Difference between revisions of "28: Elefino"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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Revision as of 15:28, 7 August 2012

Elephino
Hell if I know
Title text: Hell if I know

Explanation

The basis for this fairly simple xkcd comic is the subject riddle, which is properly answered (as the transcript notes) in the image text: "Hell if I know", which, when spoken, sounds like "elephino" – a portmanteau of "elephant" and "rhino". Instead of giving the punchline of the joke, Randall answers with the unexpected "I haven’t a goddamn clue", which, while having the same meaning, ruins the joke.

This is akin to the way Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future film series who says nonsensical things like "make like a tree and get out of here" (rather than the proper "make like a tree and leave" [leaf]).

Transcript

Q: What do you get when you cross an Elephant with a Rhino? [Picture of elephant, mathematical addition symbol, picture of rhino, equals sign, large question mark] A: I haven't a goddamn clue. [The correct answer to the joke is given in the title text]