Knock-knock joke

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The knock-knock joke is a type of joke, probably the best-known format of the pun, and is a time-honoured "call and answer" exercise.

It is a roleplay exercise, with a protagonist (the punster) and an antagonist (not in the negative sense; the antagonist here is the recipient of wit). Developmental psychologists study knock-knock-joke usage in younger children, as it provides valuable insight into how children advance their language skills.

The standard format has five lines:

  1. The punster: Knock-knock (indicating a door has been struck to gain attention)
  2. The recipient: Who's there? (an enquiry)
  3. The punster: a response, usually involving a name (to set up the pun)
  4. The recipient: a repetition of the response plus who? (a request for clarification)
  5. The punster: the punch line, which inevitably involves a punnish misusage of the word set up during the response.

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Some examples

Knock knock
Who's there?
barbie
barbie who?
Bar-B-Q
Knock knock
Who's there?
Adolf
Adolf who?
Adolf ball hit me in der mouth and i can't dalk proper
(from Kenya) Knock knock
Who's there
Amos
Amos who?
A mosquito.
Knock knock
Who's there?
Keith
Keith who?
Keith me, my thweet preenth
(Kiss me, my sweet prince)
Knock knock
Who's there?
José
José who?
José can you see by the dawn's early light?
(Oh say can you see by the dawn's early light? -- first line of The Star-Spangled Banner)

Knock-knock jokes occasionally employ a pun on a common noun or other word.

Knock knock
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you going to open the door?
(Aren't you going to open the door?)
Knock knock
Who's there?
Boo.
Boo who?
Don't cry; it's only a knock-knock joke.

A similar joke expands the structure:

Knock knock
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock knock
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock knock
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock knock
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange ya glad I didn't say "banana" again?
(Aren't you glad I didn't say "banana" again?)

Another twist on the genre, which was very famous in British school playgrounds for a time, reduced the structure instead:

Knock knock
Who's there?
Doctor
Doctor Who?
That's right!

Widespread knowledge of the knock-knock form gives rise to meta-jokes:

Will you remember me in an hour?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a day?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a week?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a month?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a year?
Yes.
I think you won't.
Yes, I will.
Knock knock
Who's there?
See? You've forgotten me already!

Another twist on the traditional knock-knock format is as follows:

Knock knock!
Who's there?
An interrupting cow!
Interrupting co . . . (Cut off by next line)
Mooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Many silly variations to the 'interrupting' knock-knock joke are possible:

Knock knock!
Who's there?
An interrupting starfish!
An interrupting st . . . (Cut off by next line)
(The joketeller abruptly and obnoxiously jumps and extends his/her arms and legs to resemble a starfish)

Another knock-knock joke which has humor that involves interruption:

Knock knock!
Who's there?
German border police.
German b-(Cut off by next line)
Don't ask questions!

One from Brooklyn:

Knock knock
Who's there?
Olive!
"Olive who?"
Olive you!

One that's really a prank on the recipient.

I know a great knock knock joke.
Ok, tell me.
All right. You start.
Ok, knock knock!
Who's there?
...

Another technique is to use a descriptor within the joke, with the clarification highlighting the joke

Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Suspense!
Suspense who? ...

Some more scatalogical variants:

Knock knock Who's there? Runnyp Runnyp who? (Sounds like runny poo, a reference to diarrhea).

or

Knock knock Who's there? I dunnup I dunnup who? You should consult a doctor about your incontinence problem.

The short film Po Mo Knock Knock is perhaps unique in that the entirety of the film's subject matter is knock knock jokes, specifically postmodern knock knock jokes, as alluded to by the title. For example:

Knock knock
Who's there?
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida who?
Precisely

In 1981, as part of his hilarious poetry book, A Light in the Attic, Shel Silverstein conjured up a very interesting variation on a knock-knock joke entitled, "The Meehoo With an Exactlywatt:

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Me!
Me who?
That's right!
What's right?
Meehoo!
That's what I want to know!
What's what you want to know?
Me who?
Yes, exactly!
Exactly what?
Yes, I have an Exactlywatt on a chain!
Exactly what on a chain?
Yes!
Yes what?
No, Exactlywatt!
That's what I want to know!
I told you - Exactlywatt!
Exactly what?
Yes!
Yes what?
Yes, it's with me!
What's with you?
Exactlywatt - that's what with me.
Me who?
Yes!
Go away!
Knock knock...

Sometimes knock knock jokes involve a well-known celebrity. Here's one about Brooke Shields with an added twist.

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Brooke Shields.
Brooke Shields who?
Brooke shields herself from the brutal reality that is her life by finding solace in meaningless material goods and the never-ending pursuit of more and more wealth. But, little does she know, all the beachside condominiums and all-night free-for-all's cannot ease the ever-growing pain she feels at the end of each pointless and purposeless day, a pain that will never be satisfied by her decadence, a pain that will remain until the day she dies.
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Distribution and history

Knock-knock jokes are well entrenched in certain countries such as the U.K., Ireland, France, Australia, the U.S.A. and South Africa. In other nations, such as Brazil, they are practically unknown. In French they begin "Toc-Toc" and in Afrikaans "Klop-klop". Knock-knock jokes were in common usage amongst South African school children in the early 1950's but the exact origin of the format remains uncertain. The following was in circulation in Cape Town in about 1953.

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Delores
Delores who?
Delores my shepherd....

In France, the punchline is almost always a pun on the title of a popular song, allowing the last answer to be sung :

Toc Toc ! (Knock knock!)
Qui est là ? (Who's there?)
Sheila
Sheila qui ? (Sheila who?)
Sheila lutte finale....(a pun on "c'est la lutte finale" (It's the final struggle), the opening line of The Internationale).
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See also

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External links

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