# what does this phrase mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992 "2001-05-01T20:55:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![loislane138](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@loislane138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loislane138)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/1 "2001-05-01T20:55:13Z")
What does “Does a bear shit in the woods?” mean. I always assumed it was a rhetoric question meaning “Surely!” or “Of course!” Am I right or wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/2 "2001-05-01T21:02:49Z")
That’s what I always thought. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/3 "2001-05-01T21:40:30Z")
Does Mr.T pity the fool? Does Kojak love ya, baby? Its just rhetoric. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/4 "2001-05-01T21:45:00Z")
Are you right? Is the Pope catholic? Does a one legged man limp? Yeah, it is a rhetorical question, meaning “of course”, “no, shit Sherlock”, “you have stated the obvious” etc… ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/5 "2001-05-01T21:48:24Z")
My personal favorites have always been combinations of these phrases: “Does the Pope shit in the woods?” “Is a bear Catholic?” ---
**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:** [May 1, 2001, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/6 "2001-05-01T21:51:14Z")
I prefer: “Is the Pope Jewish?” Confuses the hell out of people. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/7 "2001-05-01T22:47:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sauron \* > \*\*My personal favorites have always been combinations of these phrases: > > “Does the Pope shit in the woods?” > “Is a bear Catholic?” \*\* 😃 Sauron, I’ve been transposing those for **years**. Too funny… jayjay ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/8 "2001-05-01T23:35:28Z")
Is a frog’s ass water tight? ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/9 "2001-05-02T06:37:02Z")
Is this thread still open? ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/10 "2001-05-02T07:03:38Z")
:rolleyes: Sorry, Don Rickles can keep his job… ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/11 "2001-05-02T15:06:32Z")
Do one-legged ducks swim in circles? Are the Kennedy’s gun-shy? Does wearing nun’s clothing become habit-forming? ---
**Author:** ![Wartime\_Consigliori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@Wartime\_Consigliori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wartime_Consigliori)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-phrase-mean/63992/12 "2001-05-02T15:24:19Z")
Did Rose Kennedy own a black dress?