The Big Apple: “How do you fix a broken sousaphone?"/"With a tuba glue.”

A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps.

Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Aug. 15, 1931, Binghamton (NY) Press, pg. 14.

Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce "The Big Apple," a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.

Also listen to a 1937 "The Big Apple" song by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra. See a 1929 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald and a 1931 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald.

This site is edited by Barry Popik.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Entry from July 22, 2021

“How do you fix a broken sousaphone?"/"With a tuba glue.”

"Tuba” sounds like “tube of.” A riddle was printed in many newspapers in 1994:

Q: What do you use to fix a broken tuba?
A: A tuba glue!

The riddle is often worded as this:

Q: How do you fix a broken tuba?
A: With a tuba glue.

A sousaphone variation has been cited in print since at least 2012:

Q: How do you fix a broken sousaphone?
A: With a tuba glue.

Newspapers.com
12 July 1994, The Record (Hackensack, NJ), “Mighty Funny’s Mini Jokes,” The Mini Page, pg. 2, col. 4:
Q: What do you use to fix a broken tuba?
A: A tuba glue!
(both sent in by Allison Kuchinski)

Google Books
The Musicians’ Joke Book
By Jim Green
London, UK: Wise Publications
2010
Pg. ?:
Q: How do you fix a broken tuba?
A: With a tuba glue.

Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/LegateLanius June 8, 2011
How do you fix a broken tuba?
With a tuba glue!

Reddit—Funny
Posted by u/AustinMiniMan July 11, 2011
What’s your favorite joke that’s so stupid it’s groan-worthy?
I have two; both of which my friends hate.
How do you fix a broken tuba? With a tuba’ glue!

Twitter
LexFuturus
@LexFuturus
How do you fix a broken sousaphone?
........tuba glue.
5:25 PM · May 15, 2012·Twitter for iPhone

Reddit—3amjokes
Posted by u/gewill May 15, 2013
How do you fix a broken tuba?
With a tuba glue!

Google Books
The Super, Epic, Mega Joke Book for Kids
By Whee Winn
Grand Rapids, MI: Zonderkidz
2016
Pg. ?:
How do you fix a tuba?
With a tuba glue.

Reddit—Oneliners
Posted by u/wonliners November 23, 2017
I fixed my broken tuba with a tuba glue.

Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/Rdubdanger June 26, 2019
How do you fix a broken Sousaphone??
With a Tuba glue

Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/a_very_small_dude February 22, 2020
How can you fix a sousaphone
With a tuba glue

Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/HeyItsMrBlue22 August 18, 2021
When a tuba breaks, how do you fix it?
With a tuba glue!

Twitter
Bob Golen
@BobGolen
You can fix your sousaphone with a tuba glue.
1:39 PM · Aug 22, 2021·Twitter Web App

Posted by Barry Popik
New York City • Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus • Thursday, July 22, 2021 • Permalink