# Most universal joke **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 11, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835 "2011-12-11T18:38:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/41 "2011-12-12T04:41:49Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Is there a version that involves smoke signals and the twang of a bowstring? Og: Thag fall cliff, dead. Ig: Og sure Thag dead? \<\\> Og: Og sure Thag dead. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/42 "2011-12-12T04:49:21Z")
> [@Corresponder](#): > > I think funny is funny, and people in other cultures/times are/were not somehow mentally deficient in that they can/could only understand physical humor or jokes demeaning someone. Except that part of “why did the chicken cross the road” has to do with the types of jokes we usually tell. If I come up to you and say “hey, why did the chicken cross the road”, there are cultural signifiers etc telling you “ahh, this is probably a joke, ok, brain, get ready for something clever or witty”, which is what makes the punchline an actual punchline. So the joke is at least funniER to someone who comes from a society with a traditional joke former similar to the one we have. If a society has jokes that all begin “a priest, a rabbi and a cowboy walk into a bar…” then the chicken crossing the road joke wouldn’t be at all the same to them. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/44 "2011-12-12T06:12:25Z")
I don’t know, but it has to be a mother in law joke. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/45 "2011-12-12T07:25:01Z")
I am not sure if this is what OP is looking for, but fart jokes never fail. [Link.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7536918.stm) I remember another thread here where I posted this. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/46 "2011-12-12T21:20:02Z")
I’m fairly confident that the most universal joke is a fart joke. I suspect “pull my finger” far predates modern civilization. Do other primates think farts are funny? Can I get a grant to study this? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/47 "2011-12-12T22:05:47Z")
I was going to mention “pull my finger” too. Pranks may be humor that are old too: Substituting Nogrog’s corn mash with something yukky tasting, and watching him gag at the unexpected taste. Tying a rope across the cave mouth, and tripping Nogrog as he walks out. Using a dead critter as a puppet to scare Nogrog. (Boo! Hah! Snake scare Nogrog. Scared of dead snake!) And of course: Wrap fresh feces with palm leaves, light them on fire, knock on the wall next to the cave entrance, then run off. Always a classic. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/48 "2011-12-12T22:10:02Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I guess my main problem with this thread is that so many people do not realize that while the trappings change, the joke has been around for some time. I heard this joke long before cell phones existed, and my dad heard it before car phones existed, and my granddad heard it before pay phones existed, and . . . etc. I agree, and came here to post a reference to the before-mentioned joke. Although the title of the Wikipedia article is “funniest”, it actually is the one with widest appeal and hence the best answer this thread will get. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2011, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/49 "2011-12-12T22:33:23Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Og: Thag fall cliff, dead. > > Ig: Og sure Thag dead? > > \<\\> > > Og: Og sure Thag dead. This is actually funnier than the “original” version. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/50 "2011-12-12T22:47:02Z")
[The Aristocrats](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_aristocrats) The only joke I’m aware of that has been the subject of a [movie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Aristocrats_(film)). ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/51 "2011-12-12T22:49:58Z")
I would think it is some variant on “A member of a disfavored group is so stupid that he …” The oldest joke I know is one from the classical Greek period. “The peasant is so stupid that when he heard that parrots live a hundred years, he bought one to see if it was true.” FTR, I don’t get the Sumerian fart joke - how sad is that? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/52 "2011-12-12T23:30:14Z")
> [@gracer](#): > > I think in Ancient Greece a large penis was considered comical (low status), not sexy, aesthetically pleasing or high status cite? ---
**Author:** ![Corresponder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Corresponder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corresponder)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/53 "2011-12-13T01:09:34Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Except that part of “why did the chicken cross the road” has to do with the types of jokes we usually tell. If I come up to you and say “hey, why did the chicken cross the road”, there are cultural signifiers etc telling you “ahh, this is probably a joke, ok, brain, get ready for something clever or witty”, which is what makes the punchline an actual punchline. So the joke is at least funniER to someone who comes from a society with a traditional joke former similar to the one we have. If a society has jokes that all begin “a priest, a rabbi and a cowboy walk into a bar…” then the chicken crossing the road joke wouldn’t be at all the same to them. It seems to me that the reason the chicken joke is funny is that we DON’T think the question is probably a joke, we are not prepared for something clever, we take it seriously and start thinking about reasons having to do with the weather, etc. Then we are hit with the obvious but unexpected answer. Again, I think certain aspects of humor are universal, such as being presented with the unexpected, or with a naive answer when we are expecting something sophisticated, seeing the high and mighty being humbled, etc. