What was the first knock knock joke? How did the first straight man know he was supposed to reply “Who’s there?”?
I know the best knock, knock joke. Go ahead, start it…
Knock. Knock.
Looking at newspaper Archive–the first true Knock knock joke I found was the following, in newspapers (such as the Oakland tribune, but not limited to it) in July 1936:
"Evidently the anti-New Deal Democrats are playing that new game:
Knock! Knock!
Who’s there?
Al.
Al, who?
Al be seeing you in Detroit."
(Neither political party had its convention in Detroit that year, so without further research I don;t know what the reference is. but it’s definitely a modern-style knock-knock joke.)
here’s the next one, also from July '36, this one in an ad for the Cash and Carry in Chester, PA:
“Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Don
Don who?
Don forget, to do your shopping at the Cash and Carry…”
And in 1934 there was the following, which follows the form but isn;t remotely funny (it introduces an article about cops towing parked cars in Philadelphia):
“Knock! Knock! Knock!
Who’s there?
Paul Revere.
What’s the matter, Paul?
The towing squad’s coming.”
A start, anyway.
Who’s there?
Ah! Going a bit further, an article in the Titusville (PA) Herald (by the AP, with NYC dateline) 8-3-36:
headline:
‘Knock Knock’ Latest Nutsy Game for Parlor Amusement
“What’s This?” has given way to “Knock, knock” as a favorite parlor game…
The article cites molly/coddle and tarzan/tripes forever as 2 examples.
“It may be because of elation over better times, or just plain goofiness…”
“Gone, apparently, are the days when the more serious-minded settled down to a concentrated spar with jigsaw puzzles, anagrams, intelligence tests, and similar intellectual pursuits…” [Kids, get off my lawn.]
So, much more info than I would’ve expected to find! Doesn’t answer all your questions, but pretty good, anyway.
No, Who’s on first.
My guess: it’s a reference to Al Simmons, who played baseball for the Detroit Tigers for one season, in 1936. He played for about six different teams during his 21-year Major League career.
Who?
Reasonable, but no. I went back and read the whole article (for some reason I didn’t bother before, go figure). The context turns out to be that a group of anti-FDR Democrats were holding a meeting in Detroit to try to keep him from being reelected. Boring, huh?
And if “Al” means anything (other than adding the humor) it’s a reference to Al Smith, who is mentioned once in the article.
So what was “What’s This?”, that was done in parlors before the discovery of Knock-Knock?
Wikipedia also suggests 1936 as the date of origin of the Knock-knock Joke.
Right.
Interrupting cow.
Fletcher Henderson recorded Knock, Knock, Who’s There in 1936. Most of the puns are based on the band members’ names.
Macbeth, Act 2 scene 3. Enter, hung-over porter.
(Sound of knocking.)
Porter. Here’s a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hellgate, he should have old turning the key.
(Knocking.)
Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there, i’ the name of Beelzebub? Here’s a farmer, that hang’d himself on the expectation of plenty. Come in time; have napkins enow about you; here you’ll sweat for ’t.
(Knocking.)
Knock, knock! Who’s there, in the other devil’s name? Faith, here’s an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God’s sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. O, come in, equivocator.
(Knocking.)
Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there? Faith, here’s an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose. Come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose.
(Knocking.)
Knock, knock; never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell. I’ll devil-porter it no further. I had thought to have let in some of all professions that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire.
(Knocking.)
Anon, anon. I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate.]
I found an earlier version of the knock knock joke.
In 1934, the format was used in a humor column in a Iowa newspaper. That joke was:
Knock–Knock.
Who’s There?
Rufus.
Rufus who?
Rufus the most important part of your house.
Source: “Hee Haw News” p. 4. Rolfe Arrow. (Rolfe, Iowa). Sep. 10, 1934.
The name of the guy on first base, what’s his name?
Yup, those are real knee-slappers, alright. 