[Ads-l] Joke Origin: "Do You Serve Lobsters Here?" "Yes, We Serve Anyone"

[Pete Morris]

Okay, fair enough.

Here's a variation where the waitress tells the customer "we don't serve 
lobsters"

>From an index to magazines up to September 1901. Not sure when the index 
itself was
published.

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Success_with_Flowers_a_Floral_Magazine/sVBEAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22serve+lobsters+here%22&pg=PP9&printsec=frontcover


And I also found this article from 1911 about "lobster" as an slang 
term.  It can mean soldier,
or policeman, or a red-faced man, in addition to the meanings already 
listed.

https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19110802.2.57&dliv=none&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------



------ Original Message ------
>From "ADSGarson O'Toole" 
<00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 21/04/2026 06:10:34
Subject Joke Origin: "Do You Serve Lobsters Here?" "Yes, We Serve 
Anyone"

>The joke in the subject line is a member of a family of gags which
>includes the following two examples:
>
>"Waiter, do you serve shrimps here?" "Sure. We don’t care how tall you
>are. Sit down."
>
>"Do you serve crabs?" "Yes, we treat all customers alike."
>
>Nigel Rees discussed this family in the April 2026 issue of his "Quote
>… Unquote" newsletter which inspired me to explore the topic.
>
>The earliest match in this family I found appeared in "The Scioto
>Gazette" of Chillicothe, Ohio in March 1901:
>
>[Begin excerpt]
>"Do you serve lobsters here?" asked the new arrival.
>"Well," replied the waiter, "we 'as our instructions to discriminate
>as much as possible among them as comes in to eat."
>[End excerpt]
>
>In each of these jokes, the seafood term is not interpreted as a menu
>item; instead, the term is applied to the customer. Each joke can be
>understood as an absurdist misunderstanding. Further, circa 1901 there
>were several slang interpretations for "lobster". Here are three
>senses listed in "Green's Dictionary of Slang":
>
>[Begin excerpt]
>2. (a) (US) a slow-witted, awkward, or gullible person; a general term
>of abuse; esp. of a socially inept or foolish person.
>
>2. (b) an older man who gives a younger woman presents and/or money in
>return for sexual favours.
>
>3 (US) in the context of obtaining money, one who is a waste of effort.
>[End excerpt]
>
>Here is a link to the Quote Investigator article:
>https://quoteinvestigator.com/2026/04/21/serve-lobsters/
>
>Feedback welcome
>Garson O'Toole
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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