Date Collected
Winter 12-7-2018
Place item was collected
Logan, Utah
Informant
Alexa Bills
Point of Discovery/Informant Bio
My name is Alexa Bills. I am 17 years old and am currently attending classes at Utah State University through an early college program at Intech Collegiate High school. I have always lived in Utah, residing in Tremonton for the first 12 years, and North Logan for the rest. My family has a dumb sense of humor, one that share. I find the stupidest things funny, and I can’t let a bad joke die.
Context
My family, specifically me, my dad and brother, have the most ridiculous sense of humor. My dad for example, says “Welcome to Walmart” whenever we enter our garage in the car. Why? I have no idea, and frankly neither does he. I remember being little asleep in the car. And waking up to him saying that, as we entered in the garage and the automatic light woke me up. We also call coupons, cupins, and think that’s hilarious for some reason. My dad also had me convinced that tater tots were called square fries, and I had no idea that it wasn’t an accepted name for them until I was like ten. The most infamous and long lasting joke “BA_” joke.
Text
I first remember my dad telling this joke, when I was little. I remember him asking for a BAH. “Do you know what that means, Lex?” No, I didn’t. “A Big Ass Hammer.” HA Ha HA HaHa. He thought he was hilarious, sure he was no John Mulaney, but his stupid giggle laugh that follows it, makes the joke. A joke that quickly became a common familial occurrence. Simple at first it was like:
“That’s a BAS, Lex, you know what that stands for?”
“No Dad, what?” I say this every time.
“Big Ass Ship.”
It got more complicated, over the years. I remember once, I told my brother that there was a BAGOC and asked him if he knew what that stood for.
“No What?”
“Big Ass Group of Chickens!”
Texture
I don’t know why I keep telling forms of this joke. Objectively looking at it, It’s not that funny. But I think it is. Even writing this made me chuckle a little bit. I’m proud to immortalize it in the archives. I should reserve it for only my family, but I don’t. I’ve told this to friends, who did not think it was hilarious as I did. I guess stupid jokes just run in families. And I am, sure as hell, gonna keep this going. If my children to be, don’t ask me if I know what a BAGOC is, then I will have failed as a mother.
Course
ENGL 2210
Instructor
Dr. Lynne McNeal
Semester and year
Fall 2018
Theme
G4: Jokes
EAD Number
3.9.124
Recommended Citation
Bills, Alexa, "BAH" (2018). USU Student Folklore Fieldwork. Paper 362.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/student_folklore_all/362