3.5 How to tell a Dad joke

Some keys for optimal delivery of a Dad joke:

• Do not laugh at the joke, at least initially; ideally, you should wait at least 5 seconds before laughing. Generally, this is not difficult.
• Try to keep a serious face during delivery.
• Smirking rather than laughing is usually an appropriate response.
• If possible, a twinkle in one’s eye is useful (Fig. 3.1).
• If there is no reaction at all, you may need to repeat the joke. We recommend repeating a joke no more than three times in a row in one session (Fig. 3.2).
• However, for greatest benefit, a Dad joke should be repeated numerous times, over many different sessions.

Figure 3.1: The response of the Dad to his own joke can influence the response of his listener(s) (Source: Rule (2016), Fig. 3B)

Figure 3.2: Three times is a row is enough for telling a Dad joke in one session (Source: Johnson (2003), Fig. 2)

There are plenty of ways not to tell a Dad joke:

The best way to learn about delivery is to see it in action.