What do you call a bear with no teeth?

The humor in this joke is a classic example of wordplay, specifically a pun. Puns exploit multiple meanings of a word or similar-sounding words for a humorous effect. Here, the trick lies in the word "gummy." When we imagine a bear that has lost all its teeth, we picture it left only with its gums, making it a "gummy" bear in the literal sense. The punchline cleverly pivots this image to the well-known candy, playing on the identical sound of the words.

This leads us to the sweet side of the joke. Gummy bears, those chewy, fruit-flavored treats, have a fascinating history. They originated in Germany in the 1920s, created by confectioner Hans Riegel Sr., who founded the Haribo company. His original "Dancing Bears" were inspired by the trained bears that were a common sight at European festivals centuries ago, providing a whimsical shape for his new gelatin-based candies. So, while a toothless bear might not be much of a threat in the wild, a "gummy bear" is a delightful treat that has been bringing smiles for over a century.