This is the joke that inspired the Punch Bowl.

A guy walks into a busy bar, and while he's having a drink someone shouts out, "Thirty-one."

The place explodes into laughter.

A little later, someone else yells out, "Eighteen." More explosive laughter.

This goes on for the better part of an hour. Someone yells out a number and everybody laughs. Finally, the guy asks the bartender what's going on.

"We're all regulars here and for years everybody told the same jokes. So, we gave them all numbers. Instead of telling the joke, we just shout out the number. Saves everybody time."

"No kidding?" says the guy.

"Really," says the bartender. "Go ahead and try it."

So the guy shouts out, "Ninety-one."

Dead silence.

"Try it again," says the bartender.

"Okay. Fifty-eight."

Nothing.

"One more time," the bartender says.

"A hundred and sixty-six."

The silence is worse than before.

"Don't feel bad," says the bartender, "some people just don't know how to tell a joke."