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A common joke, told in the following format:
Person 1: Knock, knock |
The format does tend to make it annoying, as the second person usually wants to hear a joke, rather than be forced to participate. But it is possible to make them funny in the right situation. Because this trope is so well-known, it's subverted more often than not, by replacing the punchline with an unexpected insult instead.
A second subversion is when person 1 isn't actually trying to set up a joke, but person 2 acts like it is. Generally this leaves out the 'knock knock' being said, with person 1 knocking on an actual door.
The Other Wiki has an article on this plus examples, even prototypical ones from Shakespeare's time.
Compare Light Bulb Joke, What's a Henway?.
- In Paulie Shore is Dead:
Paulie: Knock, knock |
- In Police Academy 6, Hightower was fighting a thug, and the thug was getting the upper hand enough to tell one of these jokes. It was so bad, it ticked Hightower off enough to punch the guy out.
- Father Ted:
Dougal: Knock, knock. |
- Catch Me If You Can combined a subversion of this with a Precision F-Strike, to good effect.
- From Mirror Mask:
Valentine: I'm sorry I don't have any books, puss, but I can tell you a knock-knock joke. I know the best one in the world. |
- There is a book that claimed that this is the greatest knock-knock joke ever:
Knock-knock. |
- Dominic Deegan introduces a Crowning Moment of Awesome for physics students with a variant:
Knock-knock. |
- Then there's this one.
- Also turned into a crowning moment of either heartwarming or heartbreaking in the movie Half Nelson.
Dan: Knock knock. |
- And shows up in Ozy and Millie, but with an interrupting space alien.
- Dave Barry referenced this when writing about the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney;
Everything's backwards in Australia. They have summer when we have winter, all their teenagers idolize accordion players, and the punchline of all their jokes is "Knock-knock!" |
- From Family Guy. Stewie becomes unbearably nice once he has a near-death experience, so much that he tells Brian a knock-knock joke that ends with "your friend, Stewie, and he'll always be there for you." Brian retaliates:
Stewie: "What's that you got there?" |
- In News Radio, Bill tries out his new knock-knock joke on Dave:
Bill: Knock, Knock. |
- In Matt Ruff's Sewer Gas and Electric, in the afterlife, Abbie Hoffman is telling Ayn Rand a Knock-Knock Joke, trying to teach her about humor. .
- This gem from Animaniacs:
Wakko: "Knock knock." |
- And now for a little subverting? First, 'Windsor Hassle':
Queen Elizabeth: (knocks on door) Knock knock. |
- Second, with Pinky and The Brain, from 'Welcome to the Jungle':
Snowball: Here's a little joke for you, Pinky. 'Knock knock.' |
- Once Snowball finds someone more receptive?
The Brain: Who? |
Haley: "Knock knock!" |
Harriet: Knock-knock rook. |
- This dialogue from a Secret Invasion tie-in of "Deadpool
Deadpool: Knock, knock. |
- Another example with Deadpool. After telling his life story to a movie-maker, Wade knocks on the door of his long-lost father.
Deadpool's Father: Who's there? |
- Played with in Bill Bailey's Tinselworm tour:
Knock knock. |
- Subverted in the Discworld novel The Wee Free Men when Tiffany first visits Miss Tick, who is currently working out of a tent that has no actual door:
Tiffany: Knock knock. |
- Depending on your tastes, the following is either a case of Dude, Not Funny or Gallows Humor:
Person 1: Knock knock! |
- Ernie Steele of Backyard Sports does not use puns in his Knock Knock Jokes, but instead stops them in the middle. For example:
Knock-knock! |
- The children's book Camp Knock-Knock is about a kid having a knock-knock joke challenge involving names, and getting stuck with the name Frederick Ornat. Freddie Ornat, here it comes!
- Prarie Home Companion did a whole song based on knock knock jokes which is surprisingly catchy, and can be heard here with the jokes starting at 0:40.
- The Buffybot tries for an epic one:
WILLOW: I got her head back on, didn't I? And I got her off those knock-knock jokes. |
- Saturday Night Live, a 1991 Wayne's World sketch from the first Gulf War. Wayne and Garth are geeking out over the new US smart-bombs and the novel first-person Night Vision footage on CNN.
