--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On a traffic light green means 'go' and…" description: "\"On a traffic light green means 'go' and yellow means 'yield', but on a banana it's just the opposite. Green means 'hold on,' yellow means 'go ahead,' a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/mitch-hedberg-695_bananas_on-a-traffic-light-green-means-go-and-ye_2992449.jpg" --- # On a traffic light green means 'go' and yellow means… ![“On a traffic light green means 'go' and yellow means 'yield', but on a banana it's just the opposite. Green means 'hold on,' yellow means 'go ahead,' and red means, 'where the hell did you get that banana at?'” quote by Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/mitch-hedberg-695_bananas_on-a-traffic-light-green-means-go-and-ye_2992449.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/mitch-hedberg-695_bananas_on-a-traffic-light-green-means-go-and-ye_2992449.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/mitch-hedberg-695_bananas_on-a-traffic-light-green-means-go-and-ye_2992449.jpg) > “On a traffic light green means 'go' and yellow means 'yield', but on a banana it's just the opposite. Green means 'hold on,' yellow means 'go ahead,' and red means, 'where the hell did you get that banana at?'” [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He humorously flips traffic light colors when applied to bananas, highlighting absurdity in literal interpretations. **In simple terms:** He jokes that banana colors invert traffic light meanings. Key Takeaway Question literal meanings in different contexts. Themes absurdity language interpretation humor color symbolism Mood playful witty Type comic observational When to use this quote - comedy shows - teaching language - advertising Key Concepts semantic inversion everyday objects comedic observation Questions to Reflect On - How does context change meaning? - What makes a literal inversion funny? A Different Perspective Jokes may rely on cultural knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) [Yellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yellow/) ## Related quotes > [“When the mats roll, red means "stop," green means "stop," and yellow also means "stop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dipti-dhakul/when-the-mats-roll-red-means-stop-green-means-stop-and-yellow-also/) [Dipti Dhakul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dipti-dhakul/) > [“K, the lady at the store said yellow means friendship and red means love. The rosary is the only thing I own that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/k-the-lady-at-the-store-said-yellow-means-friendship-and-red-means/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [Tom Ridge announced a new color-coded alarm system. ... Green means everything's okay. Red means we're in extreme danger. And champagne-fuschia means we're being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/tom-ridge-announced-a-new-color-coded-alarm-system-green-means/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [A sense of color always tells you how someone feels - a yellow means something; someone that wears black every day, that means something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-marcille/a-sense-of-color-always-tells-you-how-someone-feels-a-yellow-means/) [Eva Marcille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-marcille/) > [For me, being green means cleaning up the water. Water is the key. Start with water. You can't ignore the fact that that nearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/for-me-being-green-means-cleaning-up-the-water-water-is-the-key-start/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [It was a bird. A bird struggling through stickiness: a bird coated in paint, floundering in its nest, splashing color everywhere. Red. Red. Red.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-was-a-bird-a-bird-struggling-through-stickiness-a-bird-coated-in/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [It's the dream team, meets the Supreme Team and all our eyes green it only means one thing. You ain't fucking with my clique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/it-s-the-dream-team-meets-the-supreme-team-and-all-our-eyes-green-it/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [“red mean?” For a moment I see fear flashing in Hunter’s eyes, and suddenly I am cold again. “Red means run,” he says. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/red-mean-for-a-moment-i-see-fear-flashing-in-hunter-s-eyes-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Green means you're green with envy. Green means you wish you were me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-moody/green-means-you-re-green-with-envy-green-means-you-wish-you-were-me/) Judy Moody > [Browns seek knowledge, Blues meddle in causes, and Whites consider the questions of truth with implacable logic. We all do some of it all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/browns-seek-knowledge-blues-meddle-in-causes-and-whites-consider-the/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“That was totally his fault-Kenji's.. He tried to cross on red.. You ignore the signal, you'll get hurt. every kindergartener knows.. red means stop."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takehiko-inoue/that-was-totally-his-fault-kenji-s-he-tried-to-cross-on-red-you/) [Takehiko Inoue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takehiko-inoue/) > [Drinks like this tend to get called Traffic Lights or Rainbow's Revenge or, in places where truth is more highly valued, Hello and Good-Bye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/drinks-like-this-tend-to-get-called-traffic-lights-or-rainbow-s/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [If you are the kind of person who is waiting for the 'right' thing to happen, you might wait for a long time. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-you-are-the-kind-of-person-who-is-waiting-for-the-right-thing-to/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [After almost exactly three hours, we rolled into a small hole of a town that had one traffic light and a resturant simply marked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/after-almost-exactly-three-hours-we-rolled-into-a-small-hole-of-a/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Your mama is so fat and dumb she walked to the traffic light, saw a sign that said No U Turn and she said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-mama-is-so-fat-and-dumb-she-walked-to-the-traffic-light-saw-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mitch Hedberg > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [There was a product on late night TV that you could attach to your garden hose - "You can water your hard-to-reach plants with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/there-was-a-product-on-late-night-tv-that-you-could-attach-to-your/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I like wearing necklaces, because it lets me know when I'm upside down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-like-wearing-necklaces-because-it-lets-me-know-when-i-m-upside-down/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I'm sick of Soup Of The Day, man. It's time we make a decision. I need to know what Soup From Now On is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-m-sick-of-soup-of-the-day-man-it-s-time-we-make-a-decision-i-need/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I have a friend who is a juggler. If I'm at his house, I don't like to take food from him, if it's in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-have-a-friend-who-is-a-juggler-if-i-m-at-his-house-i-don-t-like-to/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I don't get the regular AIDS test anymore. I get the roundabout AIDS test. I ask my friend Brian, "Do you know anybody who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-get-the-regular-aids-test-anymore-i-get-the-roundabout-aids/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I don't know how to fix a car. If the car breaks down, and the gas tank does not say "E", I'm screwed. