The original "why did the chicken cross the road" joke? Not that funny. Here are some way better reasons the chicken (and other things) walked across the street.
30 of the Funniest “Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road” Jokes
Updated on Jul. 08, 2025
We’re just going to say it: “Why did the chicken cross the road” jokes aren’t exactly comedy gold. (Sorry, bad joke fans!) The classic one that ends with “to get to the other side” first appeared in an 1847 edition of the New York–based magazine The Knickerbocker—and to be fair, the magazine did present it as an example of a pitiful punch line. “There are ‘quips and quillets’ which seem actual conundrums, but yet are none,” the entry wrote.
The “joke” is so unfunny and obvious that it’s almost an anti-joke. But it’s become so ubiquitous that it’s spawned all sorts of variations, parodies and jokes about other things crossing the road. (And for that matter, better punch lines for the road-crossing chicken!) Read on for some of our favorite “why did the chicken cross the road” jokes with answers.
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Why did the chicken cross the road?
- Why did the chicken run across the road?
To get to the other side faster.
- Why didn’t the chicken cross the road?
Because there was a KFC on the other side.
- Why did Chicken Little cross the road?
To warn the people on the other side that the sky was falling.
- Why did the chicken cross the road?
To bock traffic.
- Why did the chicken cross the playground?
To get to the other slide.
- Why did the chicken cross the road?
I don’t know. Why?
I don’t know—I asked you!
- Why did the chicken cross the road?
No one knows. But the road will have its vengeance!!
- Why did the rubber chicken cross the road?
To stretch her legs.
- Why did the chicken cross the road?
I don’t know. Why?
To get to the loser’s house. Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
The chicken!
- What do you call a chicken crossing the road?
Poultry in motion.
- Why did the chicken cross the road?
To knock-knock on the door, walk into the bar and change the light bulb.
Why did the animal cross the road?
- Why did the dinosaur cross the road?
Because chickens didn’t exist yet.
(Neither did roads. But we’ll let that slide for humor purposes!)
- Why did the turkey cross the road?
To prove he wasn’t chicken!
- Why did the sheep cross the road?
To get to the baa-baa shop for a haircut.
- Why is everyone mad when the pig crosses the road?
Because he’s a road hog.
- Why did the cow cross the road?
To get to the udder side.
- Why did the turtle cross the road?
To get to the Shell station.
- Why did the rooster cross the road?
He had something to cock-a-doodle dooo!
- Why did the dog cross the road twice?
He was playing fetch with a boomerang.
- Why did the raccoon cross the road?
He saw you put out the garbage.
- Why did the fox cross the road?
She was chasing the chicken.
- Why did the fish cross the ocean?
To get to the other tide.
Why did the person or object cross the road?
- Why did Adele cross the road?
To say hello from the other side!
- Why did the clown cross the road?
To retrieve his rubber chicken.
- Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?
Because he didn’t have the guts.
- How did the egg cross the road?
It scrambled across!
- Why did the strawberry cross the road?
There was a traffic jam!
- Why did the gum cross the road?
It was stuck to the chicken’s foot.
- Why did the PowerPoint presentation cross the road?
To get to the other slide.
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