A dad joke is a

joke A joke is a display of humour in which words are used within a specific and well-defined narrative structure to make people laugh and is usually not meant to be interpreted literally. It usually takes the form of a story, often with dialogue, ...

, typically a

pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...

, often presented as a one-liner or a question and answer. Generally inoffensive, dad jokes are told with sincere humorous intent or to intentionally provoke a negative "groaning" reaction to their overly simplistic humor. Dad jokes are called ''dad jokes'' because they are stereotypically thought to be jokes a father or someone like a father would tell to a child. An example of a dad joke would be for a child to say, "I'm hungry," to which the dad might reply, "Hi, Hungry, I'm Dad." According to a 2023 survey of 1,500 American fathers and their partners, this particular gag was the most heard of the genre in nine U.S. states and the most common nationwide. Of the states, Pennsylvania and Delaware report the highest frequency of dad jokes heard. Some dad jokes may be considered anti-jokes, deriving humor from a punchline that is intentionally not funny, such as non sequiturs like: "Q: Why did the plane crash into the mountain? A: Because the pilot was a loaf of bread." While the exact origin of the term ''dad joke'' is unknown, the term was first published by Jim Kalbaugh, who wrote an impassioned defense of the genre in ''

The Gettysburg Times ''The Gettysburg Times'' is an American newspaper in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, owned by the Sample News Group. It is published daily, except for Sundays, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The ''Times'' was founded in 1902 as ''The Progress'', ...

'' in June 1987 under the headline "Don't ban the 'Dad' jokes; preserve and revere them". The term "dad jokes" received mentions in the American sitcom ''

How I Met Your Mother ''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014, follows main char ...

'' in 2008 and the Australian quiz show '' Spicks and Specks'' in 2009. The genre began to thrive on social media platforms; in 2017, #dadjokes was one of the most popular hashtags on Twitter. The U.S.

Administration for Children and Families The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is headed by the assistant secretary of health and human services for children and families. It has a $49 bill ...

and the

Ad Council The Advertising Council, commonly known as Ad Council, is an American nonprofit organization that produces, distributes, and promotes public service announcements or PSAs on behalf of various sponsors, including nonprofit organizations, non-gover ...

launched the #dadjokesrule campaign in August 2017 to use the increasing popularity of the humor form to encourage positive father-child communication. Ad Council president and chief executive officer Lisa Sherman said, "Dad jokes represent more than just a trend; these jokes are smiles, moments, and memories made with one of the most important people in a child's life." In September 2019,

Merriam-Webster Merriam-Webster, Incorporated is an list of companies of the United States by state, American company that publishes reference work, reference books and is mostly known for Webster's Dictionary, its dictionaries. It is the oldest dictionary pub ...

added the phrase "dad joke" to the dictionary. In October 2021, ''

Men's Health ''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst Communications, Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries; it is the bestselling men's magazine on American newsstands. Started as a men's health magazin ...

'' compiled 200 of "the best dad jokes of all time", sorting them into topical categories of punny, "groaners", sick, parenting, and "my wife". In May 2022, ''Today'' published a list of 225 in the humor genre, categorizing some as being better suited for adults than for children.

Examples

* Q: What does a lemon say when it answers the phone? A: Yellow! * Q: What's orange and sounds like a parrot? A: A carrot. * Q: What's brown and sticky? A: A stick. * Q: Where does a sick fish go? A: The

dock The word dock () in American English refers to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore). In British English, the term is not used the same way as in American Engl ...

. * Q: What do a bed bug and the

Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889. Locally nicknamed "''La dame de fe ...

have in common? A: They're both Paris sites. * Q: When does a joke become a dad joke? A: When the punchline becomes apparent. * Q: What did the fish say when he swam into the wall? A:

Dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

! * Q: How do pickles make the best use of their time? A: They

relish A relish (a pickle-based condiment) is a cooking, cooked and pickling, pickled culinary dish made of chopped vegetables, fruits or herbs, typically used as a condiment to enhance a staple. Examples are chutneys and the North American relish, a p ...

every moment. * Q: What do you call a fake noodle? A: An impasta.

References

{{reflist

External links

Dad jokes
at fatherhood.gov Fatherhood Humour Jokes Pejorative terms Gender jokes

Examples

See also

References

External links