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Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes
In the fine tradition of On Bullshit comes this outrageous, uproarious compendium of absurdity, filth, racy paradox, and mature philosophical reflection. Stop Me If You've Heard This is the first book to trace the evolution of the joke from the stand-up comics of ancient Athens to the comedy-club Seinfelds of today. Cropping up en route are such unforgettable figures as Poggio, a Renaissance papal secretary and sexual adventurer; and Gershon Legman, the FBI-hounded psychoanalyst of dirty jokes. Having explored humor's history in part one, Jim Holt then delves into philosophy in part two. Jewish jokes; Wall Street jokes; jokes about rednecks and atheists, bulimics and politicians; jokes that you missed if you didn't go to a Catholic girls' school; jokes about language and logic itself―all become fodder for the grand theories of Aristotle, Kant, Freud, and Wittgenstein. A heady mix of the high and the low, of the ribald and the profound, this handsomely illustrated volume demands to be read by anyone who has ever peered into the abyss and asked: What's so funny?
160 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2008
About the author
Jim Holt
25 books174 followersJim Holt is a longtime contributor to the New Yorker -- where he has written on string theory, time, infinity, numbers, truth, and bullshit, among other subjects -- and the author of Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes. He is also a frequent contributor to the New York Times and the London Review of Books. He lives in Greenwich Village.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
September 7, 2018
Largely because of the old saw about a joke ceasing to be funny when you have to explain it, I was a bit dubious about starting this book, as the subtitle "a History and Philosophy of Jokes" didn't seem to hold too much promise. What a pleasant surprise, then, to begin the book to find that not only does author Jim Holt have a pleasing and engaging narrative voice, but that the book, unlike much of the genre purporting to deconstruct the concept of the joke (Sigmund Freud, I'm talking to you) is itself quite funny. Although Holt does enumerate the various philosophies purporting to explain why we, as a species, find jokes funny, he never descends into academic dryness.
The book is extremely short -- 126 pages, much of which is taken up by illustrations -- and thus, is something of a lengthened article rather than a book (a trait that Holt more or less concedes in the preface). Nonetheless, the book never feels rushed or underdeveloped, and I actually found myself sorry it was ending so quickly.
A tip for New Yorkers, or people who have spent a fair amount of time here: even if you think you don't want to read the book itself, pick it up next time you're in the bookstore and read the footnote on pages 80 to 81. It was so funny (to me, anyway) that I actually started carrying the book around so I could read it to people.
The book is extremely short -- 126 pages, much of which is taken up by illustrations -- and thus, is something of a lengthened article rather than a book (a trait that Holt more or less concedes in the preface). Nonetheless, the book never feels rushed or underdeveloped, and I actually found myself sorry it was ending so quickly.
A tip for New Yorkers, or people who have spent a fair amount of time here: even if you think you don't want to read the book itself, pick it up next time you're in the bookstore and read the footnote on pages 80 to 81. It was so funny (to me, anyway) that I actually started carrying the book around so I could read it to people.
April 14, 2020
“There are several reasons why philosophers might be reluctant to take up the problem of humor. First there is the general principle that the more interesting ‘x’ is the less interesting the philosophy of ‘x’ tends to be, and conversely. (Art is interesting, but the philosophy of art is mostly boring; law is boring, the philosophy of law is pretty interesting.)” (pp. 67-68)
Perhaps cognizant that this warning applies to essayists as well as philosophers, Jim Holt takes a very light touch in this slim volume; by weaving in character sketches and diverting anecdotes alongside the historical facts and theories, the author quickly takes us through the high points of the history of humor from Poggio to Sarah Silverman.
I just finished reading G. Legman’s epic “The Rationale of the Dirty Joke” last week, and was delighted to see that Hunt uses Legman as his jumping off point, as previously I could find very little reliable information on Legman and was still reeling a bit from the whole experience. Mr. Holt put Legman’s analysis in the context of a broader history of humor, and like me seems torn between being struck by the sheer volume of Legman’s scholarship and feeling like he was “trapped in the men’s room of a Greyhound bus station of the 1950s.” He nicely summarizes Legman’s main points, and there is a sketch of Legman the man and a debunking of some of the myths. And so, in addition to its other merits I would recommend this book as a sort of companion piece for non-expert readers of “The Rationale,” even though the section on Legman is just minor part of the book.
