Laughing In English.

This page helps you understand how jokes work in English, although humour may be similar in your country. Jokes often depend on something unexpected or you feeling happy that the story didn't happen to you.

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Fun, Humour, Laughter, and Mirth.

Sharing laughter is an important part of social life, and it probably helps keep you healthy. To hear baby Olivia laughing, and stop her, use the player below.

Fun, Humour, Laughter, and Mirth.

Many good jokes can be killed by analysing the language. However, understanding the language will help you to understand jokes, enjoy listening to jokes, and tell jokes confidently.

Jokes often begin with a formal introduction. It isn't part of the joke, but it acts like a marker in conversation that a joke will follow. A few examples are:

Well, what did the noun say to the verb? Don't tell me what to do! In case you didn't realise, that was a joke. Think about what nouns and verbs do in language.

Man With A Bowler Hat And An Umbrella.

Jokes often depend on a stereotype: an average person, but with exaggerated characteristics. It's common in every country for people to see their neighbours as stupid, ugly, or mean. So, if a Scotsman begins a joke with There was an Englishman, the listener already expects that the joke will make fun of English characteristics, as the Scots like to imagine them.

The image of being English goes back more than 100 years, and was partly the result of having an Empire followed by two major wars. In reality, England gets a mix of weather and has a mix of people, just like most EU countries. Almost no one dresses like the man in the photo. This winter has seen blue skies and a maximum of 16°C. We're friendly, informal. and welcome visitors. And the food is excellent and varied. However:

A joke has to be about something, such as a husband, a mother-in-law, a foreigner, an animal, or even a recent disaster. It's very important to understand that a joke is a joke: it helps us understand the unexpected and the undeserved. It's not about your personal feelings for anyone, so if you hear a joke about the Greek economy, it doesn't mean that the person telling the joke doesn't like Greek people, doesn't want to work with Greek people, or wouldn't enjoy a holiday in Greece.

Joke 1.

A schoolboy runs home from school and arrives in the kitchen, breathless. His mother asks him why he's exhausted, as he usually comes home on a bus:

This is a typical international joke. It's humour depends on something sounding possible, but being completely impossible.

Joke 2.

A man takes his very big dog to the vet. He tells the vet that the dog's eyes look unhealthy. The vet picks up the dog and takes a good look at the dog's eyes:

This joke depends on a phrase having two meanings. When a vet says he will have to put an animal down he means put it to sleep, permanently or kill it. Not just put it back down on the floor.

Joke 3.

A Swiss man is visiting Australia, and stops his car near a country bus stop where two locals are waiting:

This joke makes perfect sense, and yet is so wrong. It's a good example of the logic being reversed. And, of course, it depends on stereotypes.

Joke 4.

A man goes to the doctor, with his wife. After the doctor has examined him, she asks to see the wife privately:

This joke is about something sad, but the surprise ending makes us laugh. Of course, the man never knew exactly what the doctor said?

Joke 5.

A woman goes to the doctor. After the doctor has examined her, he says:

Joke 6.

A man goes to an eye doctor. The receptionist asks him why he's here