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100+ Best Dad Jokes, Ranked by Cringe/Pun Level

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By Nick Hall - Entertainment

Published: 3 July 2023, Last Updated: 29 Oct 2023

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If you’ve ever had this displeasure of catching up with your old boy after a few too many pints, you’ve undoubtedly heard your fair share of dad jokes. Something about a heightened sense of confidence turns every man into a comedian, often to varying degrees of success. But the funny (or not-so funny) part about dad jokes is that it doesn’t really matter if they hit or not. In fact, that’s kind of the point.

The best dad jokes are the ones you see you coming a mile away. The ones where the punchline doesn’t make you laugh, it makes you audibly groan with discomfort and frustration. It really doesn’t matter if it’s a funny dad joke or a bad dad joke, the reaction is always the same. The punchline comes, you cringe and turn to your old man, only to see him give you that half-smile, a cheeky grin that suggests he knew that it wasn’t funny to begin with. So, what sets a good dad joke apart from a bad dad joke?

What is a Dad Joke?

It comes down to the set-up, or more accurately, the lack of set-up. The best dad jokes don’t rely on audience participation, unlike the regular funny jokes we’re used to. Instead, the teller should be able to give you the whole orientation, complication and resolution in one sentence, otherwise known as a ‘one-liner’. The reason one-liners make the best dad jokes is that it doesn’t matter if the audience is listening. Apparently, the height of parental comedy is roasting your kids before they even realise what’s happening. The optimal ratio for the best dad joke is two parts funny: one part groan. The 2:1 scale is necessary to nail this unique style of humour, but you can judge for yourself how effective your timing is.

The Science of Dad Jokes

Whether you are a fan of dad jokes or not, there’s something to be said for a well-timed pun. In fact, the science behind great joke-telling can reveal a lot about human behaviour, according to research from the University of Windsor in Canada. The data suggested that puns may actually be of benefit to kids and adults as they have a bilateral effect on the brain, however, crossword creator David Astle believes the secret to a good corny joke was taking a visual idea and “twisting it”.

“When we’re told, for example, ‘the baseball federation is going to replace the baseball with an orange’ you think, ‘how does that make sense? Really? That’s just going to be a complete splatter-fest’,” Astle told ABC back in 2017. “But then when you hear the pay-off, which is, ‘to add more zest to the game’, the other side of the brain, being the left side that does language processing, starts to make this kind of neuroelectric connection between the other hemisphere. So the visual and the verbal starts to make a connection. Unlike too many other jokes, there’s an amazing kind of holistic effect within the brain. It breaks up the English language and creates a kind of conspiracy between the punnee and the punner.

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Best Dad Jokes

Maybe you are soon to become a father and want to brush up on your dad joke of the day skills, or maybe your just love watching your friends cringe at your poor attempt at humour. Either way, we’ve got you covered, and with Father’s Day just around the corner, the timing couldn’t be better.

Here is a list of the best dad jokes to make your friends cringe, ranked according to our 2:1 ratio. Try not to laugh.

Good Jokes

Not all dad jokes are created equal. Some are actually funny, which may be a surprise to some. Below, you’ll find a long list of dad jokes that always hit, ensuring a slight chuckle from the audience, irrespective of their age and maturity.

1. Did you hear about the circus fire? It was in tents.
2. Can February March? No, but April May!
3. It’s inappropriate to make a ‘dad joke’ if you’re not a dad. It’s a faux pa.
4. Wanna hear a joke about paper? Never mind—it’s tearable.
5. How do lawyers say goodbye? We’ll be suing ya!
6. What’s the best way to watch a fly fishing tournament? Live stream.
7. Spring is here! I got so excited I wet my plants.
8. I could tell a joke about pizza, but it’s a little cheesy.
9. Don’t trust atoms. They make up everything!
10. When does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes apparent.
11. What’s an astronaut’s favourite part of a computer? The space bar.
12. I don’t play soccer because I enjoy the sport. I’m just doing it for kicks!
13. Why are elevator jokes so classic and good? They work on many levels.
14. Why do bees have sticky hair? Because they use a honeycomb.
15. What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta.
16. Which state has the most streets? Rhode Island.
17. What did the coffee report to the police? A mugging.
18. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field.
19. I made a pencil with two erasers. It was pointless.
20. I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!

