Leonardo6/ny_cartoon_1k huggingface dataset:
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: She thinks her bomb bay makes her look fat. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A trope of women dressing in fancy clothes is that they fear the clothes will "make them look fat". If a woman was a fighter plane, the joke is that the woman would still be worried about her appearance, but instead of clothes fitting poorly, she's worried about the bomb bay making her look fat.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I always knew we'd wind up together. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the phrase "wind up together," which is usually a figurative expression to describe two lovers who get married, but did so without an intentional plan. Here, however, the two giraffes have their necks literally wound together.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I wanted you to meet our colon specialist before we miniaturized him. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: An allusion to "Fantastic Voyage" wherein a submarine crew gets miniaturized and sent into a person's body. In this case, the person in the diving suit is a doctor who will perform colon surgery from the inside.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: And the worst part is this isn't my luggage. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Airplanes are often cramped spaces, and this joke takes that idea to an extreme: somehow, this passenger has been trapped in luggage (that has perhaps fallen from an overhead compartment) that isn't even his.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: He's been on that same story for hours. I'm beginning to think he can't read. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A surprisingly nonchalant response to a giant rat reading a newspaper in these people's living room. Instead of pointing out the number of odd things about the situation, the relatively benign "he can't read" is what is worrying the woman, which is funny, because obviously, rats can't read.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: O.K., they're yours, but I still don't know where you got that fourth ace. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The priest and the devil had been playing cards where the stakes were the people's souls. The devil cheated at this card game. It's funny in part because, even though the priest recognizes that the devil pulled an extra ace from nowhere, he doesn't seem to register or expect that the devil cheated. His response to turning over these souls to satan is humorous nonchalant.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Actually, I'm not crazy about long walks on the beach. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A common romantic line when dating is to say "I like long walks on the beach." But here, the man is wearing high heels, which are notoriously painful to walk long distances in. So, he prefers to wear high heels, and not to walk long distances on the beach.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: That's a rare medium. Well done. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the terms "rare", "medium", and "well done"; these three phrases are steak temperatures that people prefer, which ties in the the barbecue. But on the other hand, in the art context, a "rare medium" would be a piece of art that is constructed with uncommon materials; the uncommon material is the burgers he's cooking. The "well done" is re-framed as a congratulatory message for barbecuing well.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: What disease are you crawling for? Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the idea that people run marathons for charities --- people train for running events, get their friends to sponsor them financially, and then donate the money to charity; this provides both social good and motivation for running. Here, it's not a marathon, but a desert crawling competition of some kind --- the question means: "which charity are you supporting by crawling in this event?"
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: So, which one of you varmints is mine? Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the word "varmint" (commonly used in the wild west by cowboys like this man) --- which can refer to a pest in the literal sense (e.g., a raccoon or a squirrel), but also, can refer endearingly to a troublesome child. Here, the man can't distinguish between literal and figurative varmints, which is surprising, because the baby is his own child.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Move the car. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A crude joke about bird poop. Pigeons are notorious for pooping on cars, and so people try not to park under birds. Here, the birds are large and so the people assume that their car is in extra deification danger, and thus are trying to move it.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: So, when did the 'check mustard' light come on? Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A normal vehicle that breaks down might have the "check engine" light on, which a mechanic might ask about the timeline of. Here, the car is the Wienermobile, which might instead have a "check mustard" light instead. It's funny partly because it's unclear what the check mustard light would indicate about the hot dog repair.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: The hours here are obscene. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Swear words are often visually represented by a mix of various punctuation marks: in this case, the clock contains a lot of punctuation, which makes the hours literally obscene. "Obscene hours" would usually mean a job that requires very long or unusual hours.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: This town ain’t big enough for anyone. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the phrase "this town ain't big enough for the two of us" --- this is a thing cowboys say to each-other to insight a duel, and refers to the idea that the two combatants each have big egos and only one can survive. But here, the "town" is a tiny island, and even the lonely cowboy can not physically fit. So, the phrase is: the town isn't big enough "for anyone".
