It Takes a Lot of Effort To Make Wednesday One-Liners Look This Good

Guy to male friend: We believe that the better you look, the more spiritual you are.

–1st St & 5th Ave., Brooklyn

Overheard by: PrairieSquid

Man collecting money for the homeless: Come on guys, I’m way too pretty to be homeless.

–Union Square

Overheard by: Dara

Middle-aged African American male, with a blue NY Giants baseball cap on, and a fur coat: I’m pretty… I’m pretty… I’m pretty

–59th St Subway Station

Overheard by: nickporjr

Bum: Hey pretty! Hey pretty!
[Pretty girl coughs violently and sneezes at the same time.]Bum: Feel better, pretty.

–6th St & 7th Ave, Park Slope

Middle-aged, Chelsea-fit white guy on iPhone: Well, neither you nor any of your sisters were the beauty that I was…

–21st St & 8th Ave

Overheard by: Sean

Middle-aged man: You know who was good-looking? Stalin, when he was younger. He was so dashing!

–104th & West End

Overheard by: communist!

Posted on September 30, 2022
Activists, All Wednesday One-Liners, Beauty, Black People, Brooklyn, Chelsea & the Meatpacking District, Compare/Contrast, Compliments, Family Ties, Friends, Guys, History & Geography, Homeless, Illness, Men, Nice People, Offers and requests, Panhandling, Park Slope, Physical appearance, Queer guys, Questions, Subway stations, platforms, etc., Union Square and East Village, Upper West Side & Lincoln Center, Weirdness, White People, Wishes & desires

The Two Would Go on to Become Lifelong Friends

Hobo to drunk with spilled beer on lap: Hey man, got any spare change?
Drunk: Sorry man, I just peed myself.
Hobo: Happens to the best of us.

–Penn Station

Overheard by: Ray

Posted on April 7, 2022
Drunks, Hobos, Homeless, Money & Class, Panhandling, Pee, Penn Station

Night Train, Thunderbird and Wednesday One-Liners

Crazy hobo with guitar to stranger: Damn… you invited a lot of people.

–1 Train

Hobo to young married couple: I have found the promised land. Seriously. I'd get a plane ticket right now, but it'd be cheaper to go to confession for a week and then get hit by a bus. Remind me to tell you about this later.

–Times Square

Overheard by: Oliver

Grimy hobo: Hey, do you guys have any change? Hey, do you guys have any change?
(20-something girl walks past him, with businessman a few steps behind) Hey, do you guys want to have sex? Uh, I mean…

–W 3rd & Thompson

Hobo, taking donations to help the homeless, counting coins: 25…50…60… (grabs fistful of coins sticks in pocket) Tax rebate!

–Union Square

Posted on October 17, 2021
Accidents, All Wednesday One-Liners, Christianity, Couples, Crazies, Girls, Hobos, Homeless, Money & Class, On the Subway, One-liners, Panhandling, Pick-up Lines, Public Transportation, Sex, Strangers, Street, Suits, The Village, Thievery, Times Square, Travel, Union Square and East Village, Wednesday One-Liners, Weirdness, Wishes & desires

And a Home to Put It In, Sucker!

Hobo to young man getting out of a cab: Can you spare some change? (shakes cup in front of him)
Young man: No, thanks, I've already got a cup.

–E 10th & 1st

Overheard by: Dan

Posted on October 10, 2020
Comebacks, Hobos, Men, Panhandling, Union Square and East Village

Calling Me on My Transparent Scam Like That

Homeless man to passengers: If you ever have any leftover food or drinks or whatnot, you can bring them to me at this address. (hands out business cards)
Suit: Umm… How'd you get the money to print out business cards?
Homeless man: Kiss my ass, give me that card back!

–6 Train

Overheard by: Christine

Posted on August 20, 2020
Default, Homeless, Insults, Money & Class, Offers and requests, On the Subway, Panhandling, Questions, Suits

Well I Am Begging with a Starbucks Cup

Hobo: Can you spare some change? Or food?
Black lady: Nigga, get a job. This neighborhood's gone too bourgeois for your ass to be begging.

–West 4th

Overheard by: bella

Posted on May 17, 2020
Advice, Black People, Compare/Contrast, Default, Food, Hobos, Homeless, Jobs & Careers, Money & Class, Offers and requests, Panhandling, Questions, West Village, Women

Wednesday One-Liners Thank God for Their Piggy Banks

Little boy,jumping up and down: The Dow Jones is up! The Dow Jones is up!

–86th & Lexington

Overheard by: Some Random Girl

Crazy man, shouting at no one in particular: Fuck the economy, your asshole just dropped 200 points!

–8th Ave & 19th St

Slacker on a smoke break: Yeah, McCain said he is going to suspend his campaign so that he can work on the economy. I mean, really. It would be like me saying I'm suspending my pot distribution so that I can work on quantum physics.

–Forest Ave., Staten Island

Overheard by: political listener

Hobo on subway to man in suit: Spare change? Anyone? Spare change for the homeless? You look like you worked for Lehman Brothers, you're excused.

–51st St

Overheard by: Kate

Posted on April 18, 2019
All Wednesday One-Liners, Asshole, Business and Commerce, Chelsea & the Meatpacking District, Compare/Contrast, Crazies, Guys, Hobos, Homeless, Kids, Midtown & Hell's Kitchen, Panhandling, Politics, Staten Island, Suits, Upper East Side, Weed, Weirdness

A Pork Chop? A Mercedes?

Bum, to smoking cater waiter: Can I get a smoke?
Cater waiter: (nods saying “no”)
Bum, pulling a cigarette out of his ear: Then, can I get light?
Cater waiter: (lights it)
Bum: Can I get five bucks?

–14th & 8th Ave

Overheard by: Where's your sense of rhythm?

Posted on December 30, 2018
Chelsea & the Meatpacking District, Default, Free stuff!, Hobos, Homeless, Offers and requests, Panhandling, Questions, Smokers & Smoking, Smoking, Waiters

If You're Against Wednesday One-Liners, Don't Have One

Opera director, after tech sticks a wire hanger under the thermostat box to turn up the heat: Well, someone just got an abortion! (everyone stares) Okay, enough of that. Back to work! Ha! Ha! Ha!

–Brooklyn Music School

Comedy club promoter: Cheaper than a Chinese abortion!

–Times Square

Overheard by: Mickey

Bar customer to bartender: You're only 22? I have an aborted fetus that's older than you!

–110th & Amsterdam

Man selling tickets: Help me pay for my girlfriend's abortion by coming to the comedy club!

–Times Square

Man to very pregnant friend he has not seen for a while: Karen! Oh my god, how are you? I thought you had gotten an abortion.

–D Train

Overheard by: blistexaddict

Posted on November 29, 2018
Abortion, Age/Aging, All Wednesday One-Liners, Bartenders, Bosses, Brooklyn, Compare/Contrast, Customers, Laughter, Men, Money & Class, On the Subway, One-liners, Panhandling, Preggers, Pregnancy & Birth Control, Questions, School, Strangers, Theater & Dance, Times Square, Upper West Side & Lincoln Center, Vendors & Street Performers, Wednesday One-Liners

How Do They Taste?

Hobo: Can anyone spare some change? Please, I’m homeless and hungry.
British tourist #1: Is that the same bloke from the earlier train?
British tourist #2: No, I think it’s a woman.
British tourist #1: Oh! Poor thing. I wish we had a brassiere to give her.

–F train

Posted on August 24, 2018
Clothing, Foreigners, On the Subway, Panhandling

Panhandling