We all know that person. The one who just has to one-up everyone with a “hilarious” joke. The one who thinks they’re the wittiest person in the room, even when their jokes are worn-out and predictable. While they bask in all of their own perceived glory, those around them are typically cringing on the inside.
After speaking with people who’ve encountered these self-proclaimed jokesters, we’ve curated a list of the habits they rely on most. If you’ve ever had a friend who fits this description, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.
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Interrupting serious conversations with jokes
Some people are so tone-deaf that they can’t tell the difference between light conversation and a group that is having a serious, even emotional, conversation. They interrupt the mood with a lame “funny” remark that only elicits eyerolls from the rest of the group.
Telling the same joke over and over
Many people we talked to knew at least one person who repeats the same joke word-for-word every time a certain subject is brought up. It’s not even that it’s a good joke; it just seems like they never notice that it’s not the first time they’re saying it. Instead, they expect everyone to laugh as if it were a new and original punchline.
Constant pun-dropping
We had a lot of people tell us that while a good pun here and there is fine, they’ve come across people who drop them every other sentence. It becomes so exhausting and groan-worthy really quickly.
Making jokes at someone else’s expense
A lot of people noted that there are those who tease or “roast” people constantly. In their mind, it’s all in good fun, but many people pointed out that not everyone likes being the punchline of other people’s jokes. All too often, it seems mean rather than actually funny.
Laughing the loudest at their own jokes
Some people noticed that people who try to be funny too often always laugh longer and harder at their own jokes than anyone else. It almost always feels like a fake laugh.
Competing to be the “funniest” in the group
People also noticed how some always try to one-up others. If someone tells a joke, they immediately jump in with something louder or more outrageous to reclaim the spotlight.
Explaining their jokes when no one laughs
A good comedian knows when to let a joke go, but someone who thinks they’re funnier than they are will not let a bad joke die. Instead, they’ll launch into an elaborate story of why it was supposed to be funny. It makes an awkward situation even more so. The longer they go on about their “joke,” the clearer it is that it just wasn’t funny at all.
Overusing sarcasm
One point a lot of people raised was that being sarcastic occasionally was fine, but when someone is being sarcastic about everything they say or do, it becomes exhausting really quickly. More often than not, it seems like they’re just mocking everyone around them.
Using humor as an excuse
They say something rude or inappropriate and then get a bad reaction to it, so they immediately cover it up with “C’mon, I was just joking!” This is basically their get-out-of-jail-free card for bad behavior. They have a knack for pushing people’s buttons and using humor as an excuse for it.
Making inappropriate jokes
Most people agreed that it was one of the most annoying habits, because some of the things they say will be considered completely off limits by other people. For instance, telling a bad joke about someone’s personal struggles, or a tragic event in history, or someone else’s weird habits. And then they react with surprise when no one laughs.
Telling long, drawn-out stories that go nowhere
Most people said that they have endured long, “funny” stories that seemed to take forever to reach a punchline. And more often than not, the punchline itself wasn’t even worth the wait. It’s like a test of one’s patience instead of actually being funny.
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