“Guess what? Chicken butt!” is a silly phrase that has delighted children for generations. But where did this nonsensical expression originate? Let’s take a look at the possible origins of this classic playground joke.
A Lighthearted Prank
On the surface, “Guess what? Chicken butt!” is simply a harmless prank. One person says “Guess what?” expecting the other person to ask “What?” In response, instead of answering seriously, the prankster surprises them by playfully saying “Chicken butt!” There’s no deeper meaning, just an attempt to catch someone off guard and get a laugh.
It’s a twist on a common call-and-response where someone build’s up the other’s anticipation by saying “Guess what?” before revealing an exciting tidbit. The prankster subverts this expectation with a totally random and absurd answer.
This kind of harmless fun has endeared it to kids who enjoy pulling one over on their friends or siblings. The element of surprise coupled with the silliness of “chicken butt” is what gives this simple joke its enduring appeal.
Connections to Chicken Butts?
While the prank explanation makes sense some have searched for deeper origins tied to actual chicken butts. However it’s unlikely the phrase originated from a real chicken anatomy.
One theory points to cheap chicken cuts like wings and thighs that were packaged together in barrels called “butts,” But the phrase first emerged before this practice existed
Another links it to lyrics in the opera Porgy and Bess mentioning chicken butts. But these lyrics came after the phrase was already popular with American schoolchildren.
So while imaginative, these explanations probably emerged later to put a real-world spin on an already well-established joke.
Possible Linguistic Roots
A more likely origin traces to the structure of the joke itself. In linguistics, a non sequitur is a response that seems totally unconnected to what was said before. “Guess what? Chicken butt!” is the very definition of a non sequitur.
The first part sets up an expected pattern, which gets disrupted by the bizarre response. So the phrase may have organically emerged from the human love of twist endings and the unexpected.
Interestingly, similar non sequitur jokes like “Guess what? Chicken pot!” and “Guess what? Chicken squat!” also exist without underlying meanings. This lends support to the linguistic origin theory.
An Ancient Origin Story
Perhaps the most fascinating explanation links “Guess what? Chicken butt!” all the way back to the 14th century. According to some sources, the phrase originally went:
“Guess what?”
“What?”
“Chicken guts!”
In Middle English, “guts” meant the entrails or bottom of anything – including a chicken’s rear end. Over centuries of playground telephone, “guts” eventually transformed into our modern “butt.”
If true, this would trace the joke back 700 years as a punchline little changed over centuries. A rare example of medieval humor still making kids laugh today!
A Timeless Classic
The origins of “Guess what? Chicken butt!” remain uncertain. But whatever its source, the appeal is timeless. The phrase is still popular on playgrounds and school buses, providing a spark of surprise and joy for children.
And that’s something worth celebrating! No matter how sophisticated our humor gets, there will always be a place for harmless, silly fun. As long as kids delight in unexpected twists and nonsense, “Guess what? Chicken butt!” is here to stay.
How to Shred Pulled Pork
Can add some more time if the meat isn’t shredding easily?- meat should shred easily after the cook time. Leaner cuts may not shred as well. If this is the case, you can try adding increments of 10 minutes onto the cook time.
I used my stand mixer to shred the pork instead of forks. It’s quick and easy, but be sure and remove as much fat from the pork as possible before shredding it in the mixer.
What Kind of Meat to Use to Make Pulled Pork
I prefer pork shoulder because it has a little more fat to it. Pork shoulder is also an inexpensive cut of meat, which is nice when you need to feed a crowd. However, any pork that is good for braising would be a good fit for this recipe. (See my Pressure Cooker Kalua Pork recipe for a more in-depth discussion on selecting a cut of pork.)
#90skids know the only proper response to “Guess What” is “Chicken Butt.” #nostalgia #millennials
FAQ
Where did the phrase “Are you chicken” come from?
The first example we have of chicken meaning a coward comes in 1600: William Kemp’s Nine Days’ Wonder: “It did him good to have ill words of a hoddy doddy! a hebber de hoy!, a chicken! a squib.” The equation stuck. Typically, here: Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit (1844): “Why, what a chicken you are!
Is the Parsons nose the chicken’s bum?
In other words it is the bird’s rear end. Said to be named because a parson would always “have his nose in the air” much like a chicken’s bum.
Where does chicken poo come from?
The cloaca is the only hole for the reproductive and digestive system of a chicken. The cloaca, also known as the vent, is where chickens poop from, where the eggs come out, and where they mate with a rooster. Yikes! This may bother some people when thinking about eating their eggs.
Where did the chicken come from originally?
The classification of today’s chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) recognizes its primary origin, the Red Junglefowl. Domestication probably occurred 7,000-10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and Oceana.