In-joke: Difference between revisions – Wikipedia

Humour only specific people understand

In-joke

Alternative names	in-joke inside joke private joke
Type of joke	Esoteric

An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or a private joke, is a joke with humour that is understandable only to members of an in-group; that is, people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of shared interest. It is, therefore, an esoteric joke, only humorous to those who are aware of the circumstances behind it.^[1]

Typically, inside jokes use a reference in the punchline to imply that which is associated with the reference. Often, this reference refers to the punchline of another joke which was already heard by the in-group.

In-jokes may exist within a small social clique, such as a group of friends, or extend to an entire profession or other relatively large group. When the in-group only includes people which heard the previous portion of a comedic set, the type of inside joke is known as a callback.

An example is:

Q: What’s yellow and equivalent to the axiom of choice?

A: Zorn’s lemon.^[2]

Individuals not familiar with the mathematical result Zorn’s lemma are unlikely to understand the joke. The joke is a pun on the name of this result.

Ethnic or religious groups may also have in-jokes.^[3]

In-jokes are cryptic allusions to shared common ground that act as selective triggers; only those who share that common ground are able to respond appropriately.^[4] An in-joke may be used to build community, sometimes at the expense of outsiders. Part of the power of an in-joke is that its audience knows that many do not understand it.^[5]

An in-joke can also be used as a subtext, where people in the know may find humor in something not explicitly spoken. They may even apologize for doing so to a rookie, directly or indirectly stating that what they were laughing at was an in-joke.^[6]

Look up inside joke in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Media related to In-jokes at Wikimedia Commons