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Explanation for a joke about a three-legged dog that walks into a bar

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34

2

I came across this joke on the internet:

A three-legged dog walks into a bar and says to the bartender, 'I'm looking for the man who shot my paw'

It is meant to be a "dad joke" but I don't understand it. What does it mean?

idioms jokes

share|improve this question

edited Jul 25 at 18:33

J.R.♦

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asked Jul 24 at 8:03

TK-421TK-421

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add a comment | 

34

2

I came across this joke on the internet:

A three-legged dog walks into a bar and says to the bartender, 'I'm looking for the man who shot my paw'

It is meant to be a "dad joke" but I don't understand it. What does it mean?

idioms jokes

share|improve this question

edited Jul 25 at 18:33

J.R.♦

104k99 gold badges135135 silver badges256256 bronze badges

asked Jul 24 at 8:03

TK-421TK-421

77422 silver badges2020 bronze badges

add a comment | 

I came across this joke on the internet:

A three-legged dog walks into a bar and says to the bartender, 'I'm looking for the man who shot my paw'

It is meant to be a "dad joke" but I don't understand it. What does it mean?

idioms jokes

share|improve this question

edited Jul 25 at 18:33

J.R.♦

104k99 gold badges135135 silver badges256256 bronze badges

asked Jul 24 at 8:03

TK-421TK-421

77422 silver badges2020 bronze badges

share|improve this question

edited Jul 25 at 18:33

J.R.♦

104k99 gold badges135135 silver badges256256 bronze badges

asked Jul 24 at 8:03

TK-421TK-421

77422 silver badges2020 bronze badges

share|improve this question

edited Jul 25 at 18:33

J.R.♦

104k99 gold badges135135 silver badges256256 bronze badges

asked Jul 24 at 8:03

TK-421TK-421

77422 silver badges2020 bronze badges

edited Jul 25 at 18:33

J.R.♦

104k99 gold badges135135 silver badges256256 bronze badges

edited Jul 25 at 18:33

J.R.♦

104k99 gold badges135135 silver badges256256 bronze badges

asked Jul 24 at 8:03

TK-421TK-421

77422 silver badges2020 bronze badges

asked Jul 24 at 8:03

TK-421TK-421

77422 silver badges2020 bronze badges

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

55

The meaning of "paw" is an animal's foot, it sounds like "pa" (an informal word for dad/father).

In cowboy movies, back in the 1940s-50s, there was always the good guy and the bad guy. The bad guy would nearly always be an outlaw, a bandit, a notorious gunfighter or a corrupt sheriff. The movie audience would know him by his black cowboy hat. The good guy, would often be a person who had suffered a wrong in the past.

At the beginning of the movie, the bad guy would burst into the saloon and announce dramatically to the patrons of said bar: I'm looking for a man named McCallister. Does anyone know where he is? Cue scrambling of tables, chairs scraping and crashing onto the ground as people fled from the inevitable gunfight.

The pun plays on this well-known trope and on the stereotypical American drawl; the vowel in "pa" and "paw" would be drawn out, i.e. /pa:/ and /pɔ/, the latter of which is only similar to the British English pronunciation /pɔː/ but close enough so that everyone gets the joke.

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 24 at 10:03

answered Jul 24 at 9:24

Mari-Lou AMari-Lou A

15.2k77 gold badges4444 silver badges8383 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  8
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Worth adding that the joke only works in dialects where a) ‘Pa’ is commonly used, and b) it sounds like ‘paw’. (That's certainly not the case everywhere. I didn't get the joke until I saw the explanation.)
  
  – gidds
  Jul 25 at 9:15
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  4
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @gidds at least where Pa is commonly known. I've never heard it actually used, but I've read it in books, etc., so I got it right away.
  
  – Cullub
  Jul 25 at 12:49
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TymekWojnarowski Congrats on getting some really good answers! In the future, it's best to wait a bit longer before accepting an answer, so that you don't have to switch. It's not bad per se, but it's kinda bad form.
  
  – Cullub
  Jul 25 at 12:51
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  More relevant is the other standard movie beginning: the good guy, seeking revenge, bursts into the bar and says "I'm looking for the man who shot my Pa". An example of this trope is in the book "Stuck! Learn to Love your Screenplay Again" at books.google.com/…
  
  – arp
  Jul 27 at 2:53
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

31

Paw is a non-standard way of saying father, used in certain parts of usually rural areas.

But obviously a three-legged dog is missing one of his "paws", hence the joke.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 24 at 8:33

achAmháinachAmháin

72222 silver badges88 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  7
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  So I didn't get that it is a reference to someone looking to avenge their father...
  
