# What was the first joke? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 13, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155 "2009-01-13T21:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/1 "2009-01-13T21:50:17Z")
Having come across this interesting pdf article [The First Joke - Exploring The Evolutionary Origins Of Humour](http://cms.epjournal.net/filestore/ep04347366.pdf), I was wondering if any of you inventive ladies and gents might be able to think up some examples of what passed for humour in pre-historic times. ( Any Neanderthals are welcome too!). I’ve had a think about it and my mind’s coming up blank. Give me some inspiration, please. p.s. Sorry if this has been asked before, but the search facility on here drives me potty. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/2 "2009-01-13T21:51:15Z")
Probably a fart joke. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/3 "2009-01-13T21:56:34Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Having come across this interesting pdf article [The First Joke - Exploring The Evolutionary Origins Of Humour](http://cms.epjournal.net/filestore/ep04347366.pdf), I was wondering if any of you inventive ladies and gents might be able to think up some examples of what passed for humour in pre-historic times. ( Any Neanderthals are welcome too!). I’ve had a think about it and my mind’s coming up blank. Give me some inspiration, please. The first joke? Putting a naked man and woman in a lovely garden and not letting 'em get it on. (okay, so you knew some variation of that was coming.) I’d guess that what we’d consider “seventh-grade humor” or “potty humor” existed in prehistoric times. I’m sure Thak and Ug laughed their asses off when Mog made fart noises with his armpit. ETA: On preview, I see **garygnu** had the same idea. Farts are funny. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/4 "2009-01-13T21:59:48Z")
Not prehistoric, which by definition is impossible. The oldest joke I know was cited in a linguistics text. The ancient Greeks told “dumb peasant” jokes, as we tell jokes about various groups. > [@](#): > > A peasant heard that parrots live for a hundred years. So he bought one to see if it was true. Real bunch of wags, those Greeks. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/5 "2009-01-13T21:59:53Z")
Why did the single-celled organism cross the goo. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/6 "2009-01-13T22:00:05Z")
It was when that jackdaw yelled out “No fear!” Seriously, the first joke was probably more of a practical joke than a verbal one. Like offering a banana which turned out to be an empty peel. Something along those lines. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/7 "2009-01-13T22:03:38Z")
I’m firmly convinced that “pull my finger” has been around for at least 50,000 years. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Alienhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Alienhand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alienhand)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/8 "2009-01-13T22:30:37Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Seriously, the first joke was probably more of a practical joke than a verbal one. Like offering a banana which turned out to be an empty peel. Something along those lines. I was thinking a nut shot. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/9 "2009-01-13T22:37:56Z")
Ah, yes. Laughing at the pain of others. A good candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/10 "2009-01-13T23:51:55Z")
Guy sleeping in low part of cave. Wakes up, sits up, bangs head. Onlookers amused. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/11 "2009-01-13T23:54:49Z")
I somehow recall another thread mentioning the oldest documented jokes was written in Cuneiform by the Sumerians. Here’s an article about [it](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/01/oldest_joke/). [QUOTE=Some Sumerian cutup] UKTV has published what it claims to be the world’s oldest joke - a Sumerian rib-tickler dating back to 1,900 BC which goes: “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap.” [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/12 "2009-01-13T23:59:25Z")
If you want to go the Adam & Eve route, it’d have been when they were about to be kicked out of the garden and were clothing themselves. Eve handed Adam a smaller leaf. Ba dum bum. Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week. ---
**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/13 "2009-01-14T00:06:35Z")
The jackdaw. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/14 "2009-01-14T02:06:22Z")
“I call it ‘fire.’ Go on, touch it; it’s completely safe.” ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/15 "2009-01-14T04:01:19Z")
Jumping ahead a bit in the whole _history of jokes_ timeline… Does anyone know who invented the classic “flaming-bag-of-dog-crap-left-on-the-porch” gag? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/16 "2009-01-14T04:15:22Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > I somehow recall another thread mentioning the oldest documented jokes was written in Cuneiform by the Sumerians. Here’s an article about [it](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/01/oldest_joke/). > Quote: > Originally Posted by Some Sumerian cutup > UKTV has published what it claims to be the world’s oldest joke - a Sumerian rib-tickler dating back to 1,900 BC which goes: “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap.” Those Sumerians were obviously putting away a _lot_ of that delicious new invention, beer. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/17 "2009-01-14T04:19:47Z")
God giving Adam a penis. Adam says to Eve when she laughs: “If you think that’s funny, pull my finger.” ---
**Author:** ![Alienhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Alienhand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alienhand)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/18 "2009-01-14T04:19:58Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Jumping ahead a bit in the whole _history of jokes_ timeline… > > Does anyone know who invented the classic “flaming-bag-of-dog-crap-left-on-the-porch” gag? I was supposed to use **dog** crap? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/19 "2009-01-14T04:24:37Z")
My cats appear to derive pleasure from observing each others’ pratfalls, if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/20 "2009-01-14T05:51:28Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Ah, yes. Laughing at the pain of others. A good candidate. Pain, or just screwups. As I recall, there are studies indicating that many apes find such crude “slapstick” types of humor amusing. I can’t find a link though; googling about apes and humor gets me a lot of links about funny apes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155.md?page=2)