[irish jokes] and jewish and australian and ...

Chukchi in Russia's north

There is still one Irishman joke Jams enjoys because of the sting in its tail:

An Irishman was looking for work in London. He goes to a building site where the Foreman says to him that he can have a job if he can answer this one simple question: "What is the difference between a girder and a joist"

The Irishman looks the foreman in the face and says: "That's simple. Girder wrote Faust and Joist wrote Ulysses."

It's said that nationalist jokes spring from irrational fear of or ignorance of another nation. Sometimes they just reflect arrogant pride in one's nation being superior to all others and target the most backward or vulnerable. In Russia, the Chukchi are the standard target but they do get their revenge:

A Chukcha and a Russian geologist go hunting polar bears. They track one down at last. Seeing the bear, the Chukcha shouts "Run!" and starts running away. The Russian shrugs, raises his gun and shoots the bear.

"Russian hunter bad hunter, however", says the Chukcha, "Now you haul this bear ten miles to the yaranga yourself!"

In Russia, the use of "odnako" or "however", is the usual way jokers identify the Chukchi, a bit like the Jewish "already".

Let's not even start on Jewish or blonde jokes.