Hunter-gatherer tribes probably had some natural laxative they called some version of "thunder-clapper" and giggled as they said it.

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jug 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

Yeah. The oldest known gag is a Sumerian proverb from 1900 BC: "Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap"

You also have another joke from 1600 BC: "How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? Sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile - and urge the pharaoh to go fishing."

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Barbing 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I bet.

Source: the amount of time it takes to scroll through the Wikipedia page for “it’s all Greek to me“ (variations common across dozens of languages)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_to_me

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maxbond 6 days ago | parent [-]

Esperanto's translation being "it's all Volapük to me" is exactly the kind of linguistic shade I was hoping to find in that article.

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egypturnash 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

Lobjan: It's Ithkuil to me.

Sadly the list does not include an entry for how you would express this sentiment in Ithkuil.

(both are of course conlangs)

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stavros 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

But it's the same in Danish as well? Very odd for a real language.

	▲	YeGoblynQueenne 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		Danish is a conlang.

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djmips 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Besides the mercury compound, the Lewis and Clark contained a natural laxitive called Ipomoea purga (jalap) which was native to Mexico. Presumably the natives there used it and maybe laughed about it.

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vintermann 5 days ago | parent [-]

Made me look up what "jalap" actually means, but apparently it's just a reference to the city it grows near, and means "sand water" or something like it.

	▲	Kye 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		See also: jalapeño. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xalapa

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bobmcnamara 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In Taiwan they served me some thin mushrooms with dinner

My host: they're called see-you-tomorrow

Me: oh ok

Host: because they're indigestible

Me: awkward pause

Host: you're gonna shit!

Me to myself: oh thank God. Between the flights and insomnia it's time.

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Cthulhu_ 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I bet they got drunk / high on loads of things too on the regular.

	▲	throwaway173738 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		Most likely sasparilla and root beer. Sasparilla in particular is made from Sassafrass which in its natural state contains safrole and produces a euphoric feeling when imbibed.