What are dad jokes? Dad jokes are typically about middle-aged men and older men. They are told in different formats all over the world. However, it has to be said that dad jokes are more popular in English speaking parts of the world.
That does not mean you are not going to find them in other communities or parts of the world. It seems that most cultures like to tell a dad joke or two.
Also, the dad jokes come in all shapes and forms. Not all of them are about dads. Many are just cheesy one-liners we like to call dad jokes.
When Did Dad Jokes Start? A Brief History
Jokes about dads or older guys have been doing the circuit for some time now. As a matter of fact, they have probably always been around to some extent. According to Wikipedia, the first dad joke appeared in the Gettysburg Times in 1987. But, they have probably been around for a lot longer
The only difference is that we tell more jokes about older men and dads now.
Come to think of it, thanks to modern culture, there are new ways to approach dad jokes. For instance, 20 years ago, most of us would not have heard about Sugar Daddies.
Sugar Daddies, men who hook up with young girls and give them money to finance their lifestyles, are pretty common place. If you are not comfortable about joking about “regular” dads, you should try telling Sugar Daddy jokes.
Jokes about dads are changing all of the time. Let’s take a look at why dad jokes are evolving.
Most women would say that men do sillier things now than they used to do.
For one reason or another, it seems that men like to “regress” as they get older.
What does that mean? Empty nest dads often seem to want to recapture their youths.
Many younger members of their family often find themselves confronted by a new sports car or motorbike when they come home from college or uni.
It makes you wonder why a man in his late 50’s thinks it is now okay to go out and buy a Ducati motorbike? If a man in his 50’s with a couple of grown up kids is prepared to go out a buy fast motorbike, he can expect to find himself subject to a dad joke or two.
The truth is that older dads or mature men as they like to call themselves, often end up doing silly things. Buying a Ducati motorbike is one of them. Taking up a challenging new hobby is often the other one.
What all of a sudden gave your dad go fast-stripes? That’s an example of a dad joke.
Most jokes about dads are not long. They are often short punchy jokes in a form of a question like the one we just mentioned.
Dad jokes are perhaps better described as puns or fun one-liners. There are jokes that have more of a narrative to them, but most of them do not have a narrative.
This is where things get confusing. Although some daughters may refer to their dads as their beloved piggy bank, not all dad jokes are about dads.
Getting confused? Let’s clear that up.
Dad jokes are also told by dads. In many ways, you can say that they are “safe” jokes that are not going to offend anybody.
They are the kind of jokes your dad tells when you have friends and family for dinner. Often instead of making everyone around the table laugh, they make the nearest and dearest cringe.
All of a sudden you find yourself sitting there wondering how on earth he managed to come up with that joke. In all honesty, your dad probably did some research online. There are lots of sites specialising in what is known as dad jokes.
This kind of dad joke is often told in the form of a question with a silly answer. An interesting fact is that they vary from country to country. Americans have their favourites and the rest of the world have their own favourite jokes.
There is definitely a culture association to these kind of jokes.
Telling jokes about your dad or older male family member are not strictly classified as dad jokes.
But, it could be argued that many of them come under the umbrella.
Let’s be brutally honest. Dads can be really funny. As all mums know, men at any age do the funniest things. In many ways, it would seem that men seldom like to “grow up.” They often want to carry on doing the same stuff they did when they were younger.
Worse still, they want to re-capture their lost youth as we have already mentioned.
If you do want to tell a narrative joke about your dad, be careful. It seems that men of a certain age are very sensitive when it comes to personal jokes about themselves and their behaviour.
When you do feel you want to tell a joke about your dad, or make fun of him in front of others, make sure that your joke has a sympathetic ending. In other words, the joke should portray your dad as a nice person but a bit silly.
More than likely, he will not mind that. Sarcastic or jokes taking a mickey out of your dad will go down less well. So, before you tell a joke about your dad, make sure that you think twice.
Your mum is bound to know what a sensitive guy your dad really is when it comes down to it. That is a good example of a one-liner that can raise an eyebrow or two and a giggle from your mum.
There are many different forms of dad jokes.
