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Sports, games, anecdotes, and pleasantries from The Old Farmer’s Almanac: “useful with a pleasant degree of humor!”

Extra! Dec 2015 Wit

Humor Me: Grins and Groans from the Almanac

Do You Swear to Tell the Whole Truth? These actual court transcriptions raise the question of just...
Extra! Dec 2015 Amusement

Why the Midwest Is Square

Credit for the squaring of the Midwest is often given to Thomas Hutchins, the first geographer of...
Headache Cartoon

16 Folk Remedies for Headaches

Here are 16 “sure-fire” folk remedies for headaches. Back then, they didn’t have that warning, “Don...
Reindeer Antlers

Why Santa's Reindeer Are Female

Christmas falls in late December and reindeer lead Santa’s sleigh, as the story goes. In the wild,...
Five Second Rule

The Five-Second Rule: Fact or Fiction?

We’ve all done it: Yelled “5-second rule!” after dropping food on the floor, then quickly picked it...
Peoria State Hospital

The Man Who Cried for Everyone

Ready for a ghost story? Here’s a creepy and surprisingly touching story just in time for Halloween...
Heart Sun

15 Cheesy Pickup Lines and Romance

Let’s amuse ourselves with the silly side of romance. Here are 15 pickup lines guaranteed to lose...
Green Lizard

100 Ways to Avoid Dying

“Don’t let a lizard count your teeth.” Discover 100 ways to avoid dying—without giving up any of...
Founding Fathers

How to Live a Longer Life

Can you be too busy to die? Perhaps there’s just no time to answer the door when the Grim Reaper...
Feather Crown

The Tale of Feather Crowns

The following story was sent to us in the 1980s by Almanac reader John Dunphy… Folklore has long...
Left-Handed Facts and Folklore

Left-Handed Facts and Folklore

International Left-Handers Day occurs this year on Tuesday, August 13! To celebrate, here are some...
Grover Cleveland

When the President Disappeared for 6 Days

In 1893, during his second term as president, Grover Cleveland mysteriously disappeared from the...
Boy Laughing

A Well-Meaning Mother and More Humor

Sometimes, it’s mothers who say the darnedest things. Try not to roll your eyes too hard at this...
uncle-sam-thinkstock

Jokes About Taxes and More Humor

April 15 is “Tax Day” in the United States. Here are a few jokes to help lighten the mood! What Do...
Spooner

Mardon Me, Padam, But Do You Know Any Spoonerisms?

Ever meant to say one thing, but something else pops out of your mouth? Spoonerisms are sort of...
Woman and Chihuahua

Why My Great-Uncle Gave Up the Ministry

When this true story was published in The 1984 Old Farmer’s Almanac, many readers wrote to say that...
Beaver

Tall Tales and Fish Stories

Through the years, we’ve heard yarns that take the cake, but these tall tales took the prize—first...
Priest

Miracles, Country Doctor, and More Humor

It’s time for another edition of “Humor Me” from The Old Farmer’s Almanac! Read at your own risk!...
Phineas Gage - Lobotomy

The First Lobotomy

As he went to work on the morning of September 13, 1848, Phineas Gage could not have known that he...
Hunting

Good Hunting, Disputing Deacons, and More Humor

It’s time for another edition of “Humor Me” from The Old Farmer’s Almanac! Read at your own risk!...
Hamlet Humor

Ready for a Chuckle? A Few Good Jokes

It’s time again for a few good jokes from The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Let us know if any of these ...
Road Map

GPS Unplugged! Map Fun Facts

Relying on satellites and coordinates of latitude and longitude, today’s Global Positioning System...
Jackie Mitchell with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth

Have you heard the story of “The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth”? Read on for the charming tale. It...
Rabbit

Lucky Rabbit's Foot, Epic Epitaphs, and More Humor

It’s time for another edition of “Humor Me” from The Old Farmer’s Almanac! Read at your own risk!...
tom-longboat

Who is Tom Longboat? Canada's Human Running Machine!

Who is Tom Longboat? No one could have foreseen the future that would unfold for a baby boy born on...
Teacher

Teacher Trials, Fisherman's Luck, and More Humor

Once again, here are some funny jokes and old-time humor from The Old Farmer’s Almanac.  Maybe it...
Pig

The Extraordinary Race Between the Horse and the Pig

Everyone knows about the race between the Hare and the Tortoise. Another strange race took place...
Milk cow

Having a Cow, Meeting of the Board, and More Humor

It’s time for another edition of “Humor Me” from The Old Farmer’s Almanac! Read at your own risk!...
Golf Balls

Inventions That Changed Sports History

Ever wondered where we got the football helmet? See how the history of sports has changed due to...
Weather Vane

Prepare to Be Amused

We dare you to smile—without rolling your eyes—at these jokes from The Old Farmer’s Almanac....
2011 Almanac

Best of the Almanac

Since George Washington was President of the U.S., folks have turned to The Old Farmer’s Almanac...
Captain L.G. Capers

The First Case of Artificial Insemination by a Bullet

During the Civil War, Union doctor Captain L. G. Capers was acting as a field surgeon at a skirmish...
Barker's Farm

Tales From America's Oldest Businesses

Running a business isn’t easy, and only those that adapt to changing times and tastes can survive....
Rooster and Chicken

Counting Chickens, Mistaken Identity, and More Humor

It’s time for another edition of “Humor Me” from The Old Farmer’s Almanac! Consider yourself warned...
Bank

The Bank That Broke the Mailman’s Back

In 1916, directors of the Bank of Vernal, Utah, decided that the community ought to have a modern,...
Goats

Jokes, Puns, and Old-Time Humor

It’s time for more grins and groans from The Old Farmer’s Almanac.  Enjoy some funny jokes and old-...
Saw with Wood

A Fair Warning, an Unfair Objection, and More Humor

It’s time for another edition of “Humor Me” from The Old Farmer’s Almanac! Consider yourself warned...
Mount Rushmore

Year-End Entertainment: Puzzles, Quizzes, and Amusements

Puzzles, quizzes, and “rainy day amusements” have long been a part of the Almanac. As the days grow...
Cow

Born on a Farm, Saddled with Guilt, and More Humor

It’s time for another edition of “Humor Me” from The Old Farmer’s Almanac! Consider yourself warned...
Dinner Speech jpg

How to Appear to Know More Than You Really Do

For those of you who are visiting someone else’s table this holiday season, here are a few humorous...
Horse Cartoon

Humor Me: Grins, Groans, and 19th-century Nonsense

Yes, it’s time for our monthly humor column—with grins, groans, and more 19th century nonsense from...
Letter

How to Buy Soap, Fooling Yourself, and More Humor

It’s time for another edition of “Humor Me” from The Old Farmer’s Almanac! Consider yourself warned...

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