Henny Youngman

Who was Henny Youngman?

Henry "Henny" Youngman was a British-born American comedian and violinist famous for "one-liners" - short, simple jokes delivered rapid-fire. His best known one-liner was "Take my wife ... please."

In a time when many comedians told elaborate anecdotes, Youngman's routine consisted of telling simple one-liner jokes, occasionally with interludes of violin playing. These depicted simple, cartoon-like situations, eliminating lengthy build-ups and going straight to the punch line. He was known as the King of the One Liners, a title given him by columnist Walter Winchell. A stage performance by Youngman lasted only fifteen to twenty minutes, but it contained dozens of jokes, delivered one right after the other.

Famous Quotes:

• I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places.
• Take my wife, please.
• When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.