Joe Miller's Jest Book

by Joe Miller

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Genres: Humor

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1739

About the author

Joseph Miller (1684 – 15 August 1738) was an English actor, who first appeared in the cast of Sir Robert Howard's Committee at Drury Lane in 1709 as Teague.

After Miller's death, John Mottley (1692–1750) brought out a book called Joe Miller's Jests, or the Wit's Vade-Mecum (1739), published under the pseudonym of Elijah Jenkins Esq. at the price of one shilling. This was a collection of contemporary and ancient coarse witticisms, only three of which are told of Miller. This first edition was a thin pamphlet of 247 numbered jokes. This ran to three editions in its first year.

Later (not wholly connected) versions were entitled with names such as "Joe Miller's Joke Book", and "The New Joe Miller" to latch onto the popularity of both Joe Miller himself and the popularity of Mottley's first book. Joke books of this format (i.e. "Mr Smith's Jests") were common even before this date. It was common practice to learn one or two jokes for use at parties etc.

Owing to the low quality of the jokes in Mottley's book, their number increasing with each of the many subsequent editions, any time-worn jest came to be called "a Joe Miller", a Joe-Millerism, or simply a Millerism.

Reviews

[Michael P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best selling humor book of the eighteenth century lands with a thud in the twenty-first. I find the book unfunny, obscure, awkward, and occasionally irritating. It is something of a privilege's to read a book this old and that was once so popular, and I might admire this edition had it been properly annotated or glossed, but this edition simply reprints the first with plates made from an old copy. The things you need to know to get the humor are not explained. This is a missed opportunity.

[Jean-Pierre Vidrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is almost equal parts laugh-out-loud funny, quite amusing, and simply baffling. I suspect that the latter is due mostly to old turns of phrase and dated references that don't quite hit their mark as punchlines these days. Still, the book is a good way of passing the time on the bus or the train.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish Joe Miller alive today. He surely was the Lewis Black of his time. Some centuries have passed, thus a lot is lost on this tech day and age. Yet there were quite a few passages that if not a giggle , then a short smile from me. I liked this little charm of humor.

[J. Boo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wildly popular (and frequently ribald) joke book of its day, and more than a hundred years later referred to by Charles Dickens, Jerome K. Jerome, and others with the expectation that the reference was common knowledge. With the passing of time, some of the humor has been lost, or requires too much thinking over the point of the joke to be a real knee-slapper to a modern audience. The jokes -- mainly short anecdotes with a punchline or a witty comeback -- are also a bit wordy, as one would expect of the early Georgians.

A few samples:

A pragmatical young Fellow sitting at Table over-against the learned John Scot, asked him what difference there was between Scot and Sot: Just the Breadth of the Table, answered the other.

A Gentleman lying on his Death-Bed, called to his Coachman, who had been an old Servant, and said, Ah! Tom, I'm going a long rugged Journey, worse than ever you drove me? Oh, dear Sir, reply'd the Fellow (he having been but an indifferent Master to him), ne'er let that discourage you, for it is all down Hill.

Racy (in spoilers) Lady C——g and her two Daughters having taken Lodgings at a Leather-Breeches Maker's in Piccadilly, the Sign of the Cock and Leather-Breeches, was always put to the Blush when she was obliged to give any Body Direction to her Lodgings, the Sign being so odd a one; upon which my Lady, a very good Sort of Woman, sending for her Landlord, a jolly young Fellow, told him, she liked him and his Lodgings very well, but she must be obliged to quit them on Account of his Sign, for she was ashamed to tell any body what it was, O! dear Madam, said the young Fellow, I would do any Thing rather than lose so good Lodgers, I can easily alter my Sign; so I think, answered my Lady, and I'll tell you how you may satisfy both me and my Daughters: Only take down your Breeches and let your Cock stand.

Freely available on Gutenberg. 3.4/5

[Morris Nelms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not especially funny now, but obviously influential from that time to this. Some clever things.