Do You Live Around Here, or Ride a Bicycle?

Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, my name is Steve. I had a couple questions for you. I’m from Kokomo, Indiana.

Hi, Steve, welcome to the show. Well, my dad, he will be 75 years old this year in September, and I’ll be 40. And as long as I can remember, I have heard him when he meets a new person, he will say to this person, do you live around here or ride a bicycle?

And, you know, I’ll be like, I would introduce him to say my friend. I’ll say, this is my friend Abram.

And he’ll say, you know, he’ll, you know, reach his hand out, shake his hand. And he’ll say, do you live around here or ride a bicycle?

As I’ve been just listening to the show, I’m new listening, and I thought, I know exactly what I could ask them. Do we live around here, or do we ride a bicycle?

That’s right. That’s what you want to know?

Yeah. So that or in that sentence, that’s meant to be an exclusive or, not an inclusive or. It’s an either or, not an and question, right?

Correct. And I want to know what your friends do or say when he says that to them. Do you live around here or ride a bicycle?

Most often, they really do not know what to say. He sounds like a rascal of the first order.

Yeah, well, Steve, what we can tell you about that is that that is just kind of an old-fashioned, kind of stupid dad joke. You know, it’s from your dad’s era. Versions of it go back at least to college publications in the 1920s.

And it’s the kind of thing that adults might say, particularly to a kid. You know, something that you say to make a little kid do a double take. You know, do you live around here or do you ride a bicycle? Or whose daddy are you? And the kid’s like, what?

Okay. Or how long is a piece of string?

Right. There’s several of those statements that are used. And like, you know, like another one that he uses was like somebody, you know, he’ll hell be talking to someone and somebody will say something kind of, you know, just in meeting maybe the first time. And he will, he would say, did your mother have any children that lived?

Oh, my goodness. It’s another, it’s another thing that’s like I’ve never heard it anywhere else.

And he also does the same thing, another thing, when he answers the phone, which I know about it. He says, I call him on the phone, and he answers, and he says, your quarter.

Like, I called him from a pay phone.

Oh, your quarter.

Yeah. So, he just, you know, and he’s the greatest person in the world, not just because he’s my dad. He’s just great. And he just has little things like that. Live around here, ride a bicycle.

So it’s been around since the 20s.

At least the 20s.

Yeah, there’s a whole bunch more of these kinds of things. Is it colder in the winter or in the country? Do you walk to school or take your lunch?

Right. Okay. That’s awesome.

Yeah, well, clearly it’s working for your dad.

Yes, because he’s used it for, I know at least, as long as I can remember, probably, I would say, 35 years. Like I said, I’m 40. And it’s a real stumper for some folks because they’re like, well, I do live around here. And I have a bicycle. But what do I say?

Steve, thanks for sharing this stuff with us. I’m sure we’ll get a lot more of these foolish questions to befuddle the listener. This is a good one. Do you live around here and ride a bicycle? That’s a gem. I look forward to using it at some point. I definitely will.

Yeah, well, call us back when you’re 75 and let us know.

I would love to do that.

Okay, it’s a day.

All right, Steve, take care of yourself on the open road. It’s been a pleasure.

Thank you.

Bye-bye.

All righty.

Bye-bye.

Grant, you got any more of those?

The better question is, do our listeners have any more of those? 877-929-9673. Email words@waywordradio.org.