# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/21 "2009-01-14T05:57:30Z")
First joke: Adam: “Better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing gets” ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/22 "2009-01-14T08:26:22Z")
I remembered reading an article about how laughter originated awhile back. I found a less detailed version: > [@](#): > > Evolutionary biologists have traced the origins of laughter back 4m years to pre-humans slipping and stumbling in their first faltering attempts to walk on two legs. This might explain why we’re prone to crack up anytime we see someone slip and fall. EDIT: Guess I should have included a link, huh? Well, [here you go.](http://ansab.newsvine.com/_news/2006/04/30/183311-the-evolution-of-laughter-traced-to-falling-down) ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/23 "2009-01-14T08:42:10Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > First joke: > Adam: “Better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing gets” And Eve to Adam, “Is that it?” ---
**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 14, 2009, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/24 "2009-01-14T09:31:08Z")
Cheers for your suggestions, folks. I agree it would have had to be a visual gag, and I’m now inclined to think it was when Og stepped into a mammoth turd whilst the lads were out hunting. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/25 "2009-01-14T10:01:01Z")
Couldn’t find a cite online, but I remember from anthropology class that a really common ice age-era stone carving is a depiction of a monkey looking over his shoulder at a huge poop emerging from his butt, and sitting on the poop is a little bird looking back at him. At 10,000+ years old, it was described as the first identifiable joke. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/26 "2009-01-14T10:11:25Z")
What did the mastodon say to the sabre-toothed tiger? Dude, you’ve got your tusks on inside out! What did the sabre-toothed tiger say to the mastodon? Nom nom nom. What’s the difference between a woman and a club? You can’t beat a club for hunting. ETA: Thank you, I’m here all era. Try the gazelle! And don’t forget to drag your waitstaff round by the hair. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/27 "2009-01-14T13:55:48Z")
wouldn’t it have been about the travelling club salesman and the caveman’s daughter? ---
**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 14, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/28 "2009-01-14T14:02:05Z")
Is that an apple under your fig leaf or are you just happy to see me? ---
**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 14, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/29 "2009-01-14T16:18:28Z")
Thag: Look over there! Bock: What there? Thag: Hits Bock with stick. Tribe: Ha ha ha. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155/30 "2009-01-14T17:04:17Z")
Misfortune of others is funny, making misfortune for others is the joke. I’m sure the first joke was thrown shit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-joke/481155.md?page=1)