How do you tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?

Tell It Well

Save the Farewell for Last

“See you later, alligator” and “after a while, crocodile” are familiar paired farewells. The setup disguises them as a real wildlife-identification question. Ask it with mock seriousness, then keep the answer in one smooth sentence. Listeners supply the missing animal names themselves, which makes the recognition part of the joke.