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/54 "2011-12-13T01:17:20Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > cite? [The Master Speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2627/why-does-so-much-ancient-greek-art-feature-males-with-small-genitalia) ---
**Author:** ![Corresponder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Corresponder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corresponder)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/55 "2011-12-13T01:35:37Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I think that’s a fine joke. “In silence” does not depend on a pun; it depends on the historical fact that barbers tend to yap your ears off. Hair care of some sort is absolutely built into our species. > > “How would you like your parasites picked?” I don’t know that, even if barbers existed in all past cultures, they always tended to yap your ears off. This is an assumption you are making, not an historical fact. Also, I think there is a language-dependent component in trying to link “How would you like your hair cut?” with “In silence.” Does “hair cut” refer to the process of a person cutting your hair, in other words, is the question “How do you want me to act while I am cutting your hair?” Or is the question “How would you like the result to be?” In English the same sentence can mean either one; this allows the answer “In silence” to be relevant and funny. It wouldn’t be so funny if we had to ask the person the first question rather than the second. In some languages, there may not be a single sentence which can mean either one, and then you would have to ask the first question and the answer wouldn’t be so funny. As I said above, when talking about preparing eggs, you would have to say “How do you want me to act while I am preparing your eggs?”; you can’t say “How would you like your eggs?” and have the answer “In silence” be funny. But it’s not very funny with the first question either. Similarly, if I were printing invitations for you, and I said “How would you like your name spelled?”, “In silence” wouldn’t be funny. But it wouldn’t be very funny with the alternative “How would you like me to act while I spell your name?” either. The point is, in English, in some situations such as a haircut, we can express both types of questions with the same sentence, creating an answer with unexpected humor because we are thinking of the one meaning of the sentence while the customer is answering in terms of the other. In other languages this may not be possible. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/56 "2011-12-13T03:28:52Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > What’s the definition of conflicted emotions? > > Seeing your mother-in-law fall into a tar pit while carrying your best spear. > [@TruCelt](#): > > My first thought was: I don’t know the specific joke, but I bet it has to do with a Mother-in-law. OBviously the “In-law” aprt chanegs, but “annoying Mother of my mate” has got to be a universally recognizable problem. Not everybody has one, but everybody knows about them. > [@CitizenPained](#): > > I don’t know, but it has to be a mother in law joke. I am not at all sure that your collective assumption is correct. Are mother-in-law jokes really universal? The very basis for them has been challenged: I have seen the hypothesis that MIL jokes are intended to put psychological distance between a man and his mother’s wife, not because she is universally detested, but because a man, particularly a young man with an inexperienced bride, is liable to lust after the riper and more mature mother of his wife. If true, this would not necessarily mean that the jokes were not common, but given the wide variety of ways in which differing cultures respond to similar stimuli, it does call into question the universality of those jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Corresponder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Corresponder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corresponder)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/57 "2011-12-13T10:53:42Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I am not at all sure that your collective assumption is correct. > > Are mother-in-law jokes really universal? The very basis for them has been challenged: I have seen the hypothesis that MIL jokes are intended to put psychological distance between a man and his mother’s wife, not because she is universally detested, but because a man, particularly a young man with an inexperienced bride, is liable to lust after the riper and more mature mother of his wife. If true, this would not necessarily mean that the jokes were not common, but given the wide variety of ways in which differing cultures respond to similar stimuli, it does call into question the universality of those jokes. I think the conflict between mother-in-law and son-in-law in most (possibly not all) cultures is because the mother-in-law is naturally protective of her daughter’s interests and never thinks the son-in-law is good enough for her. ---
**Author:** ![Corresponder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Corresponder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corresponder)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/58 "2011-12-13T11:00:10Z")
> [@gracer](#): > > YMMV with penis jokes per society. I think in Ancient Greece a large penis was considered comical (low status), not sexy, aesthetically pleasing or high status. Saying that about yourself would’ve been self-deprecating then, so a different kind of funny. Still funny though 🙂 I think the basis of the joke is not the size of the penis but the fact that the man is so frustrated. We tend to find it funny when people are in desperate (but not dangerous) situations, such as when they really have to go to the bathroom soon, or can’t find their keys, and I think this type of humor is fairly universal. ---
**Author:** ![Corresponder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Corresponder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corresponder)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/59 "2011-12-13T11:17:01Z")
You could consider the old Abbott and Costello dialogue about “Who’s on first?”, although of course instead of baseball you would have to change the situation with the culture. For instance, “Who” (expressed in the given language) is in place A, “What” is in place B, “I don’t know” is in place C, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/60 "2011-12-13T13:31:07Z")
If sight gags and slapstick are on the table, then the nutshot has to be a contender. Children accidentally podding their Dads must be inevitable in any culture, and the nutshot is the universal puncturer of pretension. It is the ultimate thief of dignity. Any mood - solemnity, family fun, whatever - is comically subverted by the dramatic and instant change in focus wrought by the unanticipated low blow. Not just any ball beating will do - a prize fighter simply cheating has neither the element of surprise nor the element of innocence of perpetrator that the classic sackwhack by little Tarquin learning baseball has. For mine, I’d put it ahead of the fart joke. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835/61 "2011-12-13T14:48:00Z")
I vote for the nutshot. Or your mom. Or your mom getting hit in the nuts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-universal-joke/605835.md?page=4)