Punch Lines

A punch line is what comes at the end of a joke to tie it all together and make us laugh. But a punch line is much more than that, and punch lines aren’t confined to joke telling. Punch lines are everywhere. Punch lines are what life is all about.

Punch lines are a clearly part of timing. We’ve all heard jokes that were ruined because a punch line was delivered at the wrong time, or too quickly or too slowly. There is a stupid old joke that says:

Why can’t lawyers/blondes/Americans/whomever tell good jokes timing?

And it’s true. Punch lines need good timing.

If a joke is delivered quickly, then a punch line can be fast. Fast punch lines like this catch people off guard. They surprise people. They are unexpected. A fast joke doesn’t give the audience time to ponder the joke and consider how elements of the set up are ridiculous.

Other punch lines need to be held back a little for emphasis. A relaxed punch line gives us the chance to think the joke through. Your audience may be trying to guess the punch line. And that’s okay, if the joke is meant to get the audience guessing.

No punch line should ever be announced. If your audience isn’t paying attention, if they’re too stupid to understand, then they don’t deserve to enjoy your funny joke. Don’t tell them when the punch line is coming. Don’t clue them in with a gesture, or an expression, or by wiggling your eyebrows. Deliver your punch line naturally, with an appropriate amount of emphasis, or deliver it in an off-handed way if the joke warrants such a delivery. But that’s all a part of advanced joke-telling, and we’ll discuss that subject another time.

Punch lines are a part of all communication. Whether you are giving a presentation to the board, telling about your Aunt Tilly’s funeral, or explaining your business proposal to a banker, you’ll eventually have to get to the point. It may not be funny, but your communication will have a set up, and then you’ll make a point. All information has a punch line. No matter how much filler there is in what you have to say, there is still a point. There’s a set up, and a punch line. Anything else is mindless blather, no matter how important you think it is.

That’s the great thing that comes from learning to tell jokes. You learn to think about the information in your set up. What does your audience, or listener, need to know so that they will understand the punch line? Are you saying anything that is unimportant? Is some of your information blocking the path to the punch line? And of course you learn the best way to deliver your punch line. And it’s that final point that will make or break any information you are trying to share. There is great value in learning to tell jokes properly.

Everything you’re saying, whether or not you’re telling a joke, is a set up. You’re painting a picture with words so that you can make a point. That point is the punch line.

Remember what the punch line is, no matter what you’re saying. Hit it hard, and then let its impact sink in.

Let’s see if you learned anything today:

“What makes a good punch line?


Good punch, ice, and no one is pushing or shoving.”

Take a chance!

I tell a lot of jokes. Because I tell so many jokes, I frequently wind up with my foot in my mouth. Some of my quips and jokes in the course of a day are a little edgy. I feel like I have a talent for telling jokes, so I’m willing to take a chance.


I’ve offended more than a few people. I once told a joke about a man who was hit and killed by a train. I can no longer remember how the joke went, only that it wasn’t particularly offensive or dark or pointed. But there was a young lady present whose father had been hit and killed by a train. Now I had no way of knowing this, and I certainly would never have purposely told a joke meant to hurt anyone.

But some of the people there chided me for always joking around. I was told then, and have been told since, that jokes and joking are silly and unnecessary and even inappropriate. That’s what people think when a joke misfires. But when a joke is good, when it’s funny, when it makes a relevant and good point, then the teller is a sage.

But like I said, I certainly would never want to hurt someone’s feelings with a joke. But I won’t give up my sense of humor because some people are dull and hypersensitive. It’s a dangerous road, being a joke teller. I remember how painful it was to overhear some of those friends talking about my joke that backfired. One of the girls said:

“That Darrell Mangum! He thinks he’s SOOO funny!!”

Well, hey. OF COURSE I DO!!!!

