Jokes and Targets takes up an appealing and entertaining topic—the social and historical origins of jokes about familiar targets such as rustics, Jewish spouses, used car salesmen, and dumb blondes. Christie Davies explains why political jokes flourished in the Soviet Union, why Europeans tell jokes about American lawyers but not about their own lawyers, and why sex jokes often refer to France rather than to other countries. One of the world's leading experts on the study of humor, Davies provides a wide-ranging and detailed study of the jokes that make up an important part of everyday conversation.

Laughter makes life easier. When times get tough, a good joke can lift spirits and lighten heavy moments. Humor helps us gain perspective, bonding us together in those "can you believe it?" moments of shared mirth. Because let's face it - life can be messy, unpredictable, and downright hilarious sometimes. That's why this collection aims to spark smiles by taking comedic shots at familiar life targets. Drawing laughter out of those odd everyday instances we can all relate to, these quips, one-liners, and longer-form jokes help comedy spread like joyful germs. Because nothing improves a bad mood like belly laughs over a hilarious quip you just can't wait to repeat (whether your audience appreciates it quite as much or not!). From relationships, to work, to rambunctious pets, blundering mishaps, and fast-growing kids, this digest draws humor out of life's comedy goldmines. The embarrassing, absurd, ridiculous and sublime all get spotlighted here. Consider it a passport for lighter passage when you just really need to roar at life's inaccuracies and surprises. Because sometimes, the best salve is simply sharing in laughter's contagious ring. It connects us to one another and to those "ah yes, truth!" moments we thought we alone endured. And even when (make that especially when) the going gets tough, a timely guffaw over an on-point punchline can make everything easier to take. It infuses hope's promise that things eventually work out, despite how utterly weird today got. So have fun shooting the breeze around life's irregularities. Pass jokes around to spread the mirth far and wide. Inside you'll uncover new comedic looks at old familiar territories. Get Ready, Aim, and delight in Funny hitting familiar targets once more as you pass laughter's medicine forward!

I told my mom I couldn't reach the high notes in my choir class... She said I should get a ladder! Every time we go to the ocean, my mom tells me to say hello... the ocean just waves back! If you love arguing about why it’s important to wear a coat when it’s 12 degrees outside... you should be a mom! There’s a legend that if you go take a shower and scream “MOM!” three times... a nice lady appears with the towel you forgot! The next time your young comedian is looking to serve up priceless entertainment, share Best. Mom Jokes. Ever.! Get ready for eyerolls, head shakes, and "aha" moments as you navigate through these mom jokes that make little truths so funny. If you think you’ve heard every mom joke in the book, think again. Best. Mom Jokes. Ever. is sure to have you throwing up your hands and declaring, “Because I said so!”

Over 2 million sold! USA TODAY bestseller! Wall Street Journal bestseller! What happens to race car drivers when they eat too much? They get indy-gestion. Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids provides children ages 7-10 many hours of fun and laughter. Young readers will have a blast sharing this collection of hundreds of one-liners, knock knock jokes, tongue twisters, and more with their friends and family! This mega-bestselling book will have children rolling on the floor with laughter and is sure to be a great gift idea for any child.

Kids can't get enough of laughter--so they can't get enough of Rob Elliot's hilarious joke books! Knock-Knock Jokes for Kids is an all-new collection of knock-knock jokes that will have kids and kids-at-heart rolling in the aisles. Jokes like Knock knock. Who's there? Ben. Ben who? Ben away for a while but I'm back now With more than 2 million copies sold of his first book, Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids, it's clear that kids (and their adults) are looking for clean, lighthearted humor--and Rob Elliott delivers.

In Practically Joking, the first full-length study of the practical joke, Moira Marsh examines the value, artistry, and social significance of this ancient and pervasive form of vernacular expression. Though they are sometimes dismissed as the lowest form of humor, practical jokes come from a lively tradition of expressive play. They can reveal both sophistication and intellectual satisfaction, with the best demanding significant skill and talent not only to conceive but also to execute. Practically Joking establishes the practical joke as a folk art form subject to critical evaluation by both practitioners and audiences, operating under the guidance of local aesthetic and ethical canons. Marsh studies the range of genres that pranks comprise; offers a theoretical look at the reception of practical jokes based on “benign transgression”—a theory that sees humor as playful violation—and uses real-life examples of practical jokes in context to establish the form’s varieties and meanings as an independent genre, as well as its inextricable relationship with a range of folklore forms. Scholars of folklore, humor, and popular culture will find much of interest in Practically Joking.

Over 500 giggles, groans, and belly laughs! Kids can’t resist sharing jokes (even you try to stop them), so they always need a fresh supply. We’ve stuffed the pages of this little joke book with the funniest jokes we could find. Old favorites, new favorites, and a few festering stinkers, all guaranteed to make kids laugh out loud. You’ll find Q&A jokes, knock-knock jokes, riddles, and one-liners. And, of course, we’ve included entire chapters of those all-time kid-pleasers: elephant jokes, pirate jokes, and space jokes. Here’s a sampling: What's black and white, black and white, black and white? A penguin rolling down a hill. Why don’t zombies eat clowns? They taste funny. Why did the hen scold her chicks? They were using fowl language. What kind of books do skunks read? Best-smellers! How does Darth Vader like his toast? On the dark side. . . . and many more!