Funny Jokes to Tell Friends: Short Setups and Surprise Endings

A bridge is an unusual thing to pack for a desert island. A life-size world map would be even harder to carry. These short jokes start with an ordinary question and send the answer somewhere unexpected.

Choose a quick exchange for a group chat, or leave a pause before the answer when telling it to a friend. The headings separate surprising replies from literal misunderstandings.

Two quick jokes to start with

Choose one, or jump to a section for a different setting.

  • 1.I asked the baker if his cakes were homemade.
    He said he lived upstairs.
  • 2.The teacher asked me to draw something from memory.
    I drew a blank.

Unexpected answers

  • 1.I asked the baker if his cakes were homemade.
    He said he lived upstairs.
  • 2.My friend asked what I would take to a desert island.
    A bridge.
  • 3.I asked the shopkeeper if he had any invisible ink.
    He said, Not that I can see.
  • 4.I asked the shopkeeper for a map of the world.
    She asked, Life-size?

Try the bridge joke when you want an answer people can picture immediately.

Mixed-up instructions

  • 5.The teacher asked me to draw something from memory.
    I drew a blank.
  • 6.My friend told me to keep an eye on the cake.
    Now the icing has an eyebrow.
  • 7.I bought a new reversible jacket at the shop yesterday.
    Let’s see how it turns out.

The reversible jacket joke turns on the phrase turns out.

A little imagination

  • 8.I bought a tiny dictionary for my dollhouse.
    It has small talk.
  • 9.Why did the robber wash his clothes before running away?
    He wanted a clean getaway.
  • 10.I gave my friend an empty box for his birthday.
    He said, You should not have.

For the empty-box joke, give the final sentence the tone of a complaint.

More jokes to try next

Before you go

Choose one joke and leave a brief pause before the answer.

Questions people ask

Which joke is quickest to tell?

The desert-island joke has a one-word answer. The invisible-ink exchange is another short choice.

Can I copy the setup and answer together?

Yes. Each Copy button includes the full joke beside it.

Are these all puns?

No. Some use double meanings, while others answer a question in an unexpected way.