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ONE-LINER JOKE

A one-liner is a joke that takes to its heart the principle that brevity is the soul of wit. A one-liner, in the strictest sense, is a joke that is delivered in a single line. One famous type of one-liner is the "yo mama" joke, such as "Yo mama's so fat, after she got off the carousel, the horse limped for a week." One-liners can be independent, such as the "yo mama" jokes, or situational.

One-liners are known for eliciting cheap, quick laughs, but they can become tiresome to audiences when used excessively by a performer. For example, Freddy Krueger became known for one-liners, particularly those related to the manner in which his victims died, in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series of slasher films. This was seen as a sign of the series' degradation, and indeed the trend was most prevalent towards the end of the series. Humor derived from one-liners nonetheless has the benefit of alleviating awkward situations in many cases.

Examples

  • "Hey Shocker! How does your absorbency compare to the leading brand?"
  • "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies."
  • "If all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldn't be a bit surprised."
  • "She runs the gamut of emotions from A to B."
  • 90% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
    • Anonymous
  • "If you don't mind smelling like peanut butter for two or three days, peanut butter is darn good shaving cream."
  • "Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't."
  • "We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse."
    • Anonymous
  • "Take my wife. Please." (addressing an usher.)
  • "It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man."
  • "There are three kinds of people; those who can count and those who cannot." (best delivered holding four fingers)
    • Anonymous
  • "There are 10 kinds of people; those who understand the binary calculus and those who don't." (best delivered in print because saying "one zero" betrays the joke's punchline.)
    • Anonymous
  • "Politics is made up of two words: "Poli," which is Greek for "many," and "tics," which are bloodsucking insects."
  • "I have nothing to declare except my genius."
  • "I haven't slept for ten days, 'cause that would be too long."
  • "A friend asked me if I slept well. I said, 'No, I made a few mistakes'."
  • "A window of opportunity for me usually involves a rock."
  • "If I could just say a few words… I’d be a better public speaker."
  • "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."
  • "Do I have amnesia? I've forgotten."
    • Anonymous