He sees that in farmer's field, there are goats for a couple of weeks. After that, the goats are replaced with horses. Another couple of weeks go by an the horses are replaced by sheep.
He sees the farmer and asks him, "Why do you keep switching the animals in your field?"
The farmer responds, "Well, my daddy taught me that to prepare for good crops next year, the best thing is to have the soil prepared. By feeding the variety of animals you get different varieties of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from their waste. By the time I plant the crop in those fields next year I should expect a good yield from the land."
The neighbor is impressed and says, "I didn't realize that."
The farmer says, "You've never heard of rotating your craps?"
Joke Poo: The Software Engineer’s Rotation
A software engineer moves into a new open-plan office space. He notices that at one desk, there’s a Python developer for a few sprints. After that, the Python dev is replaced with a Java developer. Another few sprints go by, and the Java dev is replaced by a JavaScript guru.
He sees the project manager and asks him, “Why do you keep switching the developers on that desk?”
The project manager responds, “Well, my senior architect taught me that to prepare for a successful product launch next year, the best thing is to have the legacy code massaged and reworked. By having a variety of developers with different expertise, you get different flavors of refactoring, different approaches to debugging, and different ways to introduce new bugs. By the time we actually launch, the code should be… interesting.”
The software engineer is confused and says, “I’m not sure I follow…”
The project manager says, “You’ve never heard of rotating your crap code?”
Okay, let’s dissect this joke.
Core Elements:
- Setup: Man moves next to a farm, observes a rotating animal grazing system.
- Misdirection: We expect a more conventional farming explanation.
- Punchline: A pun on “rotating crops” using the word “craps” (meaning manure/waste) to create humorous incongruity.
- Key theme: agriculture and puns.
Factual Tidbits and Interesting Connections:
- Soil Science: The farmer’s explanation, while simplified, has a grain of truth. Different animals do have slightly different nutrient compositions in their manure. For example, chicken manure is particularly high in nitrogen. Crop rotation is a legitimate farming practice.
- Nitrogen Fixation: Some plants, like legumes (peas, beans), have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that “fix” nitrogen from the air into the soil, naturally fertilizing it.
- “Craps” Etymology: The word “crap,” while generally considered vulgar, has roots in Middle Dutch and Middle English words meaning “scrap,” “waste,” or “chaff.” So, its connection to manure isn’t totally random.
New Humor (Joke Expansion):
Original Joke:
Guy moves in next to a farm. He sees that in farmer’s field, there are goats for a couple of weeks. After that, the goats are replaced with horses. Another couple of weeks go by an the horses are replaced by sheep.
He sees the farmer and asks him, “Why do you keep switching the animals in your field?”
The farmer responds, “Well, my daddy taught me that to prepare for good crops next year, the best thing is to have the soil prepared. By feeding the variety of animals you get different varieties of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from their waste. By the time I plant the crop in those fields next year I should expect a good yield from the land.”
The neighbor is impressed and says, “I didn’t realize that.”
The farmer says, “You’ve never heard of rotating your craps?”
Expanded Joke with a Punchier Setup:
A city-slicker moves to the countryside and is utterly bewildered by his neighbor’s farming practices. First, it’s goats grazing in the field. Then, horses. Then, sheep. Finally, he can’t take it anymore. He approaches the farmer.
“I gotta ask,” he says. “What’s with all the animals? Are you running some kind of petting zoo with a revolving door?”
The farmer explains, “Well, my daddy taught me that to prepare for good crops next year, the best thing is to have the soil prepared. By feeding the variety of animals you get different varieties of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from their waste. By the time I plant the crop in those fields next year I should expect a good yield from the land.”
The neighbor, looking impressed but still confused, says, “So, it’s like… a manure buffet for the soil?”
The farmer, winking, says, “Exactly! You’ve never heard of rotating your craps?”
Why this is an Improvement (Arguable, of course!):
- Stronger Character: The “city-slicker” setup creates more comedic contrast.
- Enhanced Dialogue: The back-and-forth adds pace and humor. The line, “So, it’s like… a manure buffet for the soil?” serves as a good lead up to the final punchline.
The original joke is decent, but a little bland in its delivery. It relies solely on the pun. Adding some character and a slightly more humorous setup, gives the joke a bit more zest.