This article needs additional citations for
verification. (November 2019) |
A Monsieur et Madame joke is originally a French type of joke, which takes the form of a riddle. It involves providing the surname of a husband and wife and asking for their child's given name, with the answer forming a pun. For example, Monsier and Madame Mauve are said to have a son called Guy, where his name is a homophone for guimauve ("marshmallow").
The inventor of this type of joke has never been clearly determined. Several historic examples have been recorded.
Wordplay that links an actual surname (or a title) to an imaginary family name has been around since the 18th century:
They found:
Mr. and Mrs. Gre have a daughter, what's her name?
- Nadine! (Gre, Nadine → grenadine)
The song Le Papa du papa (1966) by Boby Lapointe [7] is based partially on this idea, mixing births, marriages, genealogy, first names and extended surnames in a complicated manner, in order to end up in the last line with a son with the contrived name of:
Example of a dialogue :
Monsieur et Madame Naiempalépourmoinsqueça ont un fils...
- Jean?
In the 1972 play Le noir te va si bien, Maria Pacôme and Jean le Poulain play a « surname game » (with « Mr. and Mrs. have... »), with the loser having to throw him or herself off a cliff. Following the example (the daughter of Micoton (Mylène)), they successively came up with: the son of Danleta (Alphonse), the son of Teuzemani (Gédéon), the daughter of Enfaillite (Mélusine) and the son of Dalor (Homère). [8]
This type of word play was also used by Bart and Lisa in their telephone gags, in the series The Simpsons.
"Mr & Mrs jokes" have been commonly featured in the "late arrivals" round of the radio panel show " I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue", broadcast on BBC Radio 4 since 1972, where the contestants announce the arrival of fictional guests. [9] For example, "And will you welcome Mr and Mrs O'Reef, and their wonderful son Great Barry O'Reef!" [10]
The joke has been employed by some speech therapists as an activity while interacting with adolescents. It may be done in the usual form, or in reverse: the therapist gives the first name, and the adolescent needs to find the surname. [11]
{{
cite AV media}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (
link)
This article needs additional citations for
verification. (November 2019) |
A Monsieur et Madame joke is originally a French type of joke, which takes the form of a riddle. It involves providing the surname of a husband and wife and asking for their child's given name, with the answer forming a pun. For example, Monsier and Madame Mauve are said to have a son called Guy, where his name is a homophone for guimauve ("marshmallow").
The inventor of this type of joke has never been clearly determined. Several historic examples have been recorded.
Wordplay that links an actual surname (or a title) to an imaginary family name has been around since the 18th century:
They found:
Mr. and Mrs. Gre have a daughter, what's her name?
- Nadine! (Gre, Nadine → grenadine)
The song Le Papa du papa (1966) by Boby Lapointe [7] is based partially on this idea, mixing births, marriages, genealogy, first names and extended surnames in a complicated manner, in order to end up in the last line with a son with the contrived name of:
Example of a dialogue :
Monsieur et Madame Naiempalépourmoinsqueça ont un fils...
- Jean?
In the 1972 play Le noir te va si bien, Maria Pacôme and Jean le Poulain play a « surname game » (with « Mr. and Mrs. have... »), with the loser having to throw him or herself off a cliff. Following the example (the daughter of Micoton (Mylène)), they successively came up with: the son of Danleta (Alphonse), the son of Teuzemani (Gédéon), the daughter of Enfaillite (Mélusine) and the son of Dalor (Homère). [8]
This type of word play was also used by Bart and Lisa in their telephone gags, in the series The Simpsons.
"Mr & Mrs jokes" have been commonly featured in the "late arrivals" round of the radio panel show " I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue", broadcast on BBC Radio 4 since 1972, where the contestants announce the arrival of fictional guests. [9] For example, "And will you welcome Mr and Mrs O'Reef, and their wonderful son Great Barry O'Reef!" [10]
The joke has been employed by some speech therapists as an activity while interacting with adolescents. It may be done in the usual form, or in reverse: the therapist gives the first name, and the adolescent needs to find the surname. [11]
{{
cite AV media}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (
link)