ask a silly question, get a silly answer

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

If one asks a question that is stupid or to which the answer is obvious, one should not be surprised or displeased to receive a silly or bizarre response.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Nếu hỏi một câu hỏi ngớ ngẩn, sẽ nhận được một câu trả lời ngớ ngẩn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “ask a silly question, get a silly answer” mean?

If one asks a question that is stupid or to which the answer is obvious, one should not be surprised or displeased to receive a silly or bizarre response.

Is “ask a silly question, get a silly answer” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.