Henny Youngman

Henry Henny Youngman (original Yiddish surname Yungman; 16 March 1906 – 24 February 1998) was an American comedian and violinist famous for his mastery of the one-liner. His best known one-liner was Take my wife ... please.In a time when many comedians told elaborate anecdotes, Youngmans 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 conferred to him by columnist Walter Winchell. A stage performance by Youngman lasted only 15 to 20 minutes but contained dozens of jokes in rapid-fire succession.

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