The riddle
Why Is Europe Like a Frying Pan?
Greece and grease
Greece, the country, and grease, the oily fat left in a cooking pan, are pronounced the same. A pan that has been used for frying collects grease at the bottom, and so the riddle says Europe has "Greece" there too. The pun works best out loud, because on paper the two spellings give it away. To see the second half of the joke, find Greece on a map of Europe and follow it down to its southern tip.
Why the bottom is the south
Maps are drawn with north at the top, which puts the south at the bottom. Greece lies in the south of mainland Europe. Cape Matapan, at the end of the Mani Peninsula in the Peloponnese, is the southernmost point of mainland Greece.
Printed in 1903 and 1915
Dean Rivers printed it in 1903 in Conundrums, Riddles and Puzzles: "Why is the map of Turkey in Europe like a frying pan?" His answer is "Because it has Greece on the bottom." Edith B. Ordway gave it in 1915 in her collection as "Why is the map of Turkey like a frying-pan?" with "Because it has Greece (grease) at the bottom." J. Gilchrist Lawson repeated it in 1924.
Shortened for today
The modern form drops the word Turkey and asks about Europe as a whole. It is shorter, and the pun still works, since Greece sits in the far south of Europe.