“What’s Irish and sits outside all summer long?”

–          Patio furniture

I heard this joke from my friend about a year ago when she first told it to me. This joke can be told at anytime deemed appropriate for joke telling. It is usually performed by asking the question, waiting quite a bit to give the person time to think, and then delivering the punch line in an Irish accent. Sometimes my friend and I tag-team this joke, where she’ll ask someone the question and I’ll deliver the punch line in my Irish accent. This joke is doesn’t quite leave the audience in stitches, but it never fails to draw out at least a good chuckle from the crowd.

This joke is significant for me being Irish-American, because it allows me to poke fun at my own heritage. This joke is based on the stereotype that all the Irish have last names that either begin with the prefix “Mc” or “O’,” which many surnames happen to have, but is not an absolute truth. My own last name however is O’Neill, so I feel a connection with this joke. Plus, my father’s first name is Patrick, making him a true Paddy O’. I particularly like this joke as a beach-going, summer-loving, Southern California native because it incorporates both my Irish heritage as well as my Los Angeles upbringing. This simple joke is easy to remember and is good for making a social gathering more relaxed. Especially if an Irish person is telling this joke, it signals to the other guests that this person must be pretty comfortable if they’re able to make fun of their own background in front of a group of people. This joke can help make a social setting more enjoyable, and it gets people thinking.