Corny Jokes

On the opposite end of the spectrum, corny dad jokes are less about humour and more about repetition. These are the unfunny instalments that don’t really garner a great response, cultivated over years of practice and delivered with unassuming ease. Hi hungry, I’m dad!

1. Did you hear about the guy who invented the knock-knock joke? He won the ‘no-bell’ prize.
2. I’ve got a great joke about construction, but I’m still working on it.
3. I used to hate facial hair…but then it grew on me.
4. I decided to sell my vacuum cleaner—it was just gathering dust!
5. I had a neck brace fitted years ago and I’ve never looked back since.
6. You know, people say they pick their nose, but I feel like I was just born with mine.
7. What’s brown and sticky? A stick.
8. Why can’t you hear a psychiatrist using the bathroom? Because the ‘P’ is silent.
9. What do you call an elephant that doesn’t matter? An irrelephant.
10. What do you get from a pampered cow? Spoiled milk.
11. I like telling Dad jokes. Sometimes he laughs!
12. Did I tell you the time I fell in love during a backflip? I was heels over head!
13. If a child refuses to sleep during nap time, are they guilty of resisting a rest?
14. I ordered a chicken and an egg online. I’ll let you know.
15. It takes guts to be an organ donor.
16. If you see a crime at an Apple Store, does that make you an iWitness?
17. I’m so good at sleeping, I can do it with my eyes closed!
18. “Dad, did you get a haircut?” “No, I got them all cut!”
19. My wife is really mad at the fact that I have no sense of direction. So I packed up my stuff and right!
20. How do you get a squirrel to like you? Act like a nut.

Best Dad Puns

Everyone loves a good un and that’s what dad jokes are built on. Ask any newspaper headline writer and they’ll tell you, the secret to drawing readership is all about a snappy title that makes you giggle Here are the best puns for dads.

1. Why don’t eggs tell jokes? They’d crack each other up.
2. I don’t trust stairs. They’re always up to something.
3. What do you call someone with no body and no nose? Nobody knows.
4. Did you hear the rumour about butter? Well, I’m not going to spread it!
5. Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up by itself? It was two tired.
6. Dad, can you put my shoes on?” “No, I don’t think they’ll fit me.”
7. Why can’t a nose be 12 inches long? Because then it would be a foot.
8. This graveyard looks overcrowded. People must be dying to get in.
9. How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh? Ten tickles.
10. What concert costs just 45 cents? 50 Cent featuring Nickelback!
11. How do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie in it.
12. Why did the math book look so sad? Because of all of its problems!
13. What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? Nacho cheese.
14. What kind of shoes do ninjas wear? Sneakers!
15. How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together.
16. What did the drummer call his twin daughters? Anna one, Anna two!
17. How did Darth Vader know what Luke got him for Christmas? He felt his presents!
18. Did you hear about the chameleon who couldn’t change colour? He had a reptile dysfunction.
19. I wanted to go on a diet, but I feel like I have way too much on my plate right now.
20. Want to hear a joke about construction? I’m still working on it.
21. What’s Forrest Gump’s password? 1forrest1

Dad Jokes for Kids

Keeping things clean isn’t always easy, but we’ve put together a list of dad jokes for kids to enjoy, so there’s no swearing, no adult themes and presumably, no laughter either. Enjoy!

