# Stand-up comedy cliche **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 3, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746 "2014-08-03T23:32:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/1 "2014-08-03T23:32:59Z")
Did a stand-up comic, most likely at a dinner club, ever tell his audience, “I’ll be here all week, try the veal, and don’t forget to tip your waitress.” ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/2 "2014-08-04T00:12:12Z")
Googled it, SDMB threads were the 3rd result. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/3 "2014-08-04T00:19:35Z")
What a weird OP. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/4 "2014-08-04T00:24:39Z")
“Take my wife… please.” Badum-tssh. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/5 "2014-08-04T00:26:48Z")
Didn’t Andy Kauffman do a lot of these really cheesy cliches? The tropes were old in the 70s, at least. I’m betting old Vaudeville acts were the original source. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/6 "2014-08-04T00:27:58Z")
Ambi: Why is it weird? Besides being Googleable? ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/7 "2014-08-04T00:28:32Z")
I go to a fair amount of local comedy these days, and the “tip your wait staff” thing is alive and well. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/8 "2014-08-04T00:29:12Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > What a weird OP. Isn’t it interesting how OP can refer to the post _or_ the poster? ---
**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 4, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/9 "2014-08-04T00:36:00Z")
I have been to comedy clubs where standups have said some variation of “Thank you, I’ll be here all week, and please remember to tip your server.” Don’t remember anyone pushing a particular entree, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/10 "2014-08-04T00:44:00Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Ambi: Why is it weird? Besides being Googleable? You’re asking if _any_ stand-up comedian _ever_ said that well-worn stand-up cliche? The answer is yes. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/11 "2014-08-04T00:45:04Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > Isn’t it interesting how OP can refer to the post _or_ the poster? Convenient also. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/12 "2014-08-04T00:48:24Z")
Tip your waitresses was a pretty common sign off for comedians in clubs. I remember a few of the 80s Comedy TV shows would show it (especially Rascals Comedy Hour for those who also lived in NJ). “Try the veal” I’ve only seen online when someone is trying to mimic the sentiment ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/13 "2014-08-04T01:23:39Z")
Blob: We’ve never interacted before, so how do you have a clue what I’m like! If you think I’m odd, put me on ignore! To those who actually attempted to contribute to the thread, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/14 "2014-08-04T01:31:31Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Googled it, SDMB threads were the 3rd result. That’s because Google knows you and where you go on the innertubes. It gives us folk of the SDMB an inflated belief of our importance. :o ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/15 "2014-08-04T02:05:14Z")
Standup here. Yes, we will sometimes suggest you tip your servers, especially when acting as the MC. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/16 "2014-08-04T02:49:38Z")
I was (briefly) a stand-up in the 1980’s, I’ve said it, in mocking way. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/17 "2014-08-04T02:59:47Z")
Be sure to tip the veal and try your waitress! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/18 "2014-08-04T06:52:31Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > You’re asking if _any_ stand-up comedian _ever_ said that well-worn stand-up cliche? The answer is yes. I’m pretty sure he’s trying to figure out where the cliche came from, and if it was ever actually something someone said **before it became a cliche** , or was it like “Beam me up, Scotty,” or “Elementary, my dear Watson,” being some sort of amalgam of normal sayings. I, unfortunately, have no clue. I opened the thread hoping to find the history of the phrase, too. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/19 "2014-08-04T07:16:20Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’m pretty sure he’s trying to figure out where the cliche came from, and if it was ever actually something someone said **before it became a cliche** , or was it like “Beam me up, Scotty,” or “Elementary, my dear Watson,” being some sort of amalgam of normal sayings. > > I, unfortunately, have no clue. I opened the thread hoping to find the history of the phrase, too. Nm ---
**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 4, 2014, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746/20 "2014-08-04T10:56:29Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Didn’t Andy Kauffman do a lot of these really cheesy cliches? The tropes were old in the 70s, at least. I’m betting old Vaudeville acts were the original source. I don’t see vaudevillians uttering the line. I’m leaning toward the old Catskills performers in the [Borscht Belt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borscht_Belt) as the original, non-ironic utterers. mmm [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comedy-cliche/694746.md?page=2)