From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

A 'rib-tickler' is a funny joke or a one-liner. But why 'rib'? I
presume because if you want to make your kids laugh you tickle their
ribs? As a kid, my funny bone used to be my feet. But presumably
'toe-tickler' conjures up a less funny image?

Is this a cultural thing? Do Japanese or Spanish grandparents tickle
their children's ribs?
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From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

On 21/06/26 16:18, occam wrote:

A 'rib-tickler' is a funny joke or a one-liner. But why 'rib'? I
presume because if you want to make your kids laugh you tickle their
ribs? As a kid, my funny bone used to be my feet. But presumably 'toe-tickler' conjures up a less funny image?

Is this a cultural thing? Do Japanese or Spanish grandparents
tickle their children's ribs?

I don't know, but here is a related question. Is it only in English that
the humerus is called the funny bone?
--
Peter Moylan peter@pmoylan.org http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW
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From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

Den 21.06.2026 kl. 09.56 skrev Peter Moylan:

Is this a cultural thing?-a Do Japanese or Spanish grandparents
tickle their children's ribs?

I don't know, but here is a related question. Is it only in English that
the humerus is called the funny bone?

Both "funny" and "bone" are English words, so the probability is near 1.

Seriously:
I haven't heard or seen anything in Danish related to "funny". We call
it "over-arms-knogle" (knogle = bone).
--
Bertel, Kolt, Danmark

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From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

Le 21/06/2026 |a 08:56, Peter Moylan a |-crit :

On 21/06/26 16:18, occam wrote:

A 'rib-tickler' is a funny joke or a one-liner. But why 'rib'?-a I
presume because if you want to make your kids laugh you tickle their
ribs?-a As a kid, my funny bone used to be my feet. But presumably
'toe-tickler' conjures up a less funny image?

Is this a cultural thing?-a Do Japanese or Spanish grandparents
tickle their children's ribs?

I don't know, but here is a related question. Is it only in English that
the humerus is called the funny bone?

Other languages may play on humerus-humorous, I don't know.

Funnily enough, the funny bone is 'le petit juif', the little Jew, in
French.

-2 Pourquoi utilise-t-on le terme de 'petit juif' quand on se cogne le
coude ? [...] "On dit que lrCOexpression remonterait au Moyen |ege : |a
cette |-poque, les juifs |-taient discrimin|-s et pers|-cut|-s dans toute l'Europe ; la plupart des m|-tiers leur |-taient interdits - sauf le pr|-t
|a int|-r|-t et le commerce. Par la force des choses, de nombreux juifs
sont devenus marchands de tissus. Or, |a lrCO|-poque, pour mesurer le tissu, on lrCOenroulait autour de lrCOavant-bras. Les vendeurs faisaient alors drCOamples mouvements et ils se cognaient rCo para|<t-il rCo souvent le coude sur le comptoir. [rCa] Les Fran|oais ont fini par associer le 'petit juif'
|a cette douleur vive que lrCOon ressent dans le bras en cas de choc" -+ - <https://www.geneve.ch/themes/culture/bibliotheques/interroge/reponses/utilise-t-le-terme-de-petit-juif-se-cogne-le-coude>

The expression is said to go back to the Middle Ages. Discrimination
against the Jews meant that few trades were open to them. One was
drapery and, when measuring cloth, with a degree of vim I suppose, one
was liable to bang one's elbow on the counter.

It all sounds a bit unlikely, though ARTE is generally serious and reliable.

This page gives equivalents in some other languages:

<https://www.expressio.fr/expressions/frapper-se-cogner-le-petit-juif>

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From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

Le 21/06/2026 |a 10:12, Hibou a |-crit :

This page gives equivalents in some other languages:

<https://www.expressio.fr/expressions/frapper-se-cogner-le-petit-juif>

Now I look at that page more closely, I rather like its, er, humorous explanation. It's too long to translate, mais si un peu de fran|oais ne
vous fait pas peur, it's worth a look.

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From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

On 21/06/2026 11:12, Hibou wrote:

Le 21/06/2026 |a 08:56, Peter Moylan a |-crit :

On 21/06/26 16:18, occam wrote:

A 'rib-tickler' is a funny joke or a one-liner. But why 'rib'?-a I
presume because if you want to make your kids laugh you tickle their
ribs?-a As a kid, my funny bone used to be my feet. But presumably
'toe-tickler' conjures up a less funny image?

