It only hurts when I laugh

Punchline of a joke

"It only hurts when I laugh" is a punchline of a joke which exists in numerous versions since at least 19th century. A typical setup is that someone badly hurt is asked "Does it hurt?" — "I'm fine. It only hurts when I laugh."[1][2]

The phrase has been used as a title of various works:

  • It Only Hurts When I Laugh (album), by Jann Browne, 1991
  • It Only Hurts When I Laugh, an autobiography by Stan Freberg
  • Boli tylko, gdy się śmieję… [pl] ('It Only Hurts When I Laugh...') in the correspondence of Stanisław Lem
  • Only When I Laugh, an autobiography by Paul Merton.

See also

References

  1. ^ Leon Rappoport, Punchlines: The Case for Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Humor, p. 83
  2. ^ "The Joke Stops Here", Memphis Flyer