chicken crossing a road

Question

A duck is standing by the roadside waiting to cross when a chicken rushes up to him and says "Stop, don't do it! You'll never hear the last of it!"

Un pato está de pie junto a la carretera esperando a cruzar cuando un pollo se acerca a él y dice: "¡Alto, no lo hagas! ¡Vas a oirir sobre para toda tu vida.!"

This was posted on the café yesterday.

I don't get the joke, can you explain?

Answer 1

It's based on the popular "chicken crossing the road" jokes Heidi. There are hundreds of variations of them in English. So, what the chicken is saying to the duck here is "Don't cross the road, because after I did it everyone went on and on about it (all the jokes)."

This is the original joke:

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.

And the variations (many of which concern other animals now I think about it):

Why did the duck cross the road? To prove she wasn't a chicken.

Why did the rabbit cross the road? He was tied to the chicken.

Etc.

And yes, if you're not laughing it's because they aren't particularly funny, just common

Gracias amigo :)) - ian-hill, Aug 23, 2017

:) yep, not particularly funny, just common - alba3, Aug 23, 2017

Answer 2

This topic is similar and was discussed before on this thread. Just for fun: Why did the chicken cross the road?

Very appropriate link! - Mardle, Aug 23, 2017

That's a new spin on an old joke Nkm. I love Reagan, Hemingway, and Homer, and also, if you scroll down, OJ. - jellonz, Aug 23, 2017

The replies are somewhat entertaining. - NKM1974, Aug 23, 2017

Answer 3

I will just let it go.

Un intento más:

El chiste de "Why did the chicken cross the road" es probablemente el chiste más trillado del idioma inglés. Tanto así que como otros han apuntado, hay millones de chistes sobre ese chiste, o que hacen referencia al chiste.

Lo peor de todo es que ni siquiera es cómico. Es un postulado absurdo, y se basa en que hay una respuesta obvia (para cruzar al otro lado), y cualquier cantidad de respuestas insensatas.

Dicho esto, entonces, esto del pato es una enésima variación, en la cual la gracia es algo así como viajar en el tiempo: el pato sabe las terribles consecuencias que tendrá el pobre pollo si cruza el camino: será para siempre blanco de chistes malos, así que trata de advertirle, que no lo haga, o "no le dejarán olvidarlo nunca"; jamás podrá lidiar con las consecuencias.

Desafortunadamente, la expresión en inglés: "you'll never hear the last/the end of it" es sumamente clara e intuitiva, pero por ser idiomática, es bastante difícil de traducir.

Very good explanation. - rac1, Aug 23, 2017

Answer 4

There's a very old joke that goes "Why did the chicken cross the road?"...."To get to the other side" It's such a well-known joke there's even a Wikipedia entry for it. I just learned that this joke has been told and retold and changed since 1847. That's a long time for a joke!

Anyway, in the joke you're asking about, the chicken crossed the road and people have been asking why ever since so he's warning the duck not to do it.

Yep - rac1, Aug 23, 2017

Answer 5

Así que es como un anti-chiste. Es como decir :

¿Cómo se dice "pan" en Ecuador?
Pan.

Y... algo así. Pero esto es como EL antichiste de la lengua inglesa. - Gekkosan, Aug 24, 2017

Answer 6

Heidi:

Ian's version in English was understandable by me and I knew what he meant to say in Spanish. Here is the long, drawn out version in English, which I'm sure you will understand.

Mr. Duck, don't cross the road. If you cross the road, people will never stop asking you "Mr. Duck, why did you cross the road." They will ask you this over and over again for as long as you live. People have been asking "Why did the chicken cross the road for more than 150 years." Do you want them to be asking "Why did the duck cross the road all you **** life?"

Here's my crack at a shorter Spanish version:

"¡Alto, no lo hagas! La gente va a preguntarte "por qué has cruzado la calle" por toda la vida.

I intentionally used the present perfect "has cruzado" to give the feeling that even though it happened a long time ago, that it is something that is really troubling "la gente ahora" por lo tanto "has cruzado" en vez de "cruzó"

jejee, I hate jokes...I never get them ...and the last sentence is so wrong I didn't get it. - 006595c6, Aug 23, 2017

This joke has been described as a non-joke. That is what made in funny in the beginning, now one has to be creative with it to be funny. - DilKen, Aug 23, 2017

Answer 7

Well, but what does the last bit mean? The Spanish part Ian added makes no sense.

You'll never hear the last of it means that you'll never hear the end of it. People will be talking about it for the rest of your life.

Answer 8

My face:

I will just let it go..

Sorry Heidi, we tried :( - jellonz, Aug 23, 2017

jejeje, I know...it's not you, it's me ....whohoooo, I made a joke, right? lol - 006595c6, Aug 23, 2017

Answer 9

Perhaps we have all missed the point of Heidi's post, and it is the Spanish she is querying rather than the joke itself? If so, perhaps this:

¡Nunca vas a oír el fin de ello!

Or something like:

¡Nunca oirás el final de eso!

I don't know, naturally, but maybe?

Answer 10

Well, but what does the last bit mean? The Spanish part Ian added makes no sense.

Stop, don't do it! You'll never hear the last of it!"

It means people will talk about it forever in English. I read the Spanish as "You are going to hear about it for all your life" but doesn't it work? - jellonz, Aug 23, 2017