# Dumb, obvious jokes some people can't help but reflexively make **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2023, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928 "2023-12-21T12:09:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/181 "2024-01-01T18:51:57Z")
I had a odd experience with that last night. Sorta similar sorta not. Upthread I said: > [@LSLGuy](#): > > When I retired in September one of my parting comments to a cow-orker was “I’m taking the rest of the year off!” Not knowing my personal situation they seemed perplexed by this familiar but unseasonable comment. > > On further consideration I now think I’ll take the rest of 2024 off as well. So now I know what to say right after we finish the countdown and shout “Happy New Year! So at the New Year’s party last night I waited until after the countdown, and after the chorus of shouting “Happy New Year”, and after the toasting. Then said to my companion “For my new year’s resolution I’m taking the rest of the year off.” To my surprise she didn’t really process or respond to that and when I mentioned it again later she’d mis-remembered that I’d made that joke before midnight, not after. And had thought it a stupid inapt thing for a retired person to say at a party a few minutes before midnight. IOW she was so conditioned to hearing it in the dumb clichéd mode that she completely failed to process the joke in the actual circumstances it was delivered. The idea of taking an entire 365-day year off is certainly novel and fun / funny to me; last time I did that I was about age 3. I’ve been in school or work at least part-year ever since. But as Inspector Clouseau would say: Naaht anymaarrh! But for her: Whooosh! And we can’t even blame it on excessive drink. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/182 "2024-01-01T19:20:02Z")
I do something similar with names that lend themselves to jokes; rather than making the joke to the person themselves, given they’ve probably heard similar many times before, I might bring it up with a mutual acquaintance. And never in a mocking or disparaging way. Although now I’ve written it down, I’m not sure even this is a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![f.coli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@f.coli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/f.coli)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/183 "2024-01-09T23:05:00Z")
There was a letter in Miss Manners column today in the Washington Post. A woman saw her neighbor urinating in his back yard, and wondered what she should do or say, if anything. In the comments, I almost posted “ask him if everything came out all right.” Thankfully, I stopped myself. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/184 "2024-01-09T23:18:22Z")
Today husband suddenly said, “I smell jasmine!” And I replied, “Yeah, I just farted.” Don’t feel sorry for him, he should have known better. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/185 "2024-01-09T23:24:38Z")
> [@f.coli](#): > > There was a letter in Miss Manners column today in the Washington Post. A woman saw her neighbor urinating in his back yard, and wondered what she should do or say, if anything. WTF! I looked up that article and the lady sounds like a total psycho. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/186 "2024-01-09T23:35:22Z")
If that’s an obvious dumb joke I’m far too dumb to get it. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/187 "2024-01-09T23:53:26Z")
I do have an irrational urge to say “for the homies” whenever in pour out a cup of soda or coffee onto the driveway that’s been sitting in my car for a week. Whether or not there is anyone within earshot to hear my “joke” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/188 "2024-01-10T00:03:51Z")
“I just farted” is the automatic response to “I smell [blank]”. Variously amusing depending on what is smelt. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/189 "2024-01-10T00:12:59Z")
D’oh! Thank you; that wasn’t part of my growing-up and I was focused on @Jasmine the poster not jasmine the scent. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/190 "2024-01-10T00:59:37Z")
This one is confined to the Game Room/ “Celebrity Death Pool” thread. It has two variations: “I picked (person), so of course they’re guaranteed to survive”, and “I took (person) off my list this year, which is a sure death sentence”. Comforting as an old shoe with the sole hanging off. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/191 "2024-01-10T06:58:10Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > “I just farted” is the automatic response to “I smell [blank]”. Similarly, if one is sitting with one’s friends or family in a restaurant or other public place, and there’s a loud car horn outside, one is supposed to say “excuse me” as if the horn were the sound of one’s flatulence. I am trying to break myself of the habit on this one. I do not always succeed. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/192 "2024-01-10T08:26:07Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > My version of the corollary statement: “There is no I in team … but there is ‘meat.’” My oh-so-witty comeback to _“There is no I in team"_ is _“but there is a ‘me’.”_ I think that one is super-common though. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/193 "2024-01-10T11:23:12Z")
I’ve seen this used in shoot-em-up video games: “There is no I in TEAM, but there is U in MURDER!” ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/194 "2024-01-10T12:12:11Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > “There is no I in TEAM, but there is U in MURDER!” Also, as a response to, “there is no I in TEAM” , I’ve heard, “True, but there is a ME”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/195 "2024-01-10T13:22:36Z")
And there’s laughter in slaughter. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/196 "2024-01-10T13:56:04Z")
I could dismiss all this nonsense by pointing out that there’s bs in substrings. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/197 "2024-01-10T16:22:58Z")
I can’t believe we actually have to explain fart jokes. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/198 "2024-01-10T16:45:19Z")
I actually just used one in commenting on FB…following a long and intriguing sentence that likely makes no sense out of context, “That was my favorite (pick a band with a penchant for weird song titles) song.” Also, “That used to be my wrestling name.” after any kind of weird description. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/199 "2024-01-10T18:07:10Z")
“…sir, this is an Arby’s.” ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928/200 "2024-01-10T19:14:10Z")
For sure, that one as well. Or maybe after somebody’s rant, “…and, scene!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-obvious-jokes-some-people-cant-help-but-reflexively-make/994928.md?page=11)