Will It Float? - Definition

Will it Float? is a recurring skit performed on the Late Show with David Letterman, in which host David Letterman and bandleader Paul Shaffer guess whether an item dropped into a tank of water will float or sink.

Announcer Alan Kalter reads off the name of the item that will be tested and what prize Dave and Paul are competing for. A picture of that prize is flashed on screen for a split second. The prize is never actually awarded to anyone.

Two models drop the item into the tank while the Late Show Hula Hoop Girl and Grinder Girl perform on either side of the tank.

According to Dave, the idea for the skit came from a British skit entitled Is it Buoyant? Dave usually shows off the Will it Float? board game, and often makes reference to the big Will It Float? party to take place after the show.