as a non English speaking person i have sometimes problem understanding some expression?

Question

for example : A person say s: nock nock and the other person immidiately says : who is there and that goes on .
it is always a joke involved , but i do not get it where has that been originated . please give me an example
thanks

Answer 1

It's a very common way English speakers make jokes.

The joke is always introduced like this:

- Person 1: "Knock Knock." (knocking on a door)
- Person 2: "Who's there?" (asking who is knocking at the door)

The person who is "knocking" gives a name in response to the question "who's there?" The name may not be a real person's name. Here is an example:

- Person 1: "Orange."
- Person 2: "Orange who?" (what's your last name?)

The response and final line to the joke is what makes the joke.

- Person 2: "Orange you glad to see me?!" (sounds like "aren't you glad to see me?"

The humor in the joke is in the joker's clever and unexpected use of words. The joker (person 2) may: (1) give an answer that is completely unexpected, (2) give an answer that can have two meanings, or (3) trick the other person into saying something with two meanings when they ask, "___ who?"


Another example may be like this one:

- Person 1: "Knock knock."
- Person 2: "Who's there?"
- Person 1: "Boo."
- Person 2: "Boo who?" (sounds like "boo-hoo," a sound make to imitate a person crying?)
- Person 1: "Why are you crying?!"

This is one in which the joker may trick the other person into saying something that can mean something else.

Answer 2

The accessory first and ultimate. English has diverse letter sounds (extremely vowel sounds) than what various the different languages have. Vowel sounds are between the 1st issues an toddler learns, and each and all of the toddler-babble is the potential of getting to understand the vowels. this is amazingly confusing to precise pronounce the vowels of a diverse language once you study it in an prolonged time in existence. consequently many father and mom attempt to enhance their little ones bilingual from beginning. Its some distance extra basic to no longer in basic terms mentally study the language words and meanings, yet in addition to pronounce the words without too loads of an accessory while found out as an toddler.

Answer 3

Generally, ESL learners start with the rules and try to create language based on these rules. However, there are huge portions of language that do not follow these rules. They are often called idioms, expressions, slang, or colloquialisms. For these portions, the only an ESL learner can grasp them is to examine them meaning-first, not rule-first.

Example (meaning in parentheses):
A: What's up? (Standard greeting)
B: Nada. You? (Standard response and counter-greeting)
A: The old lady bailed. (My wife or girlfriend left me.)
B: No way! (Expressing incrediluity)
A: Way, man. (Expressing that the previous statement was indeed true.)

A rule first examination would result in absolutely no meaning, as there are only two verbs in the entire exchange.

So, to answer your question: the meaning is what is driving the language, not the origins, rules or anything else.

Answer 4

You are putting too much thought into it.

Traditionally, someone knocks at the door and before you open it, you would ask, "Whose there?"

The jokes are very elementary, the person behind the door would offer a name that makes no sense, forcing the person to ask, "whatever they answered - who." The response is the rest of the joke.

Answer 5

know knock jokes ae ooooollld shoolyard jokes. So well known that when someone says knock knock, the automatic response is whos there? Boo. Boo who? Theres no need to cry it's only a joke....xx

Answer 6

Honestly, I have no idea. I don't know where it came from, I suppose it probably originate from one joke and was later used for many.

Not sure if this would help or not http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knock_knock_joke

Answer 7

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Olive Toop
Olive Toop who?
Well, so do I, buddy, but you don't hear me bragging about it!

... Olive Toop Who... I love to poo... thank you, thank you, I'm here until Tuesday!

Answer 8

I think Moses and Joshua started those Jokes.
The most famous one:
knock knock
who's there?
Boo
Boo who?
Don't cry it's only me.

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Answer 9

"knock knock"
"whos there"
"snow"
"snow who"
"snowbody but me!"
hahahaha