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Call security and tell them to circle the wagons! Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: An old-time boss from the wild west, after being attacked by arrows, calls security for help, but instead of modern help, he asks them to "circle the wagons", which is a defensive maneuver used to protect livestock during the 1800s when people traveled by wagon train. The contrast between the modern surroundings and the 19th century boss/attackers is funny; it's unclear if security uses normal of-the-time measures, or uses 19th century tactics like circling wagons.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I thought you said it wouldn't need much attention. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: People sometimes say plants won't need much attention, i.e., it will live if you forget to water them for a while, and it will grow in low or high light conditions. While cacti are often said to "not need much attention," here, the plant care routine has gone so wrong that the plant has come to life and is chasing the owners.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: No, sir, this is Fenway. You're looking for Jurassic Park. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the names "Fenway Park" and "Jurassic Park". Fenway Park is a professional baseball stadium in Boston, whereas Jurassic Park is a fictional theme park full of dinosaurs from a movie. Here, the pitcher is explaining to the caveman that he doesn't belong in the baseball park, and instead, belongs in the more primitive park with the dinosaurs.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Let's let him keep your ball. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The monster took the ball the dog was playing with prior to this --- because the monster is quite intimidating, the man decides to tell his dog that they will not risk the danger, and will simply let the evil looking monster keep ball. This is funny in part because, instead of running away, the man nonchalantly and calmly states the course of action.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: 'Til death do us part" was the agreement, Susan. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about wedding vows --- the man apparently was excited to get some alone time from his spouse after they have both died; this accords with their common wedding vow "til death do us part." But, death has not done them part, and the wife (skeleton) still wants to be with the husband, even though he didn't agree to anything post-death.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Heal! Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the words "heel" and "heal". A doctor might hope their patient would heal from a disease. A dog might be taught "heel" as a command which means for your dog to come and stand next to you. Here, the doctor's command has both meanings, because the dog is the patient.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Long time no sea. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the term "sea" --- "long time no see" is something people say to each-other after they meet up for the first time in an extended period. But here, "sea"  transforms the meaning to mean: "it's been a long time since you've been in the ocean," which is an accurate comment for someone who has been paddling a boat through the desert for many miles.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Will No. 3 please step forward and achieve satori. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: In a police lineup, suspects are often called upon to perform small tasks to help identify perpetrators, e.g., turning, or opening their mouth. The police officer nonchalantly asks for a non-trivial task of the holy lineup: to achieve sudden enlightenment (satori). The informality of this request is funny.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: They're trying to attract a younger crowd. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The jockeys are riding a common children's toy: the "hobby horse". The joke is that this particular race track switched from the real horses to the toy horses as a marketing ploy so that they could attract younger fans to watch the races. It's funny in part because it's not clear why a race track, who relies on gambling, would want to attract children with no access to money as customers.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Who would have thought they'd actually give money to a bank! Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about the bank bail-outs during the 2008 recession. Banks made a bunch of risky loans, and then were bailed out by the federal government despite their bad behavior. This joke pokes fun at the idea that the bankers feel they tricked the government as they walk out of congress with piles of cash. The irony is that banks have a lot of money, which is the contrast the caption points to.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I don't like the way Adam looks at you. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: These are a snake couple that live in eden, and the female snake has a human butt. This feature apparently makes the male snake jealous because the human Adam is purportedly attracted to the part-human snake.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: He's his own best friend. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the phrase "man's best friend." The dog throwing the stick to himself is doing so alone, and taking the role of a human owner who might otherwise throw the stick. So, instead of being "man's best friend", he is his own best friend, and he doesn't need humans.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Now don't you wish you hadn't done so many helium shots? Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: People often regret drinking so much because being drunk can be unpleasant, as is having a hangover. But here, instead of doing too many alcohol shots, the person on the ceiling did too many helium shots. Helium is less dense than air, and so things filled with it tend to float, e.g., like balloons, or this man. As his partner points out, he might regret it because he'd probably rather be in bed vs. on the ceiling.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Harry, the whole point of leaving England was to blend in. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about Prince Harry and Meghan moving to America. They moved to America in part to avoid the media attention associated with living in the royal family. The joke here is that, Harry still feels the need to wear a royal-looking outfit, which causes the pair to not blend in.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I miss the screaming. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke that refers to meat substitutes. As a vegan alternative for sharks, they have been given a mannequin, which substitutes for a human. Much like people find faults in meat substitutes (e.g., they miss the taste of meat), the sharks find faults in the mannequin --- apparently, they miss the human screaming. It's funny/cute to think that sharks are trying to go vegan.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: If I had more dough, I'd be in first class. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the word "dough" --- dough figuratively refers to money, and the quote can mean the person would have bought a first class ticket if he had more money. But because the person is a chef, the dough takes a second meaning: literal pizza dough, that he's tossing.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Shall I keep reading? Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about a man who has spent too long reading to someone --- he's read to them so much that they've literally died, perhaps of boredom, and their body is being eaten by birds. An over-exaggeration of the feeling of boredom one might experience if someone was reading something to them that they don't care about. It's funny because the man reading doesn't seem to realize that he's literally killed the other person of boredom, and offers to keep reading even after their death.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I can’t skip. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A reference to the Wizard of Oz --- in that story, the group of protagonists often skip down the yellow brick road. But, this potential fifth character (the sailor with the peg leg) was rejected by the party because he is physically unable skip due to his leg. It's a petty reason for the party to pass him over.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I see you are unfamiliar with French Mythology. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A reference to escargot. While the centaur is a glorious mythological creature from greek mythology, the joke is that if France had a comparable mythological creature it would be a half-man, half-snail, like in escargot. The snail main is slower and less impressive physically than the centaur.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: There's water everywhere Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Someone might call a plumber to fix a leak in their house --- leaks usually result in flooding and "water everywhere." But here, while the same concern is stated, the water is the ocean. it's funny because it's not clear what the plumber is supposed to do to fix it.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: You can tell the judge why you were doing CX in a XXV. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The police officer is from roman times (horses, outfit) --- such a police officer would use roman numerals for numbers, so instead of arresting the speeding person for doing "110mph in a 25mph zone", they scold them for "doing CX in a XXV".
