"While debating Sir Winston on the House of Commons, Lady Astor says, "Sir Winston, if I were your wife, I should poison your tea."Sir Winston replies, "Madam, if I were your husband, I would drink it.""

In 1066, a Battle of Hastings ensued in England, eventually causing two languages to merge and form modern English. In "The Joke's on Me, " English language aficionado Jim Purdy provides an entertaining tutorial of jokes, explanations, and associated vocabulary based on this historical transition.

Purdy bases most of his jokes on sex, politics, and religion, depending on the unexpected as he leads serious students of languages to the "other side" of English. While including jokes not intended for the easily offended, Purdy relies on the experiences he acquired during his frequent travels throughout Europe as he shares jokes as diverse as the world around us. Purdy spares no one from his humorous jabs, including Lady Astor and Sir Winston, the Lone Ranger, and the Pope.

"The Joke's on Me" is a step-by-step guide that will encourage both novice and experienced students of languages to gain a new appreciation of the American sense of humor while simultaneously enhancing their vocabulary and linguistics abilities.

Laugh this up for free...Knock, knock! Who's there? Gorilla. Gorilla who? Gorilla me a steak Knock, knock! * Who's there? Bee! Bee who? Don't worry! I'll Bee there for you! * Knock, knock! Who's there? Pig. Pig who? Pig on someone your own size. * Knock, knock! Who's there? Iowa! Iowa who? Iowa big apology to you! I think I just hit your car! * Knock, knock! Who's there? Juneau Juneau who? Juneau who that girl is? * Knock, knock! Who's there? Kentucky Kentucky who? Kentucky my eyes off you! * Knock, knock! Who's there? Abby Abby who? A bee just stung me! * Knock, knock! Who's there? Bridge! Bridge who? London Bridge is falling down, falling down...

If you're into aviation, this book is a must. Learn about the distinctions between helicopter and airplane pilots in a joking way. This book is a great way to break the ice, especially at a party.

"An excellent example of applied folklore."
-- "Western Folklore"

"A book with a wonderful interdisciplinary idea-using sexual urban legends as part of high school and college sex education"
"--The Women's Review of Books, Oct. 2001"

"Provocatively bridges the interdisciplinary gap between folklore and sexuality education."
--"Journal of Folklore Research"

"One might assume that a book on urban legends would be too pop-culturish to be of value to serious sexuality educators and students, but one would be wrong...Whatley and Henken hae written a book that is as intelligent as it is interesting and funny."
--"The Journal of Sex Research"

Ever hear the one about the man who wakes up after a chance sexual encounter to discover he's been involuntarily relieved of one of his kidneys? Or the tiny gift-wrapped box from a recently departed lover that reveals a horrible secret? Everyone knows contemporary legends, those barely believable, often lurid, cautionary tales, always told as though they happened to the friend of a friend. Sometimes we pass them on to others unsure of their truthfulness, usually we dismiss them as mere myth. But these far-fetched legends tell us quite a bit about our deepest fears and fantasies.

In fact, a large part of what we know about our bodies we have learned informally, from kids on the playground or colleagues at work, from piecing together the information contained in folk beliefs, jokes and legends. Sexual folklore goes beyond classroom lessons of mechanics to answer many questions about what people actually do and how they do it.

Mariamne H. Whatley and Elissa R. Henken have collected hundreds of sexually-themed stories andjokes from college students in order to tell us what they reveal about our sexual attitudes and show us how they have changed over time. They confront myths and stereotypes about sexual behavior and use folklore as a tool to educate students about sexual health and gender relations. Whether analyzing popular rumors about celebrity emergency room visits or the latest schoolyard jokes, Did You Hear About The Girl Who . . . ? presents these tales in a way that is intriguing and educational.

A modern, feminist take on the classic joke book to amuse and empower women. If a tree falls in a forest and only a woman is around to hear it, does it make a sound? We’ll never know. The male forest ranger said it was a “she said, tree said” situation. Four comedy writers flip the script on outdated, sexist joke formats while delivering sharp commentary about the everyday sexism women and people of marginalized genders face. Building off their viral McSweeney’s piece, the book arms readers with humorous ammunition to deliver pointed blows to workplace underminer Gregs and Neanderthal Uncle Larrys, or to share with their aggrieved girlfriends. A cutting satire of the old-fashioned sexist joke book, Jokes to Offend Men is a refreshing reclamation of a tired form.