40 percent of people laugh at bad jokes
Almost 40 percent of us will laugh at a bad joke even if we don't find it funny, is has been found.
Armed with the joke "What did the big chimney say to the little chimney? Nothing. Chimneys can't talk" researchers monitored the reaction of over 200 people.
Laughter was surprisingly the most common response with 37 percent followed by people who said 'that's not funny' - less then 1 in 100 actually groaned.
The boffins from Washington State University believe the laughter is often caused because people are amused at being let down by the joke.
That has got to be the best bit of news Jim Davidson has read all day.
Dr Bell, an assistant professor of English said bad jokes got a better response when there was a bigger age gap between the person tell it and the audience.
"The younger you are and the closer you are in age to your failed humorist, the more likely you are to attack," she said.
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