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May 19, 2009

Smithsonian Caption Writing Contest #4: A Tic-Tac on Stilts?

Image courtesy of Smithsonian Archives

Image courtesy of Smithsonian Archives

UPDATED 06.13.09: Comments have now been closed. Stay tuned for an announcement of the winner of the caption contest.

It’s that time of the month again – time for the ATM caption-writing contest! You should know the deal by now, kids. We provide you a historical photograph ripe for the mocking from our deep, dark Smithsonian vaults, and you, our beloved readers, provide the witty captions to describe what might be going on in the picture. Easy as pie, right?

We’ll even give you a few to get the party started:

“It’s MY clubhouse and YOU can’t come in!”

“Well, if we can’t drill off the coast of Alaska, why not drill on the moon?”

“Now that I’ve finished papering your spaceship, Mr. Johnson, would you like to discuss your laminate flooring options?”

Think you can do better and make milk shoot out of our collective noses? Let’s hear from you! Just make sure you submit your entry by Friday, June 12. We’ll be revealing the winning caption (along with the true story behind the photograph) that afternoon. And what does the victorious effort receive? A hearty virtual handshake from the Smithsonian, of course!



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242 Comments

  1. Gene Davis says:

    Ok, the oil’s up to here. Hand me the turkey.

  2. John S. Newsom says:

    Area 51 Technician sometime in 1954: “Hey you down there, in the suit, don’t you know that rectal thermometers don’t work with aliens!”

  3. Katheryn L. Sato says:

    Well Mister, the air conditioner is working again, she’s a beaut all right. Nice condition too. Ya’ just don’t see very many pass by this planet. Not even past the 100 light year mark either.

  4. Katheryn L. Sato says:

    Okay, I think I’ve got it…the chickens go in there and come out here and the eggs drop down the tube?

  5. Michael Hutchinson says:

    Okay, so let’s try “It was a weather balloon!” That worked before.

  6. “SEE IF ” KLAATU BARADA NIKTO ” GETS IT TO WORK. “

  7. Diane Matson says:

    Before the planet Ork used “green” spaceships.

  8. RPy says:

    Well, Commander, I guess if I knew BYOL meant bring your own ladder, I sure as hell would be going with you guys into space!

  9. John Pfaff, IV says:

    “No, you can’t have it. It’s my Easter egg and I found it first!”

  10. Richard J Allen says:

    Well, it needs new carpeting and the kitchen needs to be updated. I’ll take it, assuming I can get financing.

  11. Don Weber says:

    “Congratulations, sir. You’ve discovered where all the socks went!”

  12. Jeff Watson says:

    Just another minute on your chicken burrito Mr. Harvey!

  13. Myron Leveen says:

    “You’re the plumber; Now, get my toilet to flush properly or get your system out of my house before sundown!!!”

  14. Charles Burke says:

    Lacking public support, some early cell phone technology was doomed to failure.

  15. Jane Allen says:

    The Ovarium has landed. What are we going to do with all these?

  16. RPy says:

    Oswald!! It’s got the cutest bunnies. And colored eggs. I think that’s a sugar candy church. Golly, I haven’t looked into one of these since I was a kid at Easter!

  17. Norm Jensen says:

    Hey Joe, I don’t what makes this so special?
    My wife got one the other day and it works better than the old one.

  18. Norm Jensen says:

    I think its one of those high rise washing machine’s???

  19. Norm Jensen says:

    Hey! whatever’s cooking in here sure smells good…

  20. Norm Jensen says:

    Hey Frank, I would’nt touch that untill I disconnect this red wire…

  21. Augie says:

    The Satellite Of Love looked drastically different in the MST3K pilot.

  22. Augie says:

    “No, seriously, we really are sending this to Uranus.”

  23. Augie says:

    Gort, the robot from The Day The Earth Stood Still, is combined with the tripods from War Of The Worlds for the upcoming crossover film, The War On The Day The World Stood Still.

  24. Augie says:

    “Ok, I set the timer, so we’d better hurry up and pose before it takes the picture.”

  25. Augie says:

    “Why does the tv show Robot Egg have that title?” “It’s a spin-off. It came out of Robot Chicken.”

  26. Augie says:

    “Golly, this prototype nuclear weapon sure is ‘THE BOMB’!!!”

  27. Augie says:

    Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. William M. Dirczynowitz ironically had the initials WMD.

  28. Augie says:

    The Death Ray was accidentally discovered while developing a microwave that wouldn’t spaz out when a fork was inside it.

  29. Augie says:

    Cyberdyne was building terminators a lot earlier than people thought…

  30. Augie says:

    “Dude, Pluto is TOTALLY a planet!!!” “Dude, it TOTALLY isn’t!!!” “Dude, it is!!!” “Dude, it’s not!!!” “Dude, it is!!!” “Dude, it’s not!!!” “Dude, it…

  31. Lucy Comly says:

    You really did it this time, Merle. You completely blew apart the insides!

    (from DTM/CIW Merle Tuve’s daughter; he would have loved these very funny comments!)

  32. Peter Palumbo says:

    For Caption:

    ” Yes Doctor, five of them, little, but not green!”

  33. Anthony Totah says:

    So we should be able to get digital TV now.

  34. Larry Horowitz says:

    Son, is this a twitter?!

  35. Mike Fallon says:

    You THINK you turned the power off?

  36. Jim Stoffel says:

    You know Fred, with the bathroom this high off the floor, it may be several years before we have to move it again.

  37. RPy says:

    I’m telling you Melvin, there’s 24 hours of digital hhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

  38. Hjalmer Danielson says:

    You should have seen the Chicken that layed it!

  39. RPy says:

    When they advertised it as the largest BINGO game in the world, I just assumed they meant players!

  40. Jon Miller says:

    “Yes; I’ve checked twice now Tim, and Uncle Martin is not home.”

  41. joel merrick says:

    I just don’t feel comfortable with this Tom… Are you sure this ladder is stable.

  42. [...] received nearly 250 entries for the contest, with many entries riffing on the old chicken/egg debate and others referencing the television [...]

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