Did your friends laugh at your joke? You could close with, “thank you, folks, try the veal.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The expression “try the veal” is similar to “that’s all, folks!” It’s a way of closing a joke or a comedy set. It’s similar to the saying “been there, done that."
Example Usage
"Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. Thank you, thank you, folks. I'll be here all week. Try the veal."
"A pair of cows were talking in the field. One says, "Have you heard about the mad cow disease going around?" "Yeah," the other cow says. "Makes me glad I'm a penguin." Thank you, thank you, folks. I'll be here all week. Try the veal."
"Once, my father came home and found me in front of a roaring fire. That made my father very mad, as we didn't have a fireplace." Thank you, thank you, folks. I'll be here all week. Try the veal."
"Your mother has been with us for 20 years," said John. "Isn't it time she got a place of her own?" "My mother?" replied Helen. "I thought she was your mother." Thank you, thank you, folks. I'll be here all week. Try the veal."
"In Denver, the members of a Sunday-school class were asked to set down their favorite biblical truths. One youngster laboriously printed: "Do one to others as others do one to you." Thank you, thank you, folks. I'll be here all week. Try the veal."
"One of the oddities of Wall Street is that it is the dealer and not the customer who is called the broker. Thank you, thank you, folks. I'll be here all week. Try the veal."
"At a party, a young wife admonished her husband, "That's the fourth time you've gone back for ice cream and cake. Doesn't it embarrass you?" "Why should it?" answered her spouse. "I keep telling them it's for you." Thank you, thank you, folks. I'll be here all week. Try the veal."
"A grasshopper walks into a bar. The bartender looks at him and says, "Hey, they named a drink after you!" "Really?" replies the grasshopper. "There's a drink named Stan?" Thank you, thank you, folks. I'll be here all week. Try the veal."
Origin
The expression "tray the veal" originates from the standup comedy scene. Comedians would use the term to close their set and direct the audience's attention away from them to something else at the venue.
It's a lighthearted way to let the audience know that they're done and they shouldn't expect an encore. There is no record of the first comedian to use the saying or when it appeared in the standup scene as a closing statement.
Phrases Similar to Try the Veal
- Thanks for being here.
Phrases Opposite to Try the Veal
- N/A.
What is the Correct Saying?
- Try the veal.
Ways People May Say Try the Veal Incorrectly
The phrase has nothing to do with eating veal. It's a way of telling a crowd of people that you're finished telling a joke, and they should take their attention away from you to other things in the room or venue.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Try the Veal
You can use the phrase "try the veal" as a concluding statement after saying something funny. Comics will use the saying as a closing statement after they finish their act. The phrase suits social use. For instance, if you crack a joke that makes people laugh, you could say, "thanks, folks, you're too kind. I'll be here all week. Try the veal."
The phrase suits verbal communication with other people, but you can use it in text conversations. When finishing your joke, you can use "try the veal" for one person or a crowd of people. If you're a comic, you can use "try the veal" when closing your act.