The most popular ones are perhaps the ones that adults can relate to. But, a quick online search will tell you that there are dad jokes for kids as well.
The worst dad jokes are probably the ones that have been told many times. Over time, they have become a bit boring. That is probably true, but there is another way of looking at these jokes. You can say that they can be trusted and don’t really risk offending anyone.
They are the kind of jokes that are told at a party.
Of course, there are plenty of adult dad jokes around. They are often cheekier and riskier. As a matter of fact, they are perhaps best not told in a family environment at all.
When men get together in a bar, they often like to tell corny punchy jokes over a beer or two. Don’t worry, there are plenty of dirty dad jokes available online.
If you were to listen in, you would realise that many of these jokes can be called dad jokes. They are often super corny but seem to get men laughing.
The funny almost neutral one-liners are the kind of jokes that everyone can laugh at.
The longer, more personal jokes about men are jokes that make families laugh. They are often a little bit more sarcastic and take a mickey out of a male member of the family. It would probably be fair to say that they don’t belong in the public arena. Keep them to yourself or share them carefully with other family members.
It is a good idea to have a repertoire of dad jokes on stand-by. You never know when you need to add some fun to a stilted conversation. Dad jokes for kids are a welcome when you want to make younger guests laugh.
If you are the one telling the joke, it is best to acknowledge that the joke did go down well.
Don’t spend too much time trying to figure out why.
Most of the time, it is simply because the audience have heard the joke many times before. Simply move on and do your best to tell another one.
Dad jokes you’ve never heard are rather hard to come buy. If are going to an event or family gathering, and you know the limelight is going to be on you, doing research is a good idea.
Try to see if you can figure out who is going to be at the event or gathering.
One of the best things about dad jokes is that they often are seldom offensive. That does not mean we should not pay attention to their content.
Today, our society is much more multi-cultural than it used to be. You have to realise that there are people from different ethnic backgrounds that may find your dad joke offensive.
While it is true that you can’t please everybody all of the time, trying to do your best is important.
If you are delivering a speech and like to break it up with a dad joke or two, making sure that they are more neutral is a good idea.
Fresh dad jokes are popping all of the time. When you know you are going to an occasion that many require a dad joke or two, you can check out the best dad jokes Reddit or other popular sites including Best Life Online.
Take your time and find a joke that you think is funny and that other people may think is funny as well. You are instantly going to recognise it when you find it.
Mmm, the jury is kind out on this one.
Although it has to be said that women like to laugh, but do they laugh at dad jokes?
Younger women are much less likely to laugh at dad jokes. But, if you are older, and getting back into dating, trying a couple of dad jokes is not a bad idea.
When you do date night with your wife or long-term partner, you should try a dad joke.
If so, try a dad joke with more of a narrative. The website LaffGaff has a list of good jokes that make the best date night jokes.
You should also check out UpJoke.
The idea of this kind of dad joke is to spark a conversation. And yes it is true, women do find men with a sense of humour attractive.
ForgettingFairyTales is another site with fun flirty jokes that are great for when you are going on a date.
As far as telling jokes is concerned, there are a few principles you should stick to.
Here’s a short list to keep you on track:
- Don’t overdo it. If you are delivering a speech, it should not be packed with jokes. Remember the message is easily lost when you tell too many jokes.
- Don’t be sarcastic. There is a good reason why sarcasm is referred to as the lowest sense of humour.
- Don’t get personal. You are not there to offend people.
- If the joke is new to you, practise before you tell it.
- Make sure that you are comfortable telling the joke.
- Don’t tell a joke at someone’s expensive. It is not going to make them comfortable or the rest of the room.
When you are not 100% sure a joke you have picked online is going to work, scrap it. Try another joke.
Final Thoughts On Dad Jokes
Dad jokes are meant to immediately raise a laugh or a smile. Some of us are better at delivering them than others.
If you have your own favourite dad jokes and deliver them well, stick to them. If you just getting into telling jokes, check out the jokes on this page or visit the recommended websites.
To make your jokes sound more natural learn them off by heart. These kind of jokes are meant to be delivered off-the-cuff and instantly make people laugh. Keep them short and sweet and you have found the perfect dad jokes.
