Phil Conrath, ago 11, of Cheney, 'Nash., for his question:

Do we really have a funny bone?

A bump on the elbow can be very painful. It is no help when a friend says Ha, Hal You cracked. your funny bone. He may think it funny but you do not.

The name funny bone is a sort of medical joke. The medical name for the upper elbow bone is the humerus. It sounds like the word humorous, meaning funny, and only needs a little change in the spelling.

A large nerve rests on the humerus at the elbow joint. When you bump this joint, this ulna nerve sets up a howel. It tingles so badly it is anything but funny. But the pain is soon over and you can soon stop grimacing and laugh at your funny bone if you wish.