Mr. Hunt presents various theories of humor, and presents a few (relatively clean) jokes as exemplars. A warning to those reading this review who might be misled by the title: although “Stop Me If You’ve Heard This” is gently humorous in its own right, it is not intended as a joke collection, and it will surely disappoint anyone looking for a ‘how-to’ book of humor.
Perhaps cognizant that this warning applies to essayists as well as philosophers, Jim Holt takes a very light touch in this slim volume; by weaving in character sketches and diverting anecdotes alongside the historical facts and theories, the author quickly takes us through the high points of the history of humor from Poggio to Sarah Silverman.
I just finished reading G. Legman’s epic “The Rationale of the Dirty Joke” last week, and was delighted to see that Hunt uses Legman as his jumping off point, as previously I could find very little reliable information on Legman and was still reeling a bit from the whole experience. Mr. Holt put Legman’s analysis in the context of a broader history of humor, and like me seems torn between being struck by the sheer volume of Legman’s scholarship and feeling like he was “trapped in the men’s room of a Greyhound bus station of the 1950s.” He nicely summarizes Legman’s main points, and there is a sketch of Legman the man and a debunking of some of the myths. And so, in addition to its other merits I would recommend this book as a sort of companion piece for non-expert readers of “The Rationale,” even though the section on Legman is just minor part of the book.
Mr. Hunt presents various theories of humor, and presents a few (relatively clean) jokes as exemplars. A warning to those reading this review who might be misled by the title: although “Stop Me If You’ve Heard This” is gently humorous in its own right, it is not intended as a joke collection, and it will surely disappoint anyone looking for a ‘how-to’ book of humor.
November 10, 2008
I never really analyzed the history of a joke before, but Jim Holt pulls all of this together remarkably well. In the end, people haven't changed that much from ancient times. We still find similar things hilarious and those parallels are a delight.
The synopsis of this book is a little harsher than the book itself.
The synopsis of this book is a little harsher than the book itself.
August 20, 2010
This little book is fascinating. If you have an hour to kill, pick this one up.
December 30, 2013
Holt's breezily written, knowledgeable little book traces the history and philosophy of jokes. It's interesting how timelessly funny some of those ancient Greek jokes are!
June 16, 2014
I will reiterate that this is an extended New Yorker article, yet for all of its research it doesn't impress as a "history" or "philosophy." It hits the high notes and includes the important names, but ultimately is more collected notes than report.
That being said, for what it is--as opposed to what its title portends it to be--it is perfectly acceptable. It is a pocket book, quick and easy light reading that literally fits in your back pocket. I mean, I laughed a handful of times and there's hardly any book there. (Nearly a third of this <150 page book consists of pages with only a photo and caption, the bibliography, photo credits and the index.) I learned some names and perhaps a few titles to consider reading later, not to mention a few jokes worth retelling. (If you want to skip to the long section on types of jokes and examples, skip to page 73. The categories described are hardly scholarly, but chances are you picked up this book hoping to chuckle a bit.)
That being said, for what it is--as opposed to what its title portends it to be--it is perfectly acceptable. It is a pocket book, quick and easy light reading that literally fits in your back pocket. I mean, I laughed a handful of times and there's hardly any book there. (Nearly a third of this <150 page book consists of pages with only a photo and caption, the bibliography, photo credits and the index.) I learned some names and perhaps a few titles to consider reading later, not to mention a few jokes worth retelling. (If you want to skip to the long section on types of jokes and examples, skip to page 73. The categories described are hardly scholarly, but chances are you picked up this book hoping to chuckle a bit.)
August 5, 2017
Jim Holt claims there is no exhaustive philosophical treatise about jokes. This may well be the case, but one wonders what use such an essay would serve. As he points out near the end of Stop Me If You've Heard This, looking too deeply into the mysteries of jokes and joke-telling is likely to rob them of their appeal.
There are two parts to his essay: "History" and "Philosophy." The history part centers mainly on the Renaissance joke-collector Poggio Bracciolini and a guy named Gershon Legman who wrote a large psychoanalytic commentary on dirty jokes in the 1960s. Poggio also collected mistresses; Legman also wrote an unpublished autobiography which he called Peregrine Penis.
Which indicates Holt's primary interest—naughty humor. This is not really his fault. The majority of jokes are dirty, and the funny to not-funny ratio is higher for dirty jokes than it is for clean ones. But the book does claim to be "A History and Philosophy of Jokes," and Holt has definitely weighted his volume in a certain direction, not to the exclusion, but definitely to the privileging of, naughty jokes.
