[Ads-l] Joke: Does your orchestra ever play requests?

ADSGarson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Tue Oct 6 02:16:02 UTC 2015


Yesterday Barry created an entry about a collection of jokes. One
instance of the joke begins with the line: "Waiter, does the pianist
play requests?"

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/waiter_does_the_pianist_play_requests/

Barry presented citations beginning in1964. Below is a citation in
1948 and a citation with a slightly different phrasing in 1953
(syndicated):

Date: May 02, 1948
Newspaper: The Seattle Sunday Times (Seattle Daily Times)
Newspaper Location: Seattle, Washington
Section: Pacific Parade Magazine
(Untitled short humor item)
Quote Page 12, Column 4
Database: GenealogyBank

[Begin excerpt]
"Does your orchestra ever play requests?"
"Certainly. What would you like to have us play."
"Pinochle!"
[End excerpt]


Date: November 04, 1953
Newspaper: Springfield Union
Newspaper Location: Springfield, Massachusetts
Quote Page 1, Column 3
Database: GenealogyBank

[Begin excerpt]
Today's Chuckle
"Does your orchestra ever play requests?"
"Yes, what would you like them to play?"
"Pinochle?"
[End excerpt]

Garson

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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