1. What sound does a witches car make? Broom Broom
2. To whoever stole my copy of Microsoft Office, I will find you. You have my Word!
3. What does a zombie vegetarian eat? “GRRRAAAIINS!”
4. This graveyard looks overcrowded. People must be dying to get in there.
5. What does a nosey pepper do? It gets jalapeno business!
6. Whenever the cashier at the grocery store asks my dad if he would like the milk in a bag he replies, “No, just leave it in the carton!”
7. Two goldfish are in a tank. One says to the other, “do you know how to drive this thing?”
8. What’s that Nevada city where all the dentists visit? Floss Vegas.
9. Atheism is a non-prophet organisation.
10. You’re American when you go into the bathroom, and you’re American when you come out, but do you know what you are while you’re in there? European.
11. Why did the picture go to jail? Because it was framed.
12. What do you call a bear without any teeth? A gummy bear!
13. What do you call a hippie’s wife? Mississippi.
14. The shovel was a ground-breaking invention.
15. Dad, can you put the cat out? I didn’t know it was on fire.
16. Does anyone need an ark? I Noah guy!
17. How do you make holy water? You boil the hell out of it.
18. 5/4 of people admit that they’re bad with fractions.
19. What do you call a man with a rubber toe? Roberto.
20. I would avoid the sushi if I was you. It’s a little fishy.

Dumb Jokes

Rounding out the list in the worst possible way, we’ve got dumb jokes. Don’t expect any nuance or intellect here, just straight-up nostalgia delivered with a hearty chuckle and the look of a man who knows he’s not as funny as he thinks.

1. To the man in the wheelchair that stole my camouflage jacket… You can hide but you can’t run.
2. What do you call a fish with two knees? A two-knee fish!
3. I bought some shoes from a drug dealer. I don’t know what he laced them with, but I was tripping all day!
4. The rotation of earth really makes my day.
5. I thought about going on an all-almond diet. But that’s just nuts.
6. Did you know the first French fries weren’t actually cooked in France? They were cooked in Greece.
7. I’ve never gone to a gun range before. I decided to give it a shot!
8. What’s black and white and goes around and around? A penguin in a revolving door.
9. Why do you never see elephants hiding in trees? Because they’re so good at it.
10. My son screeched, “Daaaaaad, you haven’t listened to one word I’ve said, have you!?” What a strange way to start a conversation with me…
11. Did you hear about the kidnapping at school? It’s fine, he woke up.
12. What did the caretaker say when they jumped out of the store cupboard? “Supplies!”
13. If a child refuses to sleep during nap time, are they guilty of resisting a rest?
14. A furniture store keeps calling me. All I wanted was one night stand.
15. I used to work in a shoe recycling shop. It was sole destroying.
16. Did I tell you the time I fell in love during a backflip? I was heels over head.
17. My wife is really mad at the fact that I have no sense of direction. So I packed up my stuff and right.
18. Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? Great food, no atmosphere.
19. My friend keeps saying “cheer up man it could be worse, you could be stuck underground in a hole full of water.” I know he means well.
20. What time did the man go to the dentist? Tooth hurt-y!

Cheesy Jokes

1. I just watched a program about beavers. It was the best dam program I’ve ever seen.Why did the coffee file a police report? It got mugged.
2. What did the fried rice say to the shrimp? Don’t wok away from me.
3. Dad, did you get a haircut? No, I got them all cut.
4. The secret service isn’t allowed to yell “Get down!” anymore when the president is about to be attacked. Now they have to yell “Donald Duck!”
5. Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: “Does this taste funny to you?”
6. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field.
7. What do you call a man who can’t stand? Neil.
8. I’m thinking about removing my spine. I feel like it’s only holding me back.
9. Why don’t skeletons ever go trick or treating? Because they have no body to go with.
10. Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up by itself? It was two tired.
11. I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!
12. What did the grape do when he got stepped on? He let out a little wine.
13. I wouldn’t buy anything with velcro. It’s a total rip-off.
14. Why are cats bad storytellers? Because they only have one tale.
15. Why was the belt sent to jail? For holding up a pair of pants!
16. What do you call a baby monkey? A chimp off the old block.
17. Do you think glass coffins will be a success? Remains to be seen.
18. What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches? A nervous wreck.
19. What happens when a frogs car dies? He needs a jump. If that doesn’t work he has to get it toad.
20. Did you hear about the scientist who was lab partners with a pot of boiling water? He had a very esteemed colleague.

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