Jokes

[jethrien]

ARR has been very interested in jokes this week. He keeps demanding we tell him new ones. (Note to self: look up age-appropriate jokes. Have been blanking a lot.)

Problem is, I don't think he's solid enough on phonemes to get puns, which is most of what kids' jokes revolve around. He seems to enjoy the joke-telling process, but stares at you blankly when you get to the punchline.

He's especially interested in knock-knock jokes. Which he doesn't get at all.
Me: Knock-knock.
ARR: Chee! (His generic sound to indicate being pleased.)

Me: Knock-knock.
ARR:
Me: Say, "who's there?"
ARR: Who's there!
Me: Anita.
ARR: Why Anita?

Actually, I think he keeps forgetting that the formula is "X who?" and thinking it's "Why X?" Which, to be fair, is generally a better logical response to being told that there's a talking banana on the other side of your door.

He made up one of his own tonight.

ARR: Knock-knock.
Us: Who's there?
ARR: Apple.
Us: Apple who?
ARR: Apple who's going to eat everybody. Except for you. And you. And me. Apple who's going to eat everybody except Mommy and Daddy and ARR.

Comments

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

The punchline to all of my nephews jokes is "poopy."

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

Let me know if you want to borrow some of my kid oriented joke books. I own several.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure all kids fall in love with knock-knock jokes well before they can make what we consider "sense" of them. I think it has to do with the ritual quality of the interaction.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

That's kind of what I've been figuring. He likes knowing the forms of things. No one rules-lawyers like a toddler.