The philosophy section is okay. Holt tries to draw out some universal principle of jokiness, but ultimately concedes that there probably isn't one, at least not one we can discover, and more or less leaves it at that. He does spend time thinking about Kant and Freud on jokes, and makes passing reference to everyone from Bergson to Wittgenstein, but he fails to construct a philosophy of his own.
The best parts of the book are Holt's asides about famous jokesters or joke theorists. His biographical sketch of Legman is worth reading the rest of the book for, and sounds like the setup or punchline of a really inappropriate joke. Christopher Hitchens said this is "A book of wholesome fun for all the family," and while I wouldn't go that far, I would say it's worth a read for anyone who likes a good laugh. Just don't expect any metaphysical revelations.
There are two parts to his essay: "History" and "Philosophy." The history part centers mainly on the Renaissance joke-collector Poggio Bracciolini and a guy named Gershon Legman who wrote a large psychoanalytic commentary on dirty jokes in the 1960s. Poggio also collected mistresses; Legman also wrote an unpublished autobiography which he called Peregrine Penis.
Which indicates Holt's primary interest—naughty humor. This is not really his fault. The majority of jokes are dirty, and the funny to not-funny ratio is higher for dirty jokes than it is for clean ones. But the book does claim to be "A History and Philosophy of Jokes," and Holt has definitely weighted his volume in a certain direction, not to the exclusion, but definitely to the privileging of, naughty jokes.
The philosophy section is okay. Holt tries to draw out some universal principle of jokiness, but ultimately concedes that there probably isn't one, at least not one we can discover, and more or less leaves it at that. He does spend time thinking about Kant and Freud on jokes, and makes passing reference to everyone from Bergson to Wittgenstein, but he fails to construct a philosophy of his own.
The best parts of the book are Holt's asides about famous jokesters or joke theorists. His biographical sketch of Legman is worth reading the rest of the book for, and sounds like the setup or punchline of a really inappropriate joke. Christopher Hitchens said this is "A book of wholesome fun for all the family," and while I wouldn't go that far, I would say it's worth a read for anyone who likes a good laugh. Just don't expect any metaphysical revelations.
October 22, 2009
Confession: I don’t find jokes funny. Not really. Witticisms, yes. Humorous stories, indeed. But jokes—setup: punchline jokes—not so much. Possibly there is something wrong with me.
I liked this book, though. It’s short—not much more than a glorified magazine article—but the history is fascinating and the philosophy digestible. I loved the examples of jokes from ancient times: they were hilarious, in the sense that they were hilariously bad. I especially enjoyed the discussion of Poggio Bracciolini, who with his 15th Century Liber Facetiarum, became the author of the first joke book published in Europe. This despite his, as Holt puts it, “regrettable tendency to preempt the punchline.” For example: “The abbot of Septimo, an extremely corpulent man, was traveling toward Florence one evening. On the road he asked a peasant, ‘Do you think I’ll be able to make it through the city gate?’ He was talking about whether he would be able to make it to the city before the gates were closed. The peasant, jesting on the abbot’s fatness, said, ‘Why, if a cart of hay can make it through, you can, too!’”
Correction: I seem to like jokes that are really badly told.
(All right, for the record, there was one joke in this book that did make me laugh in the traditional manner. From page 106:
A Jewish grandmother is watching her grandchild playing on the beach when a huge wave comes and takes him out to sea. She pleads, “Please, God, save my only grandson! Bring him back.” And a big wave comes and washes the boy back onto the beach, good as new. She looks up at heaven and says, “He had a hat!”
Yup, definitely something wrong with me.)
I liked this book, though. It’s short—not much more than a glorified magazine article—but the history is fascinating and the philosophy digestible. I loved the examples of jokes from ancient times: they were hilarious, in the sense that they were hilariously bad. I especially enjoyed the discussion of Poggio Bracciolini, who with his 15th Century Liber Facetiarum, became the author of the first joke book published in Europe. This despite his, as Holt puts it, “regrettable tendency to preempt the punchline.” For example: “The abbot of Septimo, an extremely corpulent man, was traveling toward Florence one evening. On the road he asked a peasant, ‘Do you think I’ll be able to make it through the city gate?’ He was talking about whether he would be able to make it to the city before the gates were closed. The peasant, jesting on the abbot’s fatness, said, ‘Why, if a cart of hay can make it through, you can, too!’”
Correction: I seem to like jokes that are really badly told.
