Victorian Humor (1884 Joke Book)

No because I already lost it at the "It's bean soup, sir."😭😭

"There's a great rogue at the end of this stick." "At which end, your honor?" I wonder what effect that had on his sentence ...

I am a fan of Mark Twain. “Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.” “God created war so that Americans would learn geography.”

"If you get the best of whiskey the whiskey gets the best of you" is my favorite out of these.

"I don't think the teacher knew very much, she kept asking questions. She kept asking where the Missisipi River was." Somewhat simply modern, I like it.

Some of my husband's recent humor: Recently while going through the checkout lane at Walmart the associate asked us if we wanted our drinking water in a bag, he replied "no thanks just leave it in the jug" or at the VA eye clinic the doctor while examining my husband's eyes said "now I'll take a look at the back of your eyes" .....he replied "do you want me to turn around".......After church service one Sunday he was measuring the candles on the alter to order some new ones, when we went to leave the sanctuary our new reverend ask him "why are you walking around with a tape measure in your hand?".....my husband relied "just seeing how LONG your sermons are.".......and I've had to listen to this for 59 years !

I would be very careful with that book. Everyone who's ever read it has died.😮

The Monsignor at St. Patrick's had the married couple's night and before the festivities' benediction, said, " Now all you men, go hug the most important person in your life." The poor bar tender was hugged by 200 men.

G: "Did you know that babies raised on elephant milk gained twenty pounds for every week?" F: "nonsense" G: "how do you know?" F: "I was raised on elephant milk and I'm still flat broke"

Most of these jokes have stood the test of time, and are still funny.

“The Best Bread Joke Of 1891 Fellow #1 Have you any bread? Fellow #2 Why, yes would you like some? Fellow #1 I should say so - it would be YEAST you could do! Fellow #2 [Stabs Fellow #1 with dull bread knife]

"If you get the best of whiskey, whiskey will get the best of you" sounds like an excellent country song.

“Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.” - Mark Twain

5:38 historians take note: the first use of “i have a boyfriend”!

“Is this this seat engaged, miss?” “No, but I am.” the original “I have a boyfriend” joke😂😂😂

I can just imagine men huddled around a fire, or enjoying some time off listening to the reader pick out his favorite parts. “Oh oh, listen to this!” “How about this one?” Alternating between laughter and groaning, with pithy remarks and commentary from the audience. Thank you for sharing this piece of history!

Just goes to show that although the language (and likely the delivery) has obviously changed a fair bit, it's still incredible to see that many if not all of these still make perfect sense today, nearly 150 years later.

"Is this seat engaged?" "No, but it is going steady with the seat across the aisle."

Some of those jokes are still doing the rounds 🤣 😎

I'm a Brit who has loved the humour of Mark Twain ever since I first read "Tom Sawyer" as a kid.