Is this a cultural thing?-a Do Japanese or Spanish grandparents
tickle their children's ribs?

I don't know, but here is a related question. Is it only in English that
the humerus is called the funny bone?

Other languages may play on humerus-humorous, I don't know.

Funnily enough, the funny bone is 'le petit juif', the little Jew, in
French.

-2 Pourquoi utilise-t-on le terme de 'petit juif' quand on se cogne le
coude ? [...] "On dit que lrCOexpression remonterait au Moyen |ege : |a
cette |-poque, les juifs |-taient discrimin|-s et pers|-cut|-s dans toute l'Europe ; la plupart des m|-tiers leur |-taient interdits - sauf le pr|-t
|a int|-r|-t et le commerce. Par la force des choses, de nombreux juifs
sont devenus marchands de tissus. Or, |a lrCO|-poque, pour mesurer le tissu, on lrCOenroulait autour de lrCOavant-bras. Les vendeurs faisaient alors drCOamples mouvements et ils se cognaient rCo para|<t-il rCo souvent le coude sur le comptoir. [rCa] Les Fran|oais ont fini par associer le 'petit juif'
|a cette douleur vive que lrCOon ressent dans le bras en cas de choc" -+ - <https://www.geneve.ch/themes/culture/bibliotheques/interroge/reponses/ utilise-t-le-terme-de-petit-juif-se-cogne-le-coude>

The expression is said to go back to the Middle Ages. Discrimination
against the Jews meant that few trades were open to them. One was
drapery and, when measuring cloth, with a degree of vim I suppose, one
was liable to bang one's elbow on the counter.

It all sounds a bit unlikely, though ARTE is generally serious and
reliable.

This page gives equivalents in some other languages:

<https://www.expressio.fr/expressions/frapper-se-cogner-le-petit-juif>

I see the humerus link, but there is nothing humorous about the French
term. Have I misunderstood?

I have seen textile merchants in Arab souks measure cloth by the length
of their arm i.e. from shoulder to fingertip. They do this in an
exaggerated manner in a show of honesty. (The more honest ones use a
yardstick, by sliding the cloth over the stick.)
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Op 21/06/2026 om 12:56 schreef occam:

On 21/06/2026 11:12, Hibou wrote:

Le 21/06/2026 |a 08:56, Peter Moylan a |-crit :

On 21/06/26 16:18, occam wrote:

A 'rib-tickler' is a funny joke or a one-liner. But why 'rib'?-a I
presume because if you want to make your kids laugh you tickle their
ribs?-a As a kid, my funny bone used to be my feet. But presumably
'toe-tickler' conjures up a less funny image?

Is this a cultural thing?-a Do Japanese or Spanish grandparents
tickle their children's ribs?

I don't know, but here is a related question. Is it only in English that >>> the humerus is called the funny bone?

Other languages may play on humerus-humorous, I don't know.

Funnily enough, the funny bone is 'le petit juif', the little Jew, in
French.

-2 Pourquoi utilise-t-on le terme de 'petit juif' quand on se cogne le
coude ? [...] "On dit que lrCOexpression remonterait au Moyen |ege : |a
cette |-poque, les juifs |-taient discrimin|-s et pers|-cut|-s dans toute
l'Europe ; la plupart des m|-tiers leur |-taient interdits - sauf le pr|-t >> |a int|-r|-t et le commerce. Par la force des choses, de nombreux juifs
sont devenus marchands de tissus. Or, |a lrCO|-poque, pour mesurer le tissu, >> on lrCOenroulait autour de lrCOavant-bras. Les vendeurs faisaient alors
drCOamples mouvements et ils se cognaient rCo para|<t-il rCo souvent le coude
sur le comptoir. [rCa] Les Fran|oais ont fini par associer le 'petit juif' >> |a cette douleur vive que lrCOon ressent dans le bras en cas de choc" -+ - >> <https://www.geneve.ch/themes/culture/bibliotheques/interroge/reponses/
utilise-t-le-terme-de-petit-juif-se-cogne-le-coude>

The expression is said to go back to the Middle Ages. Discrimination
against the Jews meant that few trades were open to them. One was
drapery and, when measuring cloth, with a degree of vim I suppose, one
was liable to bang one's elbow on the counter.

It all sounds a bit unlikely, though ARTE is generally serious and
reliable.

