Cinker's blog

看You’ve got mail的时候，有这样一段台词始终无法理解，当Joe Fox对售货员说了Knock Knock后，为什么售货员会转怒为喜？和之前对待Kathleen简直就是截然两人。
后来终于理解，是Joe的幽默使得她转变了态度。然而，这简单的几句话有这么大魔力吗？查阅Wikipedia后明白，Knock Knock Joke是美国的小孩子间玩的游戏，心理学家通过研究发现它能提高孩子运用语言的能力。
形式如下，一人扮演A(回答者)，一人扮演B(提问者)
A:Knock, knock!(固定开始模式，表示这是一个Knock Knock游戏)
B:Who’s there?(固定提问)
A:Barbie.(可以随便回答)
B:Barbie who?(固定回答)
A:Bar-B-Q(借题发挥，可以引出一个名字、一个单词，甚至一个句子)

这个游戏的关键就在于A这个回答者，它可以利用一切英语中的Pun，例如谐音等来产生幽默的效果。

You’ve got mail中用的是这个，和下面这个结构相同
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you going to open the door?
(Aren’t you going to open the door?)

通过Wikipedia我还了解到，这个小游戏在UK, Ireland, France, Australia, the U.S.A., Canada, and South Africa都是当地的风俗。
不过他们开始的方式不一样罢了，像一些非英语国家，如法国，他们以”Toc-Toc”开始游戏，而南非以”Klop-klop”开始游戏。

1953年Cape Town流行的Knock Knock游戏
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Delores
Delores who?
Delores my shepherd… .

法国版的Knock Knock
Toc Toc ! (Knock knock!)
Qui est là ? (Who’s there?)
Sheila
Sheila qui ? (Sheila who?)
Sheila lutte finale… . (a pun on “c’est la lutte finale” (It’s the final struggle), the opening line of The Internationale)(法国人喜欢用歌)

附上一些Samples

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Doris.
Doris who?
Doris open, I’m going to come in.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Dwayne.
Dwayne who?
Dwayne the bathtub, I’m dwowning.
(Drain the bathtub, I’m drowning.)

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Cow go.
Cow go who?
Cow go moo!

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Amos.
Amos who?
A mosquito bit me.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Euripides.
Euripides who?
Euripides pants and I won’t make you another pair.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Keith.
Keith who?
Keith me, my thweet preenth.
(Kiss me, my sweet prince.)

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
José
José who?
José can you see by the dawn’s early light?
(Oh say can you see by the dawn’s early light? — first line of The Star-Spangled Banner)

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Olive.
Olive who?
Olive you!
(I love you!)

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Ross Perot.
Ross Perot who?
See how quick people forget?.
Puns on other words

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Alpaca.
Alpaca who?
Alpaca the trunk, you pack-a the suitcase.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Beets.
Beets who?
Beets me.
(Beats me.)

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you going to open the door?
(Aren’t you going to open the door?)

A similar joke expands the structure:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn’t say “banana”?
(Aren’t you glad I didn’t say “banana”?)
One of the more outrageous examples is a triple pun:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Eskimo Christian Italian.
Eskimo Christian Italian who?
Eskimo Christian Italian no lies.
(Ask me no questions, I’ll tell you no lies.)
Variations
Widespread knowledge of the knock-knock form gives rise to meta-jokes and other enjoyable perversions of the genre:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Boo.
Boo who? (Boo-hoo!)
Don’t cry; it’s only a knock-knock joke.
Or
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Atch.
Atch who?
God Bless You! (referring to sneezing sound,as in,”Achoo!”).
A few knock-knock jokes rely on elaborate setup, like this one:
Will you remember me in an hour?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a day?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a week?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a month?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a year?
Yes.
I think you won’t.
Yes, I will.
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
See? You’ve forgotten me already!
As in all comedy, timing can be an important skill:
Knock, knock!!
Who’s there?
Interrupting cow!
Interrupting co . . . (Cut off by next line)
Moooooooooo!
Many silly variations to the ‘interrupting’ knock-knock joke are possible:
Knock, knock!!
Who’s there?
An interrupting starfish!
An interrupting st . . . (Cut off by next line)
(The joketeller abruptly and obnoxiously jumps and extends his/her arms and legs to resemble a starfish)
Knock, knock!!
Who’s there?
an interrupting prune
an interrupting pr…
(Teller then scrunches up their face as much as possible to resemble a dried prune)
Knock, knock!!
Who’s there?
an interrupting moose
an interrupting…
MOOSE!
One more ‘interrupting’ version:
Knock, knock!!
Who’s there?
Soviet border police.
Soviet bo . . .(Cut off by next line)
Don’t ask questions!
Knock, knock!!
“Who’s there?”
Interrupting “Totally uncalled for”
Interrupting totally…
(slaps victim)
One that’s really a prank on the recipient.
I know a great knock-knock joke.
Ok, tell me.
All right. You start.
Ok, knock, knock!
Who’s there?
. . .
Another technique is to use a descriptor within the joke, with the clarification highlighting the joke
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Suspense!
Suspense who?
. . .

Some more scatalogical variants:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
I ate mop
I ate mop who?
That’s disgusting!
or
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
I dunnup
I dunnup who?
You should consult a doctor about your incontinence problem.
or
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Fork
Fork who?
My, such language!

The short film Po Mo Knock Knock is perhaps unique in that the entirety of the film’s subject matter is postmodern knock-knock jokes, as alluded to by the title. For example:

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida who?
Precisely
Sometimes knock-knock jokes involve a well-known celebrity. Here’s one about Brooke Shields with an added twist.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Brooke Shields.
Brooke Shields who?
Brooke shields herself from the brutal reality that is her life by finding solace in meaningless material goods and the never-ending pursuit of more and more wealth. But, little does she know, all the beachside condominiums and all-night free-for-all’s cannot ease the ever-growing pain she feels at the end of each pointless and purposeless day, a pain that will never be satisfied by her decadence, a pain that will remain until the day she dies.

A variation of the knock-knock joke that was made famous by the movie Catch Me if You Can goes:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Go fuck yourselves.
This is an example from Family Guy said by Stewie Griffin:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Your friend, Stewie, and he’ll always be there for you.

Here’s an example of an interrupting celebrity joke involving (attempted) murderer Amy Fisher.
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Amy Fisher.
Amy Fish…
(Cutting off the answer) BANG!!
It is possible for the Antagonist to ruin the joke and turn it into a prank on the usual protagonist
Knock, knock!
Come in
. . .

Popularity: 17% [?]