Do you know any jokes in English? When you laugh, do you laugh a lot or laugh a little? Do you think Western humor is hard to understand?

Do you know any jokes in English?

When you laugh, do you laugh a lot or laugh a little?

Do you think Western humor is hard to understand?

joke knock-knock joke dirty joke ethnic joke religious joke lightbulb joke practical joke pun play on words insult humor sarcasm satire parody “The Bloody Case…” wit/banter physical comedy “Pie Fight” situational comedy black humor sight gag crosstalk/xiangsheng “Who’s on First?” stand-up comedy

joke

knock-knock joke

dirty joke

ethnic joke

religious joke

lightbulb joke

practical joke

pun

play on words

insult humor

sarcasm

satire

parody

“The Bloody Case…”

wit/banter

physical comedy

“Pie Fight”

situational comedy

black humor

sight gag

crosstalk/xiangsheng

“Who’s on First?”

stand-up comedy

The basics Begin with a “set-up” – a sentence or two that gives the background Continue with some details to explain the joke End with a “punchline” to make it funny Note: if the punchline is performed badly, the joke isn’t funny Do Chinese jokes have a different structure? Now we’ll look at some popular English jokes

The basics

Begin with a “set-up” – a sentence or two that gives the background

Continue with some details to explain the joke

End with a “punchline” to make it funny

Note: if the punchline is performed badly, the joke isn’t funny

Do Chinese jokes have a different structure?

Now we’ll look at some popular English jokes

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. (This is the set-up) The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says, “Calm down. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says “OK, now what?” (This is the punchline)

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. (This is the set-up)

The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, “My friend is dead! What can I do?”

The operator says, “Calm down. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead.”

There is a silence, then a shot is heard.

Back on the phone, the guy says “OK, now what?” (This is the punchline)

A man and a friend are playing golf one day at their local golf course. One of the guys is about to chip onto the green when he sees a long funeral procession on the road next to the course. He stops in mid-swing, takes off his golf cap, closes his eyes, and bows down in prayer. His friend says: “ Wow, that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen. You truly are a kind man. ” The man then replies: “ Yeah, well we were married 35 years .”

A man and a friend are playing golf one day at their local golf course. One of the guys is about to chip onto the green when he sees a long funeral procession on the road next to the course. He stops in mid-swing, takes off his golf cap, closes his eyes, and bows down in prayer.

His friend says: “ Wow, that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen. You truly are a kind man. ”

The man then replies: “ Yeah, well we were married 35 years .”

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300°C. The Russians used a pencil.

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300°C.

The Russians used a pencil.

A doctor says to his patient, “ I have bad news and worse news .” “ Oh dear, what's the bad news?” asks the patient. The doctor replies, “ You only have 24 hours to live.” “ That's terrible,” said the patient. “ How can the news possibly be worse?” The doctor replies, “ I've been trying to contact you since yesterday.”

A doctor says to his patient, “ I have bad news and worse news .”

“ Oh dear, what's the bad news?” asks the patient.

The doctor replies, “ You only have 24 hours to live.”

“ That's terrible,” said the patient. “ How can the news possibly be worse?”

The doctor replies, “ I've been trying to contact you since yesterday.”

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “ That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh! ” The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “ The driver just insulted me! ” The man says: “ You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you .”

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “ That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh! ” The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “ The driver just insulted me! ”

The man says: “ You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you .”

Then the old woman’s husband spoke up: “Your honor, she also stole a can of peas.” Did you hear the story about the old lady who was arrested for stealing from the supermarket? “ How many peaches were in the can?” the judge asked. “ I stole a can of peaches,” the old lady said. “ There were five peaches in the can,” the old lady answered. The old lady went to court and the judge asked her, “What did you steal?” “ Okay,” the judge said, “I’m going to send you to jail for five days, one day for each peach.”

Then the old woman’s husband spoke up: “Your honor, she also stole a can of peas.”

Did you hear the story about the old lady who was arrested for stealing from the supermarket?

“ How many peaches were in the can?” the judge asked.

“ I stole a can of peaches,” the old lady said.

“ There were five peaches in the can,” the old lady answered.

The old lady went to court and the judge asked her, “What did you steal?”

