# Why did the salmon cross the road? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 7, 2006, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396 "2006-11-07T05:24:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/1 "2006-11-07T05:24:34Z")
Just saw a story on tonight’s news about flooding in Washington state. It included video of salmon swimming in the shallow water across the highway. So I proposed the above question (the thread title) to my wife, who couldn’t come up with a punchline. I’m leaving it to you to complete the (not so) obvious joke here. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/2 "2006-11-07T05:33:34Z")
This happens every time there’s heavy rain and the Skokomish River floods its banks. Here’s a picture of some [chum salmon](http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/chum/chum-2c.htm) probably trying to get across Highway 101. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/3 "2006-11-07T05:38:32Z")
He was following the flounder! ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/4 "2006-11-07T05:55:38Z")
I neglected to provide a punch line. Here goes… To get to the fin-ish line. I like BoBettie’s much better. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/5 "2006-11-07T06:47:10Z")
Because the chicken was going the other way? ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/6 "2006-11-07T06:52:42Z")
Because he’s the chicken of the sea? No, that’s tuna. I got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/7 "2006-11-07T07:05:22Z")
To visit skid roe? ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/8 "2006-11-07T07:47:21Z")
[QUOTE=Spoons] To visit skid roe? [/QUOTE] Dingdingding! We have a winner! Alternately: Because that’s where the cavi are. Get it? Cavi are. Caviar. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/9 "2006-11-07T08:11:12Z")
You’re all overthinking this. The salmon crossed the road just for the halibut. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/10 "2006-11-07T08:20:07Z")
To get to the cream cheese? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/11 "2006-11-07T09:20:39Z")
They’re on their way to visit the tree octopi. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/12 "2006-11-07T13:05:36Z")
Because it fell in love with an eel. What can you do? That’s a moray. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/13 "2006-11-07T13:08:47Z")
Or because the fish was under a nighttime singing spell. You’ve heard of it. Salmon Chanting Evening ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/14 "2006-11-07T13:32:23Z")
I think he was trying to get to a wet trout to hit **SkipMagic** upside the head with. [sub]I HATE people who are good at puns[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/15 "2006-11-07T13:37:28Z")
To escape a fatwah. (Salmon Rushdie, that is.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/16 "2006-11-07T13:41:13Z")
If I had two pet salmon I’d name one ‘Ella’ and the other one ‘Rushdie’. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/17 "2006-11-07T14:12:34Z")
To get to the other tide. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/18 "2006-11-07T14:14:16Z")
D’oh! I didn’t see **jjimm** ’s post before mine. (I didn’t preview.) ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/19 "2006-11-07T15:38:32Z")
Oooo! Nice, everyone! Salmon Chanting Evening…damn, that’s good… ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396/20 "2006-11-07T15:52:31Z")
Someone caught his eye. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-salmon-cross-the-road/379396.md?page=2)