Linoleum

Linoleum is a floor covering made from solidified linseed oil in combination with wood flour or cork dust over a burlap or canvas backing. It is also used as an all-purpose "funny word" by the Muppets.

Appearances

 * In the Sesame Street song "La, La, La", Ernie and Bert name several words beginning with L. Ernie thinks of fun words like "laughter" and "lollipop", while Bert favors dull words like "lump" and "lightbulb."  Bert is very pleased with himself when he comes up with "linoleum," a word he considers to be "a beauty."


 * In the Spike Milligan episode of The Muppet Show, "linoleum" is the punchline of a joke that the Swedish Chef tells to a bevy of international Muppets. They all understand the joke and find it funny.


 * In the Fraggle Rock episode "The Secret Society of Poobahs", the Vanguard of the Poobahs gives the roll call, demanding that all present reply by saying "present" and all absent reply by saying "linoleum." Every name on the roll call is "Fritz"; one of these, however, is met with a disembodied voice saying "Linoleum!"  The Vanguard laments, "Aw, that Fritz.  He's never here when you need him."


 * In the Jim Henson Hour episode "Health and Fitness", Jacques Roach gives the viewer a quiz on eating for survival like the cockroaches do. He asks: "You are on a lo-cal diet, but you are invited to eat at a nice French restaurant.  How do you avoid breaking your dietary rules?"  The correct answer: "Stay at home at eat linoleum!"