(All right, for the record, there was one joke in this book that did make me laugh in the traditional manner. From page 106:
A Jewish grandmother is watching her grandchild playing on the beach when a huge wave comes and takes him out to sea. She pleads, “Please, God, save my only grandson! Bring him back.” And a big wave comes and washes the boy back onto the beach, good as new. She looks up at heaven and says, “He had a hat!”
Yup, definitely something wrong with me.)
June 26, 2009
This book was short and amusing, a very cursory look at the history of jokes, how they are classified, why they are funny (still a mystery) and why we laugh (also still a mystery).
May 3, 2019
The study of humor tends to be a humor less endeavor. This book is not fully an exception to that truism, but is at least partially exceptional. The book contains a few good jokes, but mostly moldy oldies (like a joke from the first known joke book, the Philogelos: A Greek man sneers at another, "I had your wife for nothing". The second man replies, "More fool you -- I'm her husband so I have to have her. You don't.") I also discovered that Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians has a version of the asshole becomes the boss of the body by shutting down joke -- “God has so adjusted the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior part..". The history of jokes is interesting, more so, I thought, than the theories of the underlying mechanisms of humor, which propose a single process, none of which seem at all complete. The best thing about the book is that it is concise, like the two-word joke: "Pretentious? Moi?"
September 4, 2019
Small wit book exploring the world of jokes. It consists of two parts. First, on history of jokes, starts with antic times and then jumps to Renaissance. Second, on types of jokes, explores what kind of jokes we like and what make them funny.
P.S. I got this book through reference in Chronicles of a Liquid Society. Actually, Umberto Eco wrote a foreword to the book.
P.S. I got this book through reference in Chronicles of a Liquid Society. Actually, Umberto Eco wrote a foreword to the book.
August 8, 2020
A History and Philosophy of Jokes. Maybe that was intended as a joke. The book is neither the one nor the other. Quite impossible anyway for a tiny book in large print with lots of pictures. In the "history" part some old joke collections are mentioned (a few very unfunny examples given) and in the "philosophy" part some philosophers are mentioned. Let us agree that Freud was among them. That is not a philosophy. He did not like the jokes Freud thought funny. A piece of information I could live without. This is a book that has only one aim: make a quick buck. Okay, at least one of the jokes is funny indeed, I think. A two-word joke. Pretentious? Moi?
3/10
3/10
January 3, 2019
Fun and clever, but altogether too slight. You can definitely tell this is a (barely) padded-out New Yorker article. Holt is here at his most waggish and philosophy-broish, but he's clearly having a good time, and the reader is mostly doing so with him. It's less a serious attempt to provide a satisfying philosophical account of humor, and more an excuse to drop a bunch of groaners. Nonetheless, worth reading as a lark.
September 13, 2018
Fascinating and easy enough to digest. I think I might've been biased to like it off the bat, as I'm quite interested in humor as an art form, and so this book was right up my alley. Definitely recommend.
March 16, 2019
A pretty light overview of thousands of years of joke history, but interesting enough for how quick of a read it is. Included examples throughout of both good and bad jokes, though I sometimes disagreed with the author about which were which.
Read
April 1, 2024This brief history of jokes is surprisingly bingeable and very informative. I particularly enjoyed the first part - History, and Jim Holt's wonderful writing stile. On the other hand, the second half, Philosophy, was a tad chaotic and didn't provide as many insights into the world of jokes.
August 30, 2019
Amusing essay stretched into a whole book the way you stretched papers in high school and college - lots of empty spaces and illustrations.
July 1, 2020
Sex, women, farts, philosophy, and the most clever joke of all: "Yeah yeah". And just remember, without humor we are doomed (p. 40).
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January 5, 2021Interesting enough but... Not nearly as engaging as I'd hoped/expected 🤷🏻♀️
September 30, 2021
Ezpz lemon squeezy. It's a good way to get started in jokes history and humor philosophy, but if you're looking for something deep and extensive, this is not for you.
Read
November 8, 2021Interesting enough.
March 2, 2022
Although the book itself is not much fun, it is an interesting read.
July 21, 2020
Quick read, pretty funny, had a great time reading it.
March 10, 2009
Did you hear the one about the joke book?
Is it funny?
Not really. It’s not a book of jokes. Rather a book about jokes. History and Philosophy. Well, there are a few jokes in it. But that’s not the point.
I don’t get it.
