In the picture: Why did the chicken cross the road? Because it wanted to get to the other side!
Before we get to anti-humor, let’s say two words about English spelling (coming soon).
Humor or humour?
Have you ever wondered how to spell it “correctly”: humor or humour?
As often happens in English, both versions are correct!
Simply put, humor is the American spelling and humour is the British spelling.
The same is true for honor vs honour, color vs colour, and so on. Read more in the text about differences between American and British English. (coming soon)
What is anti-humor?
The chicken joke above is a classic English anti-joke¹, that is, an unfunny-funny joke. It first appeared in 1847 in the New York Times. Readers looking for a funny punchline heard the obvious answer. So obvious and so unfunny that it became funny.
Today, many of the anti-jokes below, and a lot of this special kind of anti-humor², can be found in chicken memes.
But the world does not end with chickens!
Below are 16 examples of English anti-humor that will definitely not make you laugh!
Anti-jokes, or anti-humor in English
- “Knock knock.”
- “Come in.”
- What’s blue and smells like red paint?
- Blue paint.
- What did Batman say to Robin when they got to the Batmobile?
- Get in the car!
- Yo Mum is so fat that she should be concerned because diabetes is a serious problem.
- What did the man say when he lost his truck?
- Where’s my truck?
- What is green, yellow, blue, red and orange?
- Colours.
See also: Colours in English for beginners and advanced learners (coming soon).
- How do you confuse a blonde?
- Paint yourself green and throw forks at her.
- Ask me if I’m an onion.
- Are you an onion?
- Nope, I’m a person.
- What do you call a black man on the Moon?
- An astronaut.
- A guy walks into the bar and the bartender says,
- “Hey, what can I get for you?”
- I still remember the last words my grandpa said before he kicked the bucket.
- “Hey, how far do you think I can kick this bucket?”
Kick the bucket is an informal expression meaning “die”. Here, Grandpa really kicks a bucket: a container you might use to carry water. The joke plays with the two meanings.
- A duck walks into a pharmacy. He approaches the pharmacist at the counter and says, “I need some ointment for this rash on my beak.”
- The pharmacist replies, “Sorry, we don’t have medicine for ducks here.”
A rash is an area of sore, irritated skin. Ointment is a thick medicine you put on your skin. A beak is a bird’s hard mouth.
- Do you know why the dinosaur couldn’t break through a brick wall?
- Why?
- I don’t know, I’m the one asking you the question!
The opening uses an indirect question (coming soon): a question introduced by words such as “Do you know”.
- What did the pirate do before he buried a treasure?
- Dug a hole.
See also: The past continuous tense and sea stories of a one-eyed pirate. (coming soon).
- Why can’t T-Rex clap their hands?
- Because they’re extinct.
Extinct means that no animals of that kind are still alive. The ordinary answer ruins the clever punchline you were expecting.
- What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?
Learning English is not a joke! Or is it?
Why is it worth learning English?
Because it will open the world to you, give you access to unlimited knowledge and growth, improve your health, and help you get a more interesting and better-paid job!
That is not a joke. Or maybe it is just an obvious anti-joke!
So there is no time to wait!
Take the free trial week on the Speakingo online English course! (coming soon)
See whether you enjoy learning through conversation, whether it is easier for you to answer questions in English, and whether you can really use English in everyday situations!
Your first week after registration is still free and with no obligations!
Sign up for the Speakingo online English course!
Want to understand English jokes? Start speaking like they do!
Anti-humor anti-jokes borrowed from Joke Hive and Express and Star
Do you know any other English anti-jokes? Write them in the comments!
