Asimov’s Treasury of Humor, Isaac Asimov, 1971, 420pp., ISBN 0395126657
640 numbered jokes.
Asimov also tells us what makes a joke funny in concept—a suAsimov’s Treasury of Humor, Isaac Asimov, 1971, 420pp., ISBN 0395126657
640 numbered jokes.
Asimov also tells us what makes a joke funny in concept—a sudden change in point of view, ideally in the last syllable of the joke—and gives advice on how to tell a joke, the difference between telling and writing a joke (p. 58, after joke 55), on joke-listening etiquette, and on when to stop. Asimov was quite the joke-teller, both in small groups and on the after-dinner platform, where he was a sought-after and frequent speaker.
Virtually all the jokes that mention a woman are misogynistic. Asimov admits, “If I were to refuse to tell any jokes in which women were unfairly treated, I would scarcely be able to tell a single joke that involved women at all, and I simply cannot carry my idealism that far.” (p. 77, after joke 79)
Asimov tells us about gambling: “My father said, ‘Thank God you lost.’ He was probably right. Winning first time might have hooked me. As it was, I never played again.” (pp. 82-83, joke 88)
Asimov mentions words and phrases that have changed meaning. “How many times have you heard the phrase ‘The exception proves the rule’ used to argue that a rule is all the stronger and more meaningful when you can point out times when it may be broken? The phrase, however, uses the word ‘prove’ in its older meaning of ‘test.’ Closer to the real meaning is, ‘The exception probes (investigates the validity and finds it wanting) the rule.’” (p. 93, between jokes 108 and 109)
I laughed longest at numbers 307 and 584. (Which tells you something about me, but nothing about whether you will laugh.) I laughed at numbers 1-6, 12-30, 32, 35, 41, 44, 46-52, 54-57, 62-66, 68, 73, 76-83, 89, 98-99, 104-106, 108, 110 (I know what God looks like)–112 (uselessness of education), 114-115, 118-119, 123-125, 129, 132, 136-138, 140, 142 footnote–144, 147, 150-151, 154, 159, 160, (July 20, 1969), 164, 167-168, 170, 177-178, 180, 182-183, 186, 188-189, 199, 204-205, 207-209, (Mark Twain is Asimov’s favorite writer: he always had the right word.), 214-215, 219-228, 236, 238, 241, (kids bring home puns with the zeal, and the effect, of a cat bringing in a dead mouse p. 171), 246.9, 247, 252, 254-255, 257-262, 264-268, 270-275, 277-279, 281, 283, 295-299, 301-303, 307, 313, 316-317, 319, 322-323, 326-331, 333, 345-346, 350.5, 353-359, 361-368, 370-371, 385, 387, 389-390, 392, 394-395, 397-398, 401, 405-408, 410, 412, 414-415, 418, (419 to Boston hospital: “to hell with the Pope!”), 422, 426, 432, 435, 438-440, 442-446, 448-451, 454, 456.5-458, 462-463, 465, 467-472, 475, 477-482, 184.5-485, 487, 492, 494-497, 499, 503-504, 508-510, 526, 545, 554, 565-570, 573-575, 578-579, 582-586, 593-594, 596-600, 610, 615-619, 621, 623-625, 635-640. Your mileage will vary. Part of what makes a joke funny is, you haven’t heard it before.
Thomas Ray
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Books:
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