The most obvious criticism one could make about Stop Me If You’ve Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes by Jim Holt is that it is too short. In the preface, Holt admits that, “Some readers will consider it exiguous, but to me it is much of a muchness, and that is more than enough.”
(How does an author decide between writing a preface, introduction, or prologue? Jim Holt went for a preface with this book, but I think I would have preferred an introduction.)
The second most obvious criticism one could make about Stop Me if You’ve Heard This is that it makes no mention of The Aristocrats, that bizarrely delightful documentary consisting of nothing more than comedians telling the same joke. It’s a glaring omission in a book about jokes. The Aristocrats stands as a hilarious deconstruction and love song to the Modern Joke, an ever-changing art that has evolved to a state in which how has taken precedence over what. (Thus The Aristocrats Executive Producer Penn Jillette’s comparison of stand-up comedy to jazz music.) Holt was handed a case study in his topic and for whatever reason, decided it did not apply.
I know jokes are the forest and stand-up is a prominent thicket of trees. And Jim, I know you work for The New Yorker and I’m just a blogger and your author photo has you looking very professorial and writerly, and my WordPress profile pic has me looking like a Hunter S. Thompson wannabe, but I really was expecting a bit more. Despite your much muchness.
Jokes, those splinters that build comedy, deserve much more. I wanted more Bruce, more Pryor, more Carlin. You could go back to Twain. Gimme gimme gimme. And yes, you went back to the ancients and what not. But gimme gimme gimme!
Ultimately, there’s no reason why anyone shouldn’t pick up and read Stop Me If You’ve Heard This. Grab it from the library. Borrow a copy from a friend. Read it on your iPhone. Download it to your Kindle. Pick it up in a few months from the bargain bin. Ah hell, buy it.
But whatever you do, pay special close attention if some Holt guy publishes a big book about jokes. It’ll be good. He’s on to something. It’s a worthy, fascinating story.
Is it funny?
Not really. It’s not a book of jokes. Rather a book about jokes. History and Philosophy. Well, there are a few jokes in it. But that’s not the point.
I don’t get it.
The most obvious criticism one could make about Stop Me If You’ve Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes by Jim Holt is that it is too short. In the preface, Holt admits that, “Some readers will consider it exiguous, but to me it is much of a muchness, and that is more than enough.”
(How does an author decide between writing a preface, introduction, or prologue? Jim Holt went for a preface with this book, but I think I would have preferred an introduction.)
The second most obvious criticism one could make about Stop Me if You’ve Heard This is that it makes no mention of The Aristocrats, that bizarrely delightful documentary consisting of nothing more than comedians telling the same joke. It’s a glaring omission in a book about jokes. The Aristocrats stands as a hilarious deconstruction and love song to the Modern Joke, an ever-changing art that has evolved to a state in which how has taken precedence over what. (Thus The Aristocrats Executive Producer Penn Jillette’s comparison of stand-up comedy to jazz music.) Holt was handed a case study in his topic and for whatever reason, decided it did not apply.
I know jokes are the forest and stand-up is a prominent thicket of trees. And Jim, I know you work for The New Yorker and I’m just a blogger and your author photo has you looking very professorial and writerly, and my WordPress profile pic has me looking like a Hunter S. Thompson wannabe, but I really was expecting a bit more. Despite your much muchness.
Jokes, those splinters that build comedy, deserve much more. I wanted more Bruce, more Pryor, more Carlin. You could go back to Twain. Gimme gimme gimme. And yes, you went back to the ancients and what not. But gimme gimme gimme!
Ultimately, there’s no reason why anyone shouldn’t pick up and read Stop Me If You’ve Heard This. Grab it from the library. Borrow a copy from a friend. Read it on your iPhone. Download it to your Kindle. Pick it up in a few months from the bargain bin. Ah hell, buy it.
But whatever you do, pay special close attention if some Holt guy publishes a big book about jokes. It’ll be good. He’s on to something. It’s a worthy, fascinating story.
November 28, 2013
Some of the examples made me chuckle, not hugely in depth was left wanting a more thorough discussion on almost everything touched and is the type of book that brings doubts to my mind about what wasn't there. Very short read its about 120 pages of content (with very short pages) and every 4 pages or so there's a full page illustration. I was left with the impression the author was cherry picking historical figures, authors, and collectors rather than attempting to give a thorough history. The author admits the field is lacking in previous research and I felt that his attempt at research was half baked. Perhaps unfounded while a good survey I felt like the author did not do due diligence. He commented in the introduction that the book stemmed from his research he did for an article for the new yorker which could possibly explain why it's depth seems unsuited for a book.
