# What are elephant boats?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-elephant-boats/775291>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 21, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-elephant-boats/775291 "2016-12-21T14:20:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TheZenPaperboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@TheZenPaperboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheZenPaperboy)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-elephant-boats/775291/1 "2016-12-21T14:20:05Z")

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This is pertaining to the song Santa Claus is coming to town. Thank you.

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**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-elephant-boats/775291/2 "2016-12-21T14:25:56Z")

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[The line is actually “elephants, boats, and kiddy cars too”](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bing+crosby/santa+claus+is+coming+to+town_20528307.html) but singers tend to run the first two words together.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-elephant-boats/775291/3 "2016-12-21T14:26:34Z")

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nm

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-elephant-boats/775291/4 "2016-12-21T14:28:40Z")

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Apparently, an “elephant boat” is an obscure type of mondegreen.

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**Author:** ![TheZenPaperboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@TheZenPaperboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheZenPaperboy)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-elephant-boats/775291/5 "2016-12-21T14:32:47Z")

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Thanks. They never seem to pause between the words.

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**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-elephant-boats/775291/6 "2016-12-22T20:53:32Z")

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So, Santa isn’t bringing me my very own inboard [elephant boat?](http://s1.b3ta.com/host/creative/32676/1305473705/ElephantPowerBoat.gif)