Wayne: They're so accurate they can just fly in through the door. It's like, "Knock Knock!" |
- During one of Mitch Hedberg's stand-up routines, where he talks about hotels, he says he likes to wear Do Not Disturb signs around his neck "so little kids can't tell [him] knock-knock jokes. 'Hey, how you doing, nephew?' 'Knock-knock...' 'Read the sign, punk!'"
- A King of the Hill episode when the gang are at the alley after Hank cried in a romance film.
Dale: Knock knock. |
- In Planescape: Torment, with Morte trying to get Nordom to play the Straight Man:
Morte: Hey, Nordom... Knock-Knock. |
- The first movement of PDQ Bach's cantata "Knock, Knock," and its alternate version, "Sam and Janet."
- An episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show had Ted Baxter write his own knock-knock joke, but getting stuck on the punchline:
Knock knock. |
- He eventually comes up with one at the end of the episode that Mary thought was Actually Pretty Funny:
Anna Maria Alberghetti in a taxi, honey, better be ready 'bout half past eight.... |
- In the Community episode "The Science of Illusion" Britta delivers this Knock-Knock Joke in a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming after being called a Buzz Kill several times in the episode:
Knock knock. |
- In the Philippines, a popular variation is to replace a line in a song with a knock-knock joke. Popularized in a noontime show named Eat Bulaga! An example:
Person 1: Knock knock. |
- A really bad Harry Potter related one:
Person 1: Knock knock. |
- A subversion from Kickassia, when N. Bison has Dr. Insano cornered:
N. Bison: Knock knock! |
- Played with on The Office episode "Golden Ticket"
Michael: Knock Knock |
- Later
Dwight: Knock knock! |
- From Beavis and Butthead:
Beavis: Knock knock. |
- Later
Butthead: Knock knock. |
- No actual examples, but in Angels of Light and Darkness, Suzie tells a stupid joke that isn't one, and John comments that her sense of humor is declining to the point where she'll be invoking this trope, next.
- Dennis Miller in his 1993 HBO special, after a joke bombs early on:
"I like to float that one early to see how literate I can get with the audience...so I think I'll try some knock-knock jokes! Knock-knock!" |
- One time in The Wonder Years, after an awkward silence between her and Kevin following a serious spat, Winnie signals her willingness to reconcile with a knock-knock joke:
"Who's there?" |
- Regularly featured as a segment on Lamb Chop's Play-Along, and honored with a song to boot.
Give me a Knock Knock Joke
That was a Knock Knock Joke |
- An absolute classic from an episode of Home Movies, while Linda is giving birth.
Brendon: (Shouting angrily) YOU KNOW WHAT!? KNOCK KNOCK! |
Linda: FUCK YOU WHO!? }}
- Possibly stolen from Space Ghost Coast to Coast:
Zorak: Alright, here we go. Er, uh, um... Knock knock? |
- In Quest for Glory IV, this is your cue that you should NOT open a coffin, unless you have a ton of HP.
Knock knock. |
- One episode of Hello Cheeky subverted this delightfully.
Tim: Knock knock. |
- The Powerpuff Girls and their Professor see one of these.
Puppet pal mitch: Knock knock. |
Harvey Kneeslapper: Knock knock. |
- In every Hillbilly Moment onThe Amanda Show
{{quote|Announcer: "It's time for a Hillbilly Moment!" (goofy laugh)
Lula Mae: "Hey, hey, knock, knock."
Enos: "Who's there?"
Lula Mae: "Uh...[object]."
Enos: "[object] who?"
Lula Mae: "I'm gonna hit you in the head with a/an [object]."
Enos: (laughs) "Huh?"
Lula Mae hits him in the head with the [object]. (Enos stumbles and sometimes falls over.)
Enos: (laughs) "That's a good' un!"
Lula Mae: "Yup."
- Knucklehead from Pee-wee's Playhouse always has these.
- Susie Carmichael tries telling one to the Rugrats, but they lose it.
- Crank Yanker Special Ed also tries telling one.
- Spongebob Squarepants has an unsensible one to Squidward during his fun to-do list.
Spongebob: Hey Squid, knock-knock! Squidward: Who's there? Spongebob: ... I AM!(laughs) Squidward: (laughs a little) okay.