Pull my finger
Encyclopedia
Pull my finger is a joke
or prank regarding flatulence
in which a mark is asked to pull the finger of the illusionist (the person playing the joke), who simultaneously farts so as to suggest a causal relationship
between the pulling of the finger and the subsequent expulsion of gas. References in popular culture tend to treat "pull my finger" as a meme
, saying the line but not showing the result, apparently on the assumption that the result is well known. Humor can also be derived from mishaps from attempting the gag, such as one's finger being literally pulled off
rather than causing flatulence.
In 2008, an iPhone
app called Pull My Finger was one of the most popular apps in Apple's App Store, purchased over 50,000 times in less than one week. It allowed users to pull a virtual finger, activating the sound. The phrase is now the focus of a legal battle between Pull My Finger and iFart over the use of the phrase.
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
or prank regarding flatulence
Flatulence
Flatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply gas...
in which a mark is asked to pull the finger of the illusionist (the person playing the joke), who simultaneously farts so as to suggest a causal relationship
Causality
Causality is the relationship between an event and a second event , where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first....
between the pulling of the finger and the subsequent expulsion of gas. References in popular culture tend to treat "pull my finger" as a meme
Meme
A meme is "an idea, behaviour or style that spreads from person to person within a culture."A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena...
, saying the line but not showing the result, apparently on the assumption that the result is well known. Humor can also be derived from mishaps from attempting the gag, such as one's finger being literally pulled off
Dismemberment
Dismemberment is the act of cutting, tearing, pulling, wrenching or otherwise removing, the limbs of a living thing. It may be practiced upon human beings as a form of capital punishment, as a result of a traumatic accident, or in connection with murder, suicide, or cannibalism...
rather than causing flatulence.
In 2008, an iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
app called Pull My Finger was one of the most popular apps in Apple's App Store, purchased over 50,000 times in less than one week. It allowed users to pull a virtual finger, activating the sound. The phrase is now the focus of a legal battle between Pull My Finger and iFart over the use of the phrase.