CRACKING UP

What’s so funny about this? At first glance, this looks like a simple riddle, but I assure you it’s anything but simple. In fact it’s a collection of silly crack-related puns, including the riddle you just heard/read. Let’s start with the title. “Cracking up” could refer to Humpty Dumpty or some other egg about to break into pieces, but, in fact, it has a much more common meaning, to laugh uncontrollably because of what someone says or does; and it can equally mean to go insane. So what exactly is going on in this cartoon? We see a room with a large crack or break in the wall. There is also a guy trying to break into a safe, or to crack open a safe, which is also what you do to an egg. In fact, someone who does this sort of thing all the time is known as a “safe cracker”. Of course a safe cracker could also be a thin crisp wafer that’s usually salty and sometimes put into soups. The fact that it’s safe means you won’t get sick if you eat it. Then again, a “cracker” is derogatory slang