«Jokes» are funny stories. You tell a story and hope that the ending, what is often called the «punch line», will make the listener laugh. Let me tell you one and let's hope I at least get a smile. A man who is very fond of going to the theatre to see« thrillers», sometimes called«detective stories» or «whodunits» (because you have to find out who has committed — «done» the murder) goes to see a play but has a very bad seat.
He asks the «usher» (someone who shows you to your seat) if he can find a better seat because he wants to work out who the murderer is and promises he will give him a very large «tip» (a lot of money for the service). The usher finds him a good seat. The man gives him just ONE penny. As the usher walks away, he says to the man: «
By the way the butler does it with the candlestick!»
There are two verbs associated with «jokes — tell and make». You «tell jokes» or funny stories if you do what I have just done by «telling you a joke about» the man in the theatre. You can also «make jokes about someone». This means that you make fun of someone you know or if you are a «comic» or «comedian», someone who does this for a living, you will invariably «make jokes about« famous people and very often politicians. A «joker» is someone who is always «telling jokes» or playing tricks on people. It is also the word for the one odd card in a pack of playing cards. One useful expression connected with «jokes« is what you say to someone who asks you to do something really dangerous like bungee jumping: «
You must be joking!»
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