In another thread I had mentioned "practical joke." Then I began wondering how the term "practical joke" developed. How can a "joke" be "practical?" It's in Etymology.com, though this is what it says, "Practical joke 'trick played on someone for the sake of a laugh at his expense' is from 1804." That gives a date for its first use, but not how the phrase evolved.

Does anyone know?

From the OED Online:

quote:

practical adj. I. 1. a. Of, pertaining or relating to practice; consisting or exhibited in practice or action. Opp. to speculative, theoretical, or ideal.
Often applied to that department of a subject, art, or science, which relates to practice as distinguished from theory, as in practical agriculture, arithmetic, chemistry, geometry, logic, music, philosophy, etc. practical joke: see JOKE n. 1.

Tinman

So a practical joke would be distinguished from a theoretical joke? Doesn't make much sense to me, frankly, and I doubt whether either the jokester or his victim would be classifying jokes as "practical or theoritical".

Have to admit, though, that my on checking found the same explanation in The Word Detective. The author there adds, "But personally, I still prefer the type of verbal joke that experts on humor call a 'henway.''"

Tell me, if you know, what's a henway?

quote:

Tell me, if you know, what's a henway?

Maybe it makes one cackle with laughter? Commonly used by Henway Youngman in the USA, of course.

A practical joke is a joke that involves action. A regular joke is something you say, with a punchline. The distinction seems pretty clear to me.

Ditto what Sean said.

quote:

Originally posted by Hic et ubique:
So a practical joke would be distinguished from a theoretical joke?

You can tell a joke to someone ("theoretical") or you can play a joke on someone. The one is "theoretical" in that it doesn't really exist, and the other is "practical" because it is put into practice or performed or, as Seanahan said, involves action.

quote:

Tell me, if you know, what's a henway?

As the Word Dective said, "About five pounds." It's a joke dependent on a pun (henway = hen weigh).

Tinman