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Cartoon of a puzzled astronaut parent floating in a space station nursery holding a fussy baby in a tiny spacesuit

How do you stop an astronaut's baby from crying?

You rocket!

😂

Language Lover's Delight

Did You Know?

The joke blasts off because "rocket" sounds exactly like "rock it," the classic way parents soothe a crying baby. Fittingly, the word "rocket" comes from the Italian "rocchetta," meaning a little spindle, named for the shape of early fireworks. And rocking really does work: gentle rhythmic motion stimulates a baby's inner ear balance system, which helps calm their heart rate and lull them toward sleep.