08-01T21:34:50Z")
A rat. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/3 "2010-08-01T22:39:50Z")
I love that movie. Assuming it’s the Carole Lombard version. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/4 "2010-08-01T23:00:10Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I love that movie. Assuming it’s the Carole Lombard version. That’s the one I was watching. But I like the Mel Brooks remake too. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/5 "2010-08-01T23:02:44Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > A rat. If that’s all there is to the joke, it’s a really weak payoff. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/6 "2010-08-01T23:06:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > A rat. > > If that’s all there is to the joke, it’s a really weak payoff. Well, back then, it was really boffo! Best wishes, hh ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/7 "2010-08-02T00:28:25Z")
How about this one then: Where did Hitler keep his armies? In his sleevies. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/8 "2010-08-02T00:30:53Z")
Hitler’s favorite joke: Man 1: MY DOG HAS NO NOSE! Man 2: HOW DOES HE SMELL? Man 1: TERRIBLE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/9 "2010-08-02T02:49:25Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > If they named a brandy after Napoleon and a herring after Bismarck, what’s Hitler going to be? > A piece of cheese. > > I don’t get it. Don’t overanalyze. What they’re basically saying is that if they named anything after Hitler, it would be something unimpressive. Cheese is no big deal (and is it ever “named after anybody”?), and in most cases, it stinks, more than anything else (think Limburger, Gorgonzola, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/10 "2010-08-02T03:02:41Z")
As opposed to the sweet smell of herring? I agree, the joke doesn’t make any sense. Cheese seems as fancy as herring, and only a little less so then brandy. And while rats eat cheese, do animals associated with Napoleon drink brandy? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/11 "2010-08-02T03:03:35Z")
Yeah, that joke is lame. Sorry for fans of the film (I haven’t seen it, FWIW). ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/12 "2010-08-02T13:07:33Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I was watching _To Be Or Not To Be_ yesterday and they had a joke about Hitler. > > If they named a brandy after Napoleon and a herring after Bismarck, what’s Hitler going to be? > A piece of cheese. > > I don’t get it. Is it supposed to be saying Hitler’s a rat? Or that he’s cheesy? > > From the context in the movie, it’s clear that the joke is insulting to Hitler. **Minor hijack:** Holy Shee…I finally got the Blazing Saddles line “Is Bismarck a hewwing?” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/13 "2010-08-02T13:25:21Z")
How does Hitler tie his shoesies? In little Nazis. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/14 "2010-08-02T15:44:32Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > A rat. > > If that’s all there is to the joke, it’s a really weak payoff. Well, it takes place in Nazi-occupied Poland. I’d imagine someone making a joke about Hitler would end up with a knock on the door in the middle of the night. The joke itself might be lame, but even a veiled insult of Hitler would have been the highest order of political defiance. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/15 "2010-08-02T15:56:25Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > > If that’s all there is to the joke, it’s a really weak payoff. > > Well, it takes place in Nazi-occupied Poland. I’d imagine someone making a joke about Hitler would end up with a knock on the door in the middle of the night. The joke itself might be lame, but even a veiled insult of Hitler would have been the highest order of political defiance. Wouldn’t, like, trying to kill Hitler be the highest order of political defiance? But anyhoo, if I’m going to get gassed to death for a joke, I’d try and make sure it was at least a funny one. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/16 "2010-08-02T16:04:08Z")
What’s in Hitler’s nose? Snatzis! ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/17 "2010-08-02T17:58:40Z")
Is the joke a reference to wartime rationing and privation? People were eating cheese where before they had been eating meat. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/18 "2010-08-02T18:13:26Z")
Or, they’re saying Nappy was a drunk, Bizzy was fat, and Hitzy is a rat fink? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/19 "2010-08-02T18:19:52Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Or, they’re saying Nappy was a drunk, Bizzy was fat, and Hitzy is a rat fink? Bismark got a little plump in his old age, but he wasn’t really remarkably fat even then, and I don’t know of any story or tradition of Napoleon being a drunk, he was famous for his crazy work-ethic and conquering Europe, which doesn’t really seem like something you could do why sloshed. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823/20 "2010-08-02T18:23:02Z")
My favorite Hitler joke: Why didn’t Hitler drink whiskey? It made him _mean_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-joke-about-hitler/548823.md?page=2)