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-know-how-to-fix-a-car-if-the-car-breaks-down-and-the-gas-tank/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I drank some boiling water because I wanted to whistle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-drank-some-boiling-water-because-i-wanted-to-whistle/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [What's a sesame seed grow into? I don't know we never give them a chance, what the fuck is a sesame?! It's a street...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/what-s-a-sesame-seed-grow-into-i-don-t-know-we-never-give-them-a/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I'm an ice sculptor. Last night I made a cube.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-m-an-ice-sculptor-last-night-i-made-a-cube/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I went to a restaurant with my friend, and he said, "Pass the salt." I said, "Screw you! Sit closer to the salt."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-went-to-a-restaurant-with-my-friend-and-he-said-pass-the-salt-i/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I had a bag of Fritos, they were Texas grilled Fritos. These Fritos had grill marks on them. They remind me of summer, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-had-a-bag-of-fritos-they-were-texas-grilled-fritos-these-fritos-had/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I bought a house, it's a two bedroom house, but I think it's up to me to decide how many bedrooms there are. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-bought-a-house-it-s-a-two-bedroom-house-but-i-think-it-s-up-to-me/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Mr. Pibb is a poor imitation of Dr. Pepper. Dude didn't even get his degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/mr-pibb-is-a-poor-imitation-of-dr-pepper-dude-didn-t-even-get-his/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) [Explore all 405 Mitch Hedberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) ## More Bananas quotes > ['When you slip on a banana peel, people laugh at you. When you tell people you slipped on a banana peel, it's your laugh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/when-you-slip-on-a-banana-peel-people-laugh-at-you-when-you-tell/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [It doesn't matter to me where Barack Obama goes. If he wants to go to Hawaii because it's his home state, fine! Hunky-dory. Plastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-where-barack-obama-goes-if-he-wants-to-go-to/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Hey, maybe instead of going to college, you should drop out and I could quit my job and we can form an all-girl band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-palladino/hey-maybe-instead-of-going-to-college-you-should-drop-out-and-i-could/) Daniel Palladino > [“The banana flavour of his accidental conception, and the banana theme of his accidental death, now all seemed to conspire against him and rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-conrad/the-banana-flavour-of-his-accidental-conception-and-the-banana-theme/) [Tom Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-conrad/) > [While it's true that you may lose your religion during the course of a lifetime, you never lose your salvation. Once you let Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-falsani/while-it-s-true-that-you-may-lose-your-religion-during-the-course-of/) [Cathleen Falsani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-falsani/) > [We had an abundance of mangoes, papaias and bananas here, but the pride of the islands, the most delicious fruit known to men, cherimoya,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/we-had-an-abundance-of-mangoes-papaias-and-bananas-here-but-the-pride/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Everything goes with short hair. It's bananas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/everything-goes-with-short-hair-it-s-bananas/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [From cheesecake on a stick to meat skewers to deep-fried bananas on a stick - there are no plates anymore. In Los Angeles, everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/from-cheesecake-on-a-stick-to-meat-skewers-to-deep-fried-bananas-on-a/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Los Estados Unidos has turned into a banana republic, a fascist banana republic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-celente/los-estados-unidos-has-turned-into-a-banana-republic-a-fascist-banana/) [Gerald Celente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-celente/) > [A Tom Ford three-piece makes you feel so confident, it's bananas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwyane-wade/a-tom-ford-three-piece-makes-you-feel-so-confident-it-s-bananas/) [Dwyane Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwyane-wade/) > [With an animated show you can make a banana purple. You can put three hats on a cowboy. That would require several days of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/with-an-animated-show-you-can-make-a-banana-purple-you-can-put-three/) [Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/) > [I ate two waffles, a banana and cereal with blueberries. And that whas between my two breakfasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-ate-two-waffles-a-banana-and-cereal-with-blueberries-and-that-whas/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [In Puerto Rico, we have a lot of traditions. We eat a very typical thing that's called 'pasteles' - it's almost like a tamale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-giraud/in-puerto-rico-we-have-a-lot-of-traditions-we-eat-a-very-typical/) [Joyce Giraud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-giraud/) > [look, you know i don't wanna come on ungrateful, but that warren report, you know as well as me, just didn't make it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/look-you-know-i-don-t-wanna-come-on-ungrateful-but-that-warren-report/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Starting Monday, 7-11 will begin testing a new plastic wrap designed to keep bananas yellow and firm for five days. Though if your banana…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-meyers/starting-monday-7-11-will-begin-testing-a-new-plastic-wrap-designed/) [Seth Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-meyers/) Browse all 323 Bananas quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "On a traffic light green means 'go' and yellow means 'yield', but on a banana it's just the opposite. 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