The Roman * choose answer * orator orators * choose answer * (count) (noncount) Cicero advised budding * choose answer * speaker speakers * choose answer * (count) (noncount) that physical * choose answer * deformity deformities * choose answer * (count) (noncount) is always a great source of comic * choose answer * material materials * choose answer * (count) (noncount) . Perhaps the Romans got this nasty habit from the Greeks, who liked to make fun of their leader Pericles for having a head shaped like an * choose answer * onion onions * choose answer * (count) (noncount) . Some * choose answer * thank thanks * choose answer * (count) (noncount) poor Pericles got for having the Parthenon built, and for transforming Athens into a center for art and * choose answer * literature literatures * choose answer * (count) (noncount) . (You won't get to see Pericles's head here, by the way. Sculptors hid the * choose answer * point points * choose answer * (count) (noncount) on his head with a helmet.)

Over time, our * choose answer * definition definitions * choose answer * (count) (noncount) of what is funny has changed. Today, people do not find birth defects and other physical * choose answer * difference differences * choose answer * (count) (noncount) to be a laughing matter.

Then what do we find funny? If you believe * choose answer * a an the (no article) scientists * choose answer * (generic) (indefinite) (specific) at Britain's Laugh Lab, * choose answer * a an the (no article) following joke * choose answer * (generic) (indefinite) (specific) is number one--according to the nearly 2 million people from around the world who visited the site and rated jokes:

A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in * choose answer * a an the (no article) woods * choose answer * (generic) (indefinite) (specific) when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn't seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls emergency services. He gasps to the operator: “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator, in * choose answer * a an the (no article) calm soothing voice * choose answer * (generic) (indefinite) (specific) says: “Just take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead.” There is a silence, then * choose answer * a an the (no article) shot * choose answer * (generic) (indefinite) (specific) is heard. The guy's voice comes back on the line. He says: “OK, now what?"

This joke, on the other hand, was rated "fowl":

Q. Why are * choose answer * a an the (no article) chickens * choose answer * (generic) (indefinite) (specific) considered good employees?
A. Because they work around the cluck.

Maybe the chicken joke isn't * choose answer * a an the (no article) funniest * choose answer * (generic) (indefinite) (specific) in the world, but I laughed as hard at it as I did at the one about the New Jersey hunters. Which is to say, not very hard. This just goes to show that we all have * choose answer * a an the (no article) different tastes * choose answer * (generic) (indefinite) (specific) when it comes to * choose answer * a an the (no article) humor * choose answer * (generic) (indefinite) (specific) , and also that * choose answer * a an the (no article) people * choose answer * (generic) (indefinite) (specific) who liked this joke are idiots.