In summary a perfectly interesting survey into the history and philosophy of jokes that feels slightly under researched and possibly more suited for an extended essay or series of essays. My main inquiry is about the value of it's existence as a paperback book with a cover price of $10.
In summary a perfectly interesting survey into the history and philosophy of jokes that feels slightly under researched and possibly more suited for an extended essay or series of essays. My main inquiry is about the value of it's existence as a paperback book with a cover price of $10.
April 18, 2013
If you like humor (and who doesn't?), this is an interesting read.
The first half of the book traces the history of humor and of jokes, from those told by the ancient Greeks and Romans, to the present day.
Interestingly enough, some jokes told 2000+ years ago are still around, and still work, in today's context.
The second half of the book focuses on the philosophy of humor, starting with a categorization of types of jokes, and then moving on to the theories that attempt to explain what makes us laugh and why we find things funny.
The three main theories of jokes and why we like them are the superiority theory, the relief theory, and the incongruity theory.
I personally think the incongruity theory is correct in most cases, but I will leave you to read the book to find out what the theories are, and to see if you agree with me once you have been properly educated about humor.
The first half of the book traces the history of humor and of jokes, from those told by the ancient Greeks and Romans, to the present day.
Interestingly enough, some jokes told 2000+ years ago are still around, and still work, in today's context.
The second half of the book focuses on the philosophy of humor, starting with a categorization of types of jokes, and then moving on to the theories that attempt to explain what makes us laugh and why we find things funny.
The three main theories of jokes and why we like them are the superiority theory, the relief theory, and the incongruity theory.
I personally think the incongruity theory is correct in most cases, but I will leave you to read the book to find out what the theories are, and to see if you agree with me once you have been properly educated about humor.
March 4, 2010
The author traces the history of jokes-when we started telling them, when they were recorded, and how they have evolved (and devolved) over time. He focuses mostly on dirty jokes-jokes about sex, bodily functions, racism, and sexism-namely because at a certain level, all jokes are dirty and tasteless, and that's why we love them. He also examines WHY things are funny from philosophical, psychological, and physiological perspectives. Do we laugh at a joke because it is unexpected, because it allows us to acknowledge the darker sides of our psyche, or because a certain section of our brain is suddenly stimulated?
Holt is a clever writer and provides lots of sample jokes to show what he's trying to explain. He could have easily doubled the length of the book to just get into everything. I was disappointed that he didn't spend more time on each topic.
Holt is a clever writer and provides lots of sample jokes to show what he's trying to explain. He could have easily doubled the length of the book to just get into everything. I was disappointed that he didn't spend more time on each topic.
May 19, 2016
If you want to read the earliest known jokes, or learn about the ironically-named Legman (scholar of the bawdy joke), or how a single joke (about a newly married couple who can't afford food) can trace an evolution back over 15 centuries, you'll enjoy this book.
And if you have ever wondered whether all jokes have a single unifying thread connecting everything we consider funny -- or what we actually mean by humor anyway -- you'll find much to provoke further musing.
Oh, and it's funny, too. The best new joke I picked up from its pages: A lady flies into Boston eager to try some of the fish the city is famous for. "Where can I get scrod?" she demands of the driver as she climbs into a cab. "Gee," he replies, "I've never heard it put in the pluperfect subjective before!"
And if you have ever wondered whether all jokes have a single unifying thread connecting everything we consider funny -- or what we actually mean by humor anyway -- you'll find much to provoke further musing.
Oh, and it's funny, too. The best new joke I picked up from its pages: A lady flies into Boston eager to try some of the fish the city is famous for. "Where can I get scrod?" she demands of the driver as she climbs into a cab. "Gee," he replies, "I've never heard it put in the pluperfect subjective before!"
July 8, 2014
This is the scarcest and barest history of a universal human expression you could ever imagine. I suppose that there is just not that much out there; though, you think there must be more than this. The survey ranges from the earliest known collection of jokes, the Greek Philogelos through the Renaissance collection Liber Facetiarum and up into modern jokes of the barroom, bathroom walls, and stand-up comics. The better half was the philosophy half -- the whys of jokes and witticisms. There are some lame jokes in here, some incomprehensible ones, some raunchy ones, some offensive ones, and even a couple good ones; but, the whole taste of it all leaves you wishing there were more. And, that's no joke.
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