Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?

to To other side. get the

I can't help it - I think that's downright funny. Of course, that tells you a little something about my sense of humor, doesn't it?

A few years ago, that "joke" (to use the term loosely) popped into the twisted head of Jason Whittington as I got up on stage in Microsoft's Kodiak room in Redmond to give a talk on multithreading in .NET to something like 150 people. I then promptly proceeded to completely butcher the delivery of the joke. The thud that joke made as it hit the floor could be heard as far south as Portland. So I made sure to credit the joke to Jason.

Since that time, I've championed the multithreaded chicken joke every time I've spoken on multithreading to an audience. I have especially fond memories of someone in the audience occasionally responding to the punchline with "What did you say", to which I promptly reply other to side. To the get. See how the punchline is different than the first time? Get it? Get it? Man - that joke is just funny on multiple levels.

At any rate, after about 4 years of practice, I was able to get a whole 50% of my class in Boston last week to give me a tepid chuckle - the best response ever. But the way I see it, as long as I'm having fun with it, why stop?


Posted May 25 2004, 10:30 PM by mike-woodring

Comments

Marvin Smit wrote re: Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
on 06-20-2004 1:45 AM
Ehhh, when you get the 100% responde....

teaching You done are!
notgartner.com: Mitch Denny's Blog wrote I found it funny . . .
on 07-25-2004 6:01 PM
Eric Stevens wrote Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
on 07-31-2004 2:08 PM
Christophe Fouquet wrote re: Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
on 09-28-2004 1:23 PM
Cool. I like "slicing" chickens
The Farm: The Tucows Developers' Hangout wrote [Funny] Q: Why Ddd the Multithreaded Chicken Cross the Road?
on 11-18-2004 2:25 PM
<a href="http://pluralsight.com/blogs/mike/archive/2004/05/25/415.aspx"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A:</span> to To other side. get the</a><br>
The Old New Thing wrote re: For all your chicken sequencing needs
on 12-10-2004 8:23 AM
Damn Hippies! wrote All You Need To Know About Geek Humor
on 12-10-2004 12:58 PM
For years I've tried to explain to my friends that when I tell a joke, I'm not really trying to make *them* laugh. No luck though, they still expect quality humor.
Quick Links wrote Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
on 12-16-2004 2:51 PM
Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road? Via a comment in Raymond Chen's blog article: For all your chicken sequencing needs

Keith Hill wrote re: Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
on 02-11-2005 9:30 PM
You've probably already heard this, but I like this quote on multithreading:

“Multithreading is just one damn thing after, before, or simultaneous with another.” - Andrei Alexandrescu
Mike wrote re: Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
on 02-12-2005 7:45 AM
Actually, I hadn't. That's priceless :-)
Sorting It All Out wrote Instead of a &amp;quot;blue screen&amp;quot;, I am wait for the blue screen
on 04-15-2005 5:47 AM

I was reading Mike Poulson's I feel your pain. My first Call to Microsoft PSS (and kb890859). And thinking...
Sorting It All Out wrote Instead of a 'blue screen', I am waiting for the blue screen
on 04-15-2005 5:52 AM

I was reading Mike Poulson's I feel your pain. My first Call to Microsoft PSS (and kb890859). And thinking...
Tommy P wrote re: Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
on 08-01-2005 11:52 AM
Never mind the answer. The question is funny.
Michka wrote re: Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
on 08-24-2005 11:01 PM
she was feeling single..
rabidfox wrote re: Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
on 04-05-2007 12:51 AM
So you are saying Yoda speaks geek?
Ben Newsam wrote re: Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
on 08-06-2007 2:10 AM
way the tell It's you them.

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