This page gives equivalents in some other languages:

<https://www.expressio.fr/expressions/frapper-se-cogner-le-petit-juif>

I see the humerus link, but there is nothing humorous about the French
term. Have I misunderstood?

I have seen textile merchants in Arab souks measure cloth by the length
of their arm i.e. from shoulder to fingertip. They do this in an
exaggerated manner in a show of honesty. (The more honest ones use a yardstick, by sliding the cloth over the stick.)

The ell (arm['s length]) has been a measuring unit, and the elbow is the
arm's fold.
--
guido wugi
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From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

On 21/06/2026 11:56, occam wrote:

On 21/06/2026 11:12, Hibou wrote:

Le 21/06/2026 |a 08:56, Peter Moylan a |-crit :

On 21/06/26 16:18, occam wrote:

A 'rib-tickler' is a funny joke or a one-liner. But why 'rib'?-a I
presume because if you want to make your kids laugh you tickle their
ribs?-a As a kid, my funny bone used to be my feet. But presumably
'toe-tickler' conjures up a less funny image?

Is this a cultural thing?-a Do Japanese or Spanish grandparents
tickle their children's ribs?

I don't know, but here is a related question. Is it only in English that >>> the humerus is called the funny bone?

Other languages may play on humerus-humorous, I don't know.

Funnily enough, the funny bone is 'le petit juif', the little Jew, in
French.

-2 Pourquoi utilise-t-on le terme de 'petit juif' quand on se cogne le
coude ? [...] "On dit que lrCOexpression remonterait au Moyen |ege : |a
cette |-poque, les juifs |-taient discrimin|-s et pers|-cut|-s dans toute
l'Europe ; la plupart des m|-tiers leur |-taient interdits - sauf le pr|-t >> |a int|-r|-t et le commerce. Par la force des choses, de nombreux juifs
sont devenus marchands de tissus. Or, |a lrCO|-poque, pour mesurer le tissu, >> on lrCOenroulait autour de lrCOavant-bras. Les vendeurs faisaient alors
drCOamples mouvements et ils se cognaient rCo para|<t-il rCo souvent le coude
sur le comptoir. [rCa] Les Fran|oais ont fini par associer le 'petit juif' >> |a cette douleur vive que lrCOon ressent dans le bras en cas de choc" -+ - >> <https://www.geneve.ch/themes/culture/bibliotheques/interroge/reponses/
utilise-t-le-terme-de-petit-juif-se-cogne-le-coude>

The expression is said to go back to the Middle Ages. Discrimination
against the Jews meant that few trades were open to them. One was
drapery and, when measuring cloth, with a degree of vim I suppose, one
was liable to bang one's elbow on the counter.

It all sounds a bit unlikely, though ARTE is generally serious and
reliable.

This page gives equivalents in some other languages:

<https://www.expressio.fr/expressions/frapper-se-cogner-le-petit-juif>

I see the humerus link, but there is nothing humorous about the French
term. Have I misunderstood?

I have seen textile merchants in Arab souks measure cloth by the length
of their arm i.e. from shoulder to fingertip. They do this in an
exaggerated manner in a show of honesty. (The more honest ones use a yardstick, by sliding the cloth over the stick.)

When buying cloth, chose your sales person carefully.
(I assume 'arm to shoulder' distance is roughly proportional to overall height.)
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Le 21/06/2026 |a 11:56, occam a |-crit :

On 21/06/2026 11:12, Hibou wrote:

Other languages may play on humerus-humorous, I don't know.

Funnily enough, the funny bone is 'le petit juif', the little Jew, in
French. [...]

I see the humerus link, but there is nothing humorous about the French
term. Have I misunderstood? [...]

It's more funny peculiar than funny humorous (like Old Peculier, only
less beery).

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Watch this space, where occam advised that...

A 'rib-tickler' is a funny joke or a one-liner. But why 'rib'? I
presume because if you want to make your kids laugh you tickle their
ribs? As a kid, my funny bone used to be my feet. But presumably 'toe-tickler' conjures up a less funny image?

Is this a cultural thing? Do Japanese or Spanish grandparents tickle
their children's ribs?

BTW, one of your streamers is going to be at the Edinburgh Fringe this
August. Mr Watts will be live. You probably know this already, but
I've just been hearing about false friends and it is mentioned in the
outro.

/dps
--
The presence of this syntax results from the fact that SQLite is really
a Tcl extension that has escaped into the wild. <http://www.sqlite.org/lang_expr.html>
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