  – TK-421
  Jul 24 at 8:37
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  25
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TymekWojnarowski I seems like it also may have been a play on "dad jokes". Generally a "dad joke" involves using forced puns (which you could say this counts). In this case though, calling it a dad joke was itself a type of dad joke, because not only was the joke a forced pun; but the forced pun was in reference to dads. I think calling it a "dad joke" might have been part of the joke in this case.
  
  – JMac
  Jul 24 at 17:49
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  20
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You shot my paw. Prepare to die.
  
  – Stephen M. Webb
  Jul 24 at 19:40
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  9
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @StephenM.Webb - that's ruffly right. The OP was barking - up the wrong tree.This could lead to other puns. Life's a bitch sometimes...
  
  – Tim
  Jul 25 at 10:13
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Tim: C'mere. Right here. Now stay still. THWACK! THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK! THWACK! That is all, carry on.
  
  – Martha
  Jul 26 at 14:14
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

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55

The meaning of "paw" is an animal's foot, it sounds like "pa" (an informal word for dad/father).

In cowboy movies, back in the 1940s-50s, there was always the good guy and the bad guy. The bad guy would nearly always be an outlaw, a bandit, a notorious gunfighter or a corrupt sheriff. The movie audience would know him by his black cowboy hat. The good guy, would often be a person who had suffered a wrong in the past.

At the beginning of the movie, the bad guy would burst into the saloon and announce dramatically to the patrons of said bar: I'm looking for a man named McCallister. Does anyone know where he is? Cue scrambling of tables, chairs scraping and crashing onto the ground as people fled from the inevitable gunfight.

The pun plays on this well-known trope and on the stereotypical American drawl; the vowel in "pa" and "paw" would be drawn out, i.e. /pa:/ and /pɔ/, the latter of which is only similar to the British English pronunciation /pɔː/ but close enough so that everyone gets the joke.

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 24 at 10:03

answered Jul 24 at 9:24

Mari-Lou AMari-Lou A

15.2k77 gold badges4444 silver badges8383 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  8
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Worth adding that the joke only works in dialects where a) ‘Pa’ is commonly used, and b) it sounds like ‘paw’. (That's certainly not the case everywhere. I didn't get the joke until I saw the explanation.)
  
  – gidds
  Jul 25 at 9:15
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  4
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @gidds at least where Pa is commonly known. I've never heard it actually used, but I've read it in books, etc., so I got it right away.
  
  – Cullub
  Jul 25 at 12:49
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TymekWojnarowski Congrats on getting some really good answers! In the future, it's best to wait a bit longer before accepting an answer, so that you don't have to switch. It's not bad per se, but it's kinda bad form.
  
  – Cullub
  Jul 25 at 12:51
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  More relevant is the other standard movie beginning: the good guy, seeking revenge, bursts into the bar and says "I'm looking for the man who shot my Pa". An example of this trope is in the book "Stuck! Learn to Love your Screenplay Again" at books.google.com/…
  
  – arp
  Jul 27 at 2:53
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

55

The meaning of "paw" is an animal's foot, it sounds like "pa" (an informal word for dad/father).

In cowboy movies, back in the 1940s-50s, there was always the good guy and the bad guy. The bad guy would nearly always be an outlaw, a bandit, a notorious gunfighter or a corrupt sheriff. The movie audience would know him by his black cowboy hat. The good guy, would often be a person who had suffered a wrong in the past.

At the beginning of the movie, the bad guy would burst into the saloon and announce dramatically to the patrons of said bar: I'm looking for a man named McCallister. Does anyone know where he is? Cue scrambling of tables, chairs scraping and crashing onto the ground as people fled from the inevitable gunfight.

The pun plays on this well-known trope and on the stereotypical American drawl; the vowel in "pa" and "paw" would be drawn out, i.e. /pa:/ and /pɔ/, the latter of which is only similar to the British English pronunciation /pɔː/ but close enough so that everyone gets the joke.

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 24 at 10:03

answered Jul 24 at 9:24

Mari-Lou AMari-Lou A

15.2k77 gold badges4444 silver badges8383 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  8
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Worth adding that the joke only works in dialects where a) ‘Pa’ is commonly used, and b) it sounds like ‘paw’. (That's certainly not the case everywhere. I didn't get the joke until I saw the explanation.)
  
  – gidds
  Jul 25 at 9:15
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  4
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @gidds at least where Pa is commonly known. I've never heard it actually used, but I've read it in books, etc., so I got it right away.
  
  – Cullub
  Jul 25 at 12:49
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TymekWojnarowski Congrats on getting some really good answers! In the future, it's best to wait a bit longer before accepting an answer, so that you don't have to switch. It's not bad per se, but it's kinda bad form.
  
