Oh, Tapster...

Research in the BL. Sometimes you get nothing, and sometimes you come up with pure gold. During my last visit there, I made a ground-breaking discovery, one which will force us all to reconsider the ways in which we think about the history of humor: they had "Waiter, there's a fly in my drink/soup" jokes in 1641. And back then, they rhymed. This, from the fascinating collection of jests, Wits Recreations. A Fly out of his glass a guest did take, Ere with the liquor his thirst would slake, When he had drunke his fill, againe the Fly Into the glass he put, and said, though I Love not flyes in my drinke, yet others may, Whose humour I nor like, nor will gainsay. It's nearly funny. But not as funny as the earliest "knock knock" joke known, recorded in PRO MS SP 154/3 f. 45b, dated 1515 and attributed to John Skelton: Here followeth a methode for makynge of a ieste wherein the iester doth sette hymselfe as iff behynde a dore, and beginneth thus: Knochte, knocchte. [nowe th'other must replie: Who ist?] Who ist? Ist Henrie! [now the same must replie: Henrie who?] Henrie who? Henrie the VIII of that name ruler over England Wales Ireland Scotland and France, of blessed name and sovereign over us all. Hast thou seen mine groome of the dore-knocchter? Mine knocctynge is unkyngliche, verily. And then they would laugh and laugh and laugh and tell it again.