The Origins of Knock-Knock Jokes: A Brief History

Knock-knock jokes have become a staple of comedy around the world, with their simple setup and often groan-inducing punchlines providing endless entertainment for audiences young and old. But where did this beloved form of humor actually come from?

To trace back the roots of knock-knock jokes, we must journey all the way back to William Shakespeare's time. In his play 'The Taming of the Shrew,' a scene featuring a knock-knock joke-like structure appears:

'Good morrow, fair Bianca!—

What noise is this?'

'What wind doth blow so?—

I'll warrant you 'tis no wind,

When I have done.'

While it's clear that Shakespeare was attempting to be clever with his use of puns and wordplay, his audiences at the time didn't quite seem to get the joke. In fact, many modern readers might even find this early version more cringe-worthy than laugh-out-loud funny.

Fast forward several centuries to around 1900 AD when knock-knock jokes began to gain popularity in their current form. The format involved one person saying 'knock' and then waiting for another person to respond with a question like 'who's there?' At this point, the first person would say someone's name followed by a pun or play on words related to that name.

For example: Person A says 'Knock knock!'

Person B responds with 'Who's there?'

To which Person A replies 'Sonic!'

And finally, after an agonizing wait for the punchline, they conclude with something like 'Son-ic!'

But it wasn't until much later—specifically in the 1990s—that we saw a character named Knuckles become associated directly with knock-knock jokes. In Sega's popular video game series Sonic & Knuckles (and its spin-offs), this anthropomorphic hedgehog became known for his mischievous antics and tendency to use these types of jokes as a form of entertainment.

Interestingly, the name 'Knuckles' itself is derived from the four knuckle-like protrusions on each hand. According to official Sonic Team polls, Knuckles ranks fourth in popularity among all characters in the series behind only Tails, Shadow, and naturally enough—Sonic himself.

So next time you hear someone say 'knock knock,' don't just roll your eyes or groan at another tired joke; instead take a moment to appreciate how far this form of humor has come since its humble beginnings with William Shakespeare. And who knows? Maybe one day we'll even see a new generation of comedians coming up the ranks and reinvigorating this classic format once again!

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