WHAT DID THE CHEWING GUM SAY TO THE SHOE? ‒ I’M STUCK ON YOU!
What’s so funny about this? OK, I’ll admit this one is more corny than funny. Nevertheless I’m doing it because it’s a good example of how riddles use idioms. Let’s examine the joke. Without a doubt stepping on chewing gum is probably the second most annoying thing you can step on with your shoes. The most annoying, of course, is dog shit. Sadly the latter occurs far too often, especially if you walk your own dog around a lot. But having chewing, or worse, bubble gum stuck to the soles of your shoe is also a major pain in the neck or ass, take your pick. At least it’s not as gross smelling as dog feces, but it takes a long time to scrape it off your shoe. So where’s the joke? Well, it happens that the phrase “stuck on you” also means to be in love with someone. It’s even the title of an old Elvis Presley song and you’ll find a link to the song with the lyrics at the end of this audioboo. But even in the idiomatic sense being stuck on someone can be painful, if that person doesn’t share your feelings. If they do, they will be happy and even flattered by your declaration. But if they don’t love you back, then you get someone who is too attached to someone else, like gum to a shoe. And this person can also take a long time to scrape off. And THAT’s what’s so funny!
