Telling knock, knock jokes in Taiwan to second language English speakers is a painful experience. First… you explain the structure:

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
________.
________ who?
[ridiculously lame punchline]

Then you explain how the punchline works together with the “____ who?” line. Try your absolute best to explain how a pun works.

Next: prompt students to put on their best smirk or laugh because it’s just good manners.

Well, I challenged one class to find some and one student came back with a few gems. Here they are for your viewing pleasure.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Abe.
Abe who?
A, B, C, D, E, F, G.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Doughnut.
Doughnut who?
Do not worry, it’s only a joke.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Cows go.
Cows go who?
No, cows go moo.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Says.
Says who?
Says me, that’s who.

There are two classics below:

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Apple.
Apple who?
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Apple.
Apple who?
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Apple.
Apple who?
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn’t say apple?

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Thermos.
Thermos who?
There must be a better joke than this.