  – Cullub
  Jul 25 at 12:51
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  More relevant is the other standard movie beginning: the good guy, seeking revenge, bursts into the bar and says "I'm looking for the man who shot my Pa". An example of this trope is in the book "Stuck! Learn to Love your Screenplay Again" at books.google.com/…
  
  – arp
  Jul 27 at 2:53
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

The meaning of "paw" is an animal's foot, it sounds like "pa" (an informal word for dad/father).

In cowboy movies, back in the 1940s-50s, there was always the good guy and the bad guy. The bad guy would nearly always be an outlaw, a bandit, a notorious gunfighter or a corrupt sheriff. The movie audience would know him by his black cowboy hat. The good guy, would often be a person who had suffered a wrong in the past.

At the beginning of the movie, the bad guy would burst into the saloon and announce dramatically to the patrons of said bar: I'm looking for a man named McCallister. Does anyone know where he is? Cue scrambling of tables, chairs scraping and crashing onto the ground as people fled from the inevitable gunfight.

The pun plays on this well-known trope and on the stereotypical American drawl; the vowel in "pa" and "paw" would be drawn out, i.e. /pa:/ and /pɔ/, the latter of which is only similar to the British English pronunciation /pɔː/ but close enough so that everyone gets the joke.

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 24 at 10:03

answered Jul 24 at 9:24

Mari-Lou AMari-Lou A

15.2k77 gold badges4444 silver badges8383 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 24 at 10:03

answered Jul 24 at 9:24

Mari-Lou AMari-Lou A

15.2k77 gold badges4444 silver badges8383 bronze badges

answered Jul 24 at 9:24

Mari-Lou AMari-Lou A

15.2k77 gold badges4444 silver badges8383 bronze badges

answered Jul 24 at 9:24

Mari-Lou AMari-Lou A

15.2k77 gold badges4444 silver badges8383 bronze badges

31

Paw is a non-standard way of saying father, used in certain parts of usually rural areas.

But obviously a three-legged dog is missing one of his "paws", hence the joke.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 24 at 8:33

achAmháinachAmháin

72222 silver badges88 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  7
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  So I didn't get that it is a reference to someone looking to avenge their father...
  
  – TK-421
  Jul 24 at 8:37
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  25
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TymekWojnarowski I seems like it also may have been a play on "dad jokes". Generally a "dad joke" involves using forced puns (which you could say this counts). In this case though, calling it a dad joke was itself a type of dad joke, because not only was the joke a forced pun; but the forced pun was in reference to dads. I think calling it a "dad joke" might have been part of the joke in this case.
  
  – JMac
  Jul 24 at 17:49
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  20
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You shot my paw. Prepare to die.
  
  – Stephen M. Webb
  Jul 24 at 19:40
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  9
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @StephenM.Webb - that's ruffly right. The OP was barking - up the wrong tree.This could lead to other puns. Life's a bitch sometimes...
  
  – Tim
  Jul 25 at 10:13
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Tim: C'mere. Right here. Now stay still. THWACK! THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK! THWACK! That is all, carry on.
  
  – Martha
  Jul 26 at 14:14
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

31

Paw is a non-standard way of saying father, used in certain parts of usually rural areas.

But obviously a three-legged dog is missing one of his "paws", hence the joke.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 24 at 8:33

achAmháinachAmháin

72222 silver badges88 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  7
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  So I didn't get that it is a reference to someone looking to avenge their father...
  
  – TK-421
  Jul 24 at 8:37
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  25
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TymekWojnarowski I seems like it also may have been a play on "dad jokes". Generally a "dad joke" involves using forced puns (which you could say this counts). In this case though, calling it a dad joke was itself a type of dad joke, because not only was the joke a forced pun; but the forced pun was in reference to dads. I think calling it a "dad joke" might have been part of the joke in this case.
  
  – JMac
  Jul 24 at 17:49
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  20
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You shot my paw. Prepare to die.
  
  – Stephen M. Webb
  Jul 24 at 19:40
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  9
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @StephenM.Webb - that's ruffly right. The OP was barking - up the wrong tree.This could lead to other puns. Life's a bitch sometimes...
  
  – Tim
  Jul 25 at 10:13
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Tim: C'mere. Right here. Now stay still. THWACK! THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK! THWACK! That is all, carry on.
  
  – Martha
  Jul 26 at 14:14
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

Paw is a non-standard way of saying father, used in certain parts of usually rural areas.

But obviously a three-legged dog is missing one of his "paws", hence the joke.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 24 at 8:33

achAmháinachAmháin

72222 silver badges88 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 24 at 8:33

achAmháinachAmháin

72222 silver badges88 bronze badges

answered Jul 24 at 8:33

achAmháinachAmháin

72222 silver badges88 bronze badges

answered Jul 24 at 8:33

achAmháinachAmháin

72222 silver badges88 bronze badges