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: The third quarter is going to be delicious. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the term "delicious" --- in a usual office setting, if third quarter was going to be delicious, it would be figuratively so, i.e., with juicy gossip, people getting fired, lots of drama, etc. But here, the third quarter will be literally delicious because the person growing vegetables for the company will share them in the future, which will make for delicious food. It's funny in part because the usual interpretation is about dark enjoyment of office politics, but the literal interpretation is about a wholesome vegetable feast.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I didn't get where I am by trying to please. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The CEO of a company will often explain who they had to make many sacrifices to get to the top. But here, the CEO is a cat and all the employees are dogs. The cat must have had to fight especially hard against the status quo to achieve her position.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Your insurance company got back to us. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about the inadequacy of some insurance plans --- the joke is that some plans don't cover many procedures and the resulting  medical bills can be significant. The "NO" from the company was so strong, that the paper literally caught on fire.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Somebody carve 911. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The person with the dinosaur attached to their leg is in immediate medical danger due to the bite --- in the modern world, such a dangerous occurrence would be responded to by calling 911 for emergency medical help, but here, there are no telephones, and communication happens instead via carving into walls (though, it's unclear exactly how carving 911 would lead to medical help arriving).
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Except here it's always good cop, good cop. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the phrase "good cop, bad cop" --- two homeless angels are loitering in heaven as two angel cops come by. Instead of the usual "good cop, bad cop" routine where one officer pretends to be nice and the other is mean as a strategy to get a confession, in heaven apparently all cops are good, so it's "good cop, good cop".
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I'm not comfortable discussing that in front of my fish. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about group therapy --- but instead of a couple or a small group of people, this patient is getting therapy alongside all of his pets. The therapist is having trouble dealing with this difficult and preposterous patient, who deeply cares about his pets feelings about him: so much so, that he's worried about discussing particular topics that might offend his fish. While it might be appropriate to not want to discuss particular topics in usual group therapy with humans, the fish can't speak english.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: On second thought let's skip the play. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about Abraham Lincoln's assassination, which took place at a play. This man is getting ready to go to a play and has a vision of himself as Lincoln; because he wants to avoid being assassinated, due to this premonition, he suggests to his partner that they not go to the play after all.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Hold on, the Senate Committee on Women's Health is getting out. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Women's reproductive rights are often governed by laws written largely by men. The joke here is that the entire committee on women's health is middle aged white men that look exactly the same and are out-of-touch with women's experiences.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Let Table Seven know that there will be a slight delay on the risotto. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The chefs in this kitchen are in a state of chaos --- there's nudity, a knife fight, a mess everywhere, etc. The waiter nonchalantly says in response that the risotto will be slightly delayed, which is technically true, but presumably, there would be much bigger problems to attend to like the ongoing knife chase.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Personally, I'm not a big fan of modern architecture. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: People sometimes complain about modern architecture being ugly. But for cavepeople, the cave is the modern architecture, and the hole is the usual one. Thinking of a cave as "modern architecture" is funny because both seem so ancient to the reader.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: You were with Ringling Brothers? I was with Lehman Brothers. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about the 2008 financial crisis: both the clown and the bartender were fired and worked for "Brothers" --- the Ringling Brothers (a circus company) for the clown, and "Lehman Brothers" (an investment bank) for the bartender. The similarity of the names and their intersecting sad stories makes the situation unusual and funny.