a response made as a joke when someone says, "Do you know _______"
(could be anything that fills in this blank.)

Etymology:

  • From a well-known joke Groucho Marx used to say in his comedy routines and shows. The joke is that the listener to the question assumes the person asking is asking if the listener knows a certain song, just as if you would ask a musician, "Do you know _______" where the blank is a song.
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Someone asks me, "Do you know where 5th & Broadway is?" I would respond, "No, but if you hum a few bars..."

Submitted by TriplePurple on December 10, 2023

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    "no, but if you hum a few bars...." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/no,-but-if-you-hum-a-few-bars..._64045>.

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