“ Okay,” the judge said, “I’m going to send you to jail for five days, one day for each peach.”

The knock-knock joke is often told by children and goes like this: A: Knock-knock! B: Who’s there? A: [Word] B: [Word] who? A: [Punchline] Knock-knock jokes usually involve puns, such as this example Knock-knock! Who’s there? Luke. Luke who? Luke out the window!

The knock-knock joke is often told by children and goes like this:

A: Knock-knock!

B: Who’s there?

A: [Word]

B: [Word] who?

A: [Punchline]

Knock-knock jokes usually involve puns, such as this example

Knock-knock!

Who’s there?

Luke.

Luke who?

Luke out the window!

The lightbulb joke works like this: Question: How many [some people] does it take to change a lightbulb? Answer: [Number] X to do it, and Y who do something else. Example: How many Tianjin people does it take to change a lightbulb? Twenty-two. Two to argue about who will change the lightbulb, and twenty to stand around and watch the people arguing.

The lightbulb joke works like this:

Question: How many [some people] does it take to change a lightbulb?

Answer: [Number] X to do it, and Y who do something else.

Example:

How many Tianjin people does it take to change a lightbulb?

Twenty-two. Two to argue about who will change the lightbulb, and twenty to stand around and watch the people arguing.

How many gorillas does it take to change a lightbulb? Only one, but it takes hundreds of lightbulbs. How many Japanese does it take to change a lightbulb? Three. One to make sure the new lightbulb is Japanese-made, one to put the new bulb in, and one to sell the old bulb in China.

How many gorillas does it take to change a lightbulb?

Only one, but it takes hundreds of lightbulbs.

How many Japanese does it take to change a lightbulb?

Three. One to make sure the new lightbulb is Japanese-made, one to put the new bulb in, and one to sell the old bulb in China.

A play on words is a joke that’s funny because of the special meaning of the words used Example This one is a real story. One time, my father’s colleagues asked him, “Raymond, do you ever have trouble with your memory?” My father answered, “Not that I recall.”

A play on words is a joke that’s funny because of the special meaning of the words used

Example

This one is a real story.

One time, my father’s colleagues asked him, “Raymond, do you ever have trouble with your memory?”

My father answered, “Not that I recall.”

President Coolidge was famous for not speaking much. His nickname was “Silent Cal.” One day, two men saw him eating in a restaurant, and one of the men decided to go over and talk to the president. The man said, “Mr. President, hello! My friend over there bet me $5 I couldn’t get you to say three words to me.” The president looked up at the man and said, “You lose.”

President Coolidge was famous for not speaking much. His nickname was “Silent Cal.”

One day, two men saw him eating in a restaurant, and one of the men decided to go over and talk to the president.

The man said, “Mr. President, hello! My friend over there bet me $5 I couldn’t get you to say three words to me.”

The president looked up at the man and said, “You lose.”

Sarcasm is a form of lying or kidding for effect, and usually involves using a special tone Examples You get a terrible birthday present. You say, “Just what I always wanted!” You tell a freshman student, “Food in our dining hall is so delicious.” A waiter drops a plate of food in a restaurant and you say, “ Good job !”

Sarcasm is a form of lying or kidding for effect, and usually involves using a special tone

Examples

You get a terrible birthday present. You say, “Just what I always wanted!”

You tell a freshman student, “Food in our dining hall is so delicious.”

A waiter drops a plate of food in a restaurant and you say, “ Good job !”

Have you ever played a trick on someone during April Fool’s Day? What do you think the main differences are between Western humor and Chinese humor? Are understanding jokes an important part of understanding English? Do you ever use sarcasm when talking to others?

Have you ever played a trick on someone during April Fool’s Day?

What do you think the main differences are between Western humor and Chinese humor?

Are understanding jokes an important part of understanding English?

Do you ever use sarcasm when talking to others?

Do you like parodies and satires? Why or why not? What kind of humor do you like best? Do you often tell jokes? Who is your favorite comedian? What kinds of things make you laugh the most?

Do you like parodies and satires? Why or why not?

What kind of humor do you like best?

Do you often tell jokes?

Who is your favorite comedian?

What kinds of things make you laugh the most?