Buying An Elephant

Why makes this Joke funny?

• Tim: "Nothing, I just want the money."

  This joke utilizes misdirection and the element of surprise for its humor:
  
  - Misdirection: Initially, Tim`s wish for money seems directly related to wanting to buy an elephant, which sets up an expectation in the listener`s/reader`s mind. We are led to believe that the joke is heading towards a discussion about why Tim wants an elephant.
  
  - Element of Surprise: The punchline ("Nothing, I just want the money") subverts the expectation that was set up with the first two lines. The humor comes from the sudden realization that Tim`s desire for money wasn`t related to the elephant at all - he was simply expressing a wish for more money in a roundabout way.
  
  This joke plays on our pattern-recognition and prediction-making skills in language and storytelling. We expect the punchline to be related to the elephant because that`s the topic introduced, but it turns out the elephant was a red herring, and that unexpected twist forms the basis of the joke`s humor.