What are the characteristics of best joke stories?

One characteristic is the unexpected and often morbid twists. For example, in a joke like 'I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.' It takes a normal concept like losing interest in a job and twists it into a more negative, almost cynical view.

Funny joke stories usually contain elements of absurdity. Take the story of a fish that goes to a library and asks for a book on underwater cooking. It's so absurd that it makes people laugh. Also, they might play with language, like puns. For instance, 'I'm reading a book on anti - gravity. It's impossible to put down.' This kind of wordplay adds to the humor.

They are usually short and to the point. For example, 'What's orange and sounds like a parrot? A carrot.' It quickly delivers the punchline.

One characteristic is the element of surprise. For example, in the joke 'Why is the doctor so angry? Because he has no patience.', the play on the word 'patience' as both a virtue and a medical term is unexpected.

Funny anti - joke stories often lack the typical build - up and punch - line structure. A normal joke might set up a situation and then deliver a big laugh - out - loud punch - line. However, an anti - joke could be something like a man saying he lost his keys in the supermarket. His friend asks where he last saw them. He says 'Near the apples.' And that's it. There's no big 'aha' moment like in a regular joke. It plays with your expectation of what a joke should be.

They also tend to be more detailed. A short joke might just be a one - liner, but a long joke story can describe the setting, the characters, and their actions in more depth. For instance, in a story about a group of friends at a restaurant. It can describe what each friend looks like, what they order, and how the waiter behaves. All these details are there to create a more vivid and engaging story that ultimately leads to the funny part.

A good one is that the past, present, and future walked into a bar. It was tense. It's a short and clever play on words where 'tense' has a double meaning related to time and the atmosphere in a bar.

Another great Christmas joke story is that Santa was checking his list twice as usual. He came across a name that made him scratch his head. It was 'Olive'. He said, 'Olive? All I want for Christmas is not another Olive!' It's a play on the song 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' and the unexpected name 'Olive'.

A blonde was driving and saw another blonde in a canoe in the middle of a field. She stopped and shouted 'It's blondes like you that give us a bad name! If I could swim, I'd come out there and teach you a lesson!'.

One funny joke story is that a snail got mugged by two turtles. When the police asked him what happened, he said, 'I don't know. It all happened so fast.' It's funny because snails are known for being slow, and the idea of things happening too fast for a snail is a comical contrast.