# Jokes that require a lot of specific knowledge, and probably won't be funny to very many people **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423 "2011-09-15T18:49:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/101 "2011-09-21T17:48:12Z")
On io9 today, apparently the Angry Bird Nebula is surrounded by boks… ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/102 "2011-09-21T18:51:07Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > If Schroedinger is the passenger, the cop then opens the trunk and says “Do you know there is a dead cat in here?” and Schroedinger answers “I do _now_”. Nitpick: The proper, funnier punchline is “ **There is** now.” > [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > Overheard in the hotel cocktail lounge during a mathematician’s convention (forgive me if the formatting doesn’t work for you): > > 13 > ∫2xdx? > 10 But it’s 69 _+ C_. I don’t get it. It’d be funny if it was “69 + u”, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/103 "2011-09-21T19:02:23Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > it’s 69 _+ C_. Nope. 13 ∫2xdx is a definite integral and equals exactly 69. 10 The indefinite integral, ∫2xdx, however, is x[sup]2[/sup] + C ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/104 "2011-09-21T19:18:40Z")
What did Bobby Fischer have in common with Chuck Knoblauch? [spoiler]E4 all the time. Exegesis: “e4” in chess notation means “Pawn to King’s fourth” which was Fischer’s long-time exclusive choice of how to open the game. E4 in baseball scorer’s notation means “error by the second baseman”. While with the NY Yankees, Knoblauch, though a veteran, suddenly and completely forgot how to throw the ball to first base from second.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/105 "2011-09-21T23:06:15Z")
Not exactly much specialized knowledge needed, but… An Afrikaner is feeling pretty poorly and goes to see his doctor. The doctor does a battery of test and says to come back in a week. Guy goes back and says “Well, doc, what did you find?” The doctor says “I’ve got some bad news and some good news. Which do you want first?” The Afrikaner says “Give me the GOOD news first.” The doctor says—“You’re gonna die!” The Afrikaner says, “If that’s the good news, what can the bad news be?” The doctor says-----“You’re gonna die of sickle cell anemia.” ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/106 "2011-09-22T02:03:58Z")
“Spherical bastards!” Why? [spoiler] “Because they were bastards, when looked at from any side” - Fritz Zwicky [/spoiler] ---
**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:** [September 22, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/107 "2011-09-22T02:47:05Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > This lawn supervisor was out on a sprinkler maintenance job and he started working on a Findlay sprinkler head with a Langstrom 7″ gangly wrench. Just then, this little apprentice leaned over and said, “You can’t work on a Findlay sprinkler head with a Langstrom 7″ wrench.” Well this infuriated the supervisor, so he went and got Volume 14 of the Kinsley manual, and he reads to him and says, “The Langstrom 7″ wrench can be used with the Findlay sprocket.” Just then, the little apprentice leaned over and said, “It says sprocket not socket!” Were these plumbers supposed to be here this show? ETA: beaten to it by **JMLVT** ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/108 "2011-09-22T03:28:09Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > Overheard in the hotel cocktail lounge during a mathematician’s convention (forgive me if the formatting doesn’t work for you): So people were drinking and deriving? ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/109 "2011-09-22T14:59:34Z")
I’d rather say they were doing the opposite ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/110 "2011-09-22T15:17:58Z")
> [@Norse](#): > > I’d rather say they were doing the opposite Heh. It works on two levels. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/111 "2011-09-22T15:57:14Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Nitpick: The proper, funnier punchline is “ **There is** now.” You step in to nitpick me and… > [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > But it’s 69 _+ C_. I don’t get it. It’d be funny if it was “69 + u”, I guess. fail calculus forever. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/112 "2011-09-23T11:28:58Z")
> [@AppallingGael](#): > > What did Bobby Fischer have in common with Chuck Knoblauch? Applying my rather rudimentary German language skillz, I’d suggest that they could form the basis for a nice dinner Fischer = fisherman Knoblauch = garlic ---
**Author:** ![Orionizer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orionizer/32/4442_2.png) [@Orionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orionizer)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/113 "2011-09-23T15:30:17Z")
I find this one extremely funny, but none of my friends seem to think so: [http://ffffunny.com/images/9038-priorities-always-know-what-s-important-](http://ffffunny.com/images/9038-priorities-always-know-what-s-important-) Doesn’t really require any special knowledge, but it’s not very funny to non-programmers, I guess… ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/114 "2011-09-23T16:28:07Z")
> [@Orionizer](#): > > I find this one extremely funny, but none of my friends seem to think so: > > [http://ffffunny.com/images/9038-priorities-always-know-what-s-important-](http://ffffunny.com/images/9038-priorities-always-know-what-s-important-) > > Doesn’t really require any special knowledge, but it’s not very funny to non-programmers, I guess… I think it’s kind of funny. I am a programmer but I don’t know what that has to do with it. On Edit: Never Mind. I just saw the “can you code” response at the bottom. That explains the programming connection. ---
**Author:** ![Orionizer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orionizer/32/4442_2.png) [@Orionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orionizer)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/115 "2011-09-23T17:14:25Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > On Edit: Never Mind. I just saw the “can you code” response at the bottom. That explains the programming connection. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2011, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/116 "2011-09-24T07:52:38Z")
Yeah, that’s kind of like the story about the computer programmer who is out for a walk by the river and a voice in the reeds croaks “Help!”. He looks round and sees a big green frog, and as he’s looking it croaks “Help!” again. Seeing him notice it, the frog carries on “Please help! I was turned into a frog by a wicked witch, and I need you to kiss me so I can turn back into a princess!” So the programmer picks up the frog and puts it in his pocket and carries on with his walk. The frog says “Please kiss me right now! If you do, I will stay overnight with you.” But the programmer just takes the frog out of his pocket, smiles at it, and puts it away again, though not before the frog says “Please! I’ll stay with you for the whole weekend!”. When the programmer gets home, he finds an old fish tank, decorates it with some artificial pond weed and a toy or two, and puts the frog in it. The frog screams “Let me out! Let me out and kiss me so I can turn back into a princess, and I swear by my father’s crown that I will stay with you for two whole weeks and do _anything you want_!!”. But the programmer just says, “Look, I’m a computer programmer. I wouldn’t know what to do with a girlfriend. But a talking frog is way cool!” ---
**Author:** ![WmJames](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WmJames](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WmJames)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/117 "2011-09-25T02:47:50Z")
What do you get when you cross Don Corleone with Jacques Derrida? An offer you can’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/118 "2011-09-25T14:04:24Z")
Any guy can write his name in the snow in cursive. Dr. Kegel can do it in Morse Code. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2011, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/119 "2011-10-20T10:10:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The most esoteric joke I ever made was one time when I happened to be standing among four co-workers who were all quite tall. I said I felt like I was in a Yasujiro Ozu movie. > > And, no, nobody got it. > > Ozu was known for shooting scenes from a very low camera angle so that the audience was often “looking up” at the characters. And see, now you’ll get today’s [Multiplex strip](http://www.multiplexcomic.com/images/strips/multiplex-635.png). ---
**Author:** ![WmJames](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WmJames](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WmJames)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423/120 "2011-12-06T03:17:24Z")
I heard David Mamet tell this one at a talk he gave: Two sirenians come to a rabbi, and tell him they want to create a new prayer service. The rabbi says, Dugongs don’t make a rite. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-require-a-lot-of-specific-knowledge-and-probably-wont-be-funny-to-very-many-people/596423.md?page=7)