Here’s a joke that’s edgy:


A widow goes to the funeral home to review the preparations for her husband’s funeral. When she sees her husband in his coffin, she becomes very upset.
“I didn’t want him buried in a black suit! He always said that he didn’t want to be buried in black! He wanted to be buried in blue! He should be in a blue suit!”
The mortician felt very bad about this and promised to look into the situation. He explained that black suits were standard procedure for a funeral when the family didn’t provide burial clothing. But the bereaved widow went home crying.
The next day the widow goes back to the funeral home, and to her great relief, her husband is dressed in a blue suit!
“How did you do it?” she asked gratefully.
“Well, something wonderful happened. We are preparing for the funeral of another man, and his family brought him to us dressed in a blue suit. His widow was unhappy with the blue suit. She decided that black would be more fitting.”
“So that man was wearing blue, and my husband was in black!”
“Exactly!” smiled the mortician as he casually sat at his desk.
“At that point it was simply a matter of switching around the heads.”

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.”

How NOT to tell a joke:

“Stop me if you’ve heard this one!”


“Wait! Wait! I’ve got a joke! Give me a second! Here goes!”

Never announce your jokes. But be ready when you have the opportunity to tell a joke.

Jokes are best when we are fooled into thinking that the joke teller is just adding a regular comment to the conversation, or sharing a true anecdote.

None of us owes anything to the joke teller. If you’re not ready, if you don’t know your joke by heart, we’re not going to laugh. We’re not your mommy. Be ready.

Don’t laugh and prepare your audience. Don’t tell us when you’ve reached the funny part. We’ll laugh if it’s funny.

Don’t over-explain the set up or the punch line. We’re smart enough to figure it out.

If we don’t get it, or if we don’t think your joke is funny, then drop it. Don’t try to rescue your joke. Sometimes a joke becomes funny when it bombs, and the teller forgets it as if he never said anything.

Don’t tell your joke like a crazy person. Funny is sane. Jokes are best when told as if they were gospel fact.

Practice with the following joke. Change so that it’s about someone you actually know (invent someone). Don’t say that it’s happening to “some guy” or “this guy”. Or you can even say that it’s about you. Change the place to some other place that could be a lonesome, boring place to live. Change the marriage part to taking in a roommate. Change it up and make it work:

A man hears from his doctor that he has cancer and only has six months to live. The doctor recommends that he marry an accountant and move to Montana. The man asks, "Will this cure my cancer?" "No," said the doctor, "but the six months will seem much much longer!"

A new way to promote my speaking.

I've created a facebook page just for my speaking.

You Must Be Joking! Facebook page.


I'll be talking about all my speaking on this page.
There will be FREQUENT jokes,
And updates on my weight training,
And new insights I learn about TEACH A MAN TO FISH.

Since this page is all about joking, here's an old one, but a good one:

A man isn't feeling well, so he goes to see his doctor. The doctor examines him, and then asks to speak with his wife. The doctor tells his wife that her husband has a serious, stress related illness that is quickly killing him. The wife asks "can he be cured?"
The doctor replies "there's a chance we can cure him with chemotherapy, but you will need to take care of him every day for the next year -- cooking all his favorite meals, pampering him, making sure he has no stress or responsibilities around the house. You need to give him back rubs, and let him just sit and watch his favorite shows on tv. Never argue or disagree with him. By doing all this, you’ll save his life." When the wife comes out to the waiting room, the husband asks her what the doctor said.
The wife answers,  "he said that you're going to die".

New blog, New project. TUBBY YOU!

That's right, I think you're tubby!

Over the past year I've had an amazing experience.
Due mainly to stress, I started to seek more physical activity.
You know, walking, less couch-sitting, etc.
But it wasn't enough.
My stress made me crave more.
One day I was cleaning the garage, and I came across my son's old weight bench. I pulled it out, dusted it off, and set it up. I started playing with the weights, experimenting with different kinds of exercises and pretended to work out.
I had SO MUCH FUN!
And best of all, it felt GREAT!
Free weights quickly became my new hobby and obsession.
I'm not doing it for weight loss, and I'm not doing it for health or fitness.
I'm just lifting because it feels good, and it's fun.
Quite and experience, and I'm documenting it all.
Maybe I've got something fun for you tubby middle aged people to learn.
I'm going to be speaking about this experience as well.
Follow me here:
http://tubbyyou.blogspot.com/

Help me put together a big STORYTELLING NIGHT

This is still in the idea stage.
But it will take place in Utah, initially.
I can easily get a venue.
I need help with advertising, promotion, and sponsors.
And!
I need storytellers.
Share any ideas you have here.