Throw it away!

People take jokes and joke telling too seriously. They’re JOKES, for heaven’s sake. Don’t tell your jokes as if you were some kind of clown. If you build it up too much, then it really falls flat if you bomb.


Throw it away! Tell your joke as if it doesn’t matter too much. It’s just an observation, just a quick anecdote, just some trivial information you want to share.

A joke isn’t a trombone solo in the jr. high school band program. Your mom’s not waiting with her camera for you to tell a joke. Don’t try to make it something important.

That’s what makes a joke funny. It’s something ridiculous that is thrown into everyday conversation. It must be thrown in as if it were as natural as the last thing that was said.

This means watching for an appropriate moment, a relevant moment, and then slipping in your joke.

Practice with this one:

A lady goes to the local newspaper to submit an obituary. She fills out the form and hands it to the man behind the counter. He reads aloud.
“Harold Robertson died.”
The man scratches his head and gently addressed the widow.
“Don’t you want to say a little more about your husband than this?”
The widow shakes her head.
“That’s what happened.”
The man searches for the right words to explain.
“Well, ma’am, don’t forget that the first six words are free!”
The widow considers this for a moment and then takes the form back. When she finishes she hands it back to the man behind the counter who reads:
“Harold Robertson died. Boat for sale.”