Interesting Facts

The oldest British joke is a bawdy gag from the 10th century which employs the traditional question and answer format. "What hangs at a man's thigh and wants to poke the hole that it's often poked before? A key." (Wow! Where did we get a reputation for having a good sense of humour from? I guess it's marginally funnier than the world's oldest joke.)

 The University of Wolverhampton in central England has found the world's oldest joke. It's a gag about breaking wind and dates from 4,000 years ago. The joke dates from 1900 BC, and originated in what is now southern Iraq. The joke goes:- "Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman farting in her husband's lap." (Well I can only think that times and senses of humour must have changed since then.)