History Main / LateToThePunchline

** Another strip that's very similar to the above as well.
--->'''Calvin:''' ''[looking under a chair]'' I've lost my marbles!\\
'''Hobbes:''' Everyone suspected as much.\\
'''Calvin:''' Well I sure hope somebody finds them.\\
''[that night, in bed]''\\
'''Calvin:''' ''Hey!''

* During a battle in ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'', Halo [[http://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1500 drops one of her super-powered teammates on an opponent]], and proceeds to make WesternAnimation/RoadRunner sound effects, much to Harem's confusion. Two days later, Harem [[http://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/2498 realizes Halo dropped an Anvil on him]].

* In the closing credits sequence of the WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation review of [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/222-XBLA-Double-Bill Bionic Commando: Rearmed]].

* In ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'', it is mentioned at one point that this is how Caboose reacts to everything because [[TheDitz he's just so dumb]] that he lags a few moments behind everybody else. He mistakes this for telepathy.

* In ''Webcomic/SabrinaOnline,'' we see the dramatic variation, when [[http://sabrina-online.com/strips/SabOnline207.GIF Sabrina and RC are almost mugged]].
* In [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-07-26 this]] strip from ''WebComic/SchlockMercenary'', the audience see's Doyt's thoughts right after the Doctor insults him, along with a footnote that explains he's only just getting the insult from yesterday's comic.
-->'''Doyt:''' Severe [brain damage] as in stupid? Or severe as in dead?\\
'''Haban:''' Doyt, considering the fact it would be hard for a copy of you to get any stupider, I'd have to say "dead".\\
'''Doyt:''' ''[later that night]'' Hey...
%%* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'':
%%** It took Faye [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1561 a decade or so]].
%%** But it only took Steve [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=826 a few hours.]]
%%Weblinks are not examples.

* ''PVP''. Brent, to Francis:
-->'''Brent:''' Did you hear about the cannibal that [[{{Pun}} dumped his girlfriend?]]
* Leny the Troglodyte in [[http://mansionofe.comicgenesis.com/d/20041002.html this installment]] of ''Webcomic/TheMansionOfE.''

* In ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'', Pollo, despite being named that way since he first appeared in the review of ''ComicBook/AmazonsAttack'' in 2009, doesn't realize his name means "chicken" in Spanish, or, by extension, that Linkara built himself a literal WesternAnimation/RobotChicken, until the review of ''ComicBook/{{Chew}}'' geared towards the character Poyo, in 2022.

* From ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** In "Secrets of a Successful Marriage", Carl calls Homer "a little slow" when Homer fails to realize he just beat Moe at poker with a straight flush. By the time Homer responds "How dare you call me that?!", it's hours later, and Lenny is in his nightshirt and cap when Homer finally asks about it, prompting him to say "Boy, you ''are'' slow!", which then causes Homer to go through the exact same thought process again until Lenny tells him to leave.
--->'''Homer:''' ''[thinking]'' Something said. Not good.\\
'''Lenny:''' Get the hell out of here!
** In "A Star Is Burns", [[TheAhnold Wolfcastle]] has this happen to him ''twice''. When he realizes Jay Sherman (from ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'') insulted him, he chases him down with an assault rifle. Sherman says his shoes are untied, and Wolfcastle replies "From here, they appear to be tied, but I will go in for a closer look". Sherman beats a retreat, day turns to night as Wolfcastle stares at his shoes and finally concludes that they don't even ''have'' laces.
--->'''Wolfcastle:''' On closer inspection, these are loafers.
** Sideshow Bob gives Wiggum the nickname "Chief Piggum". The police chief understands this joke during Bob's parole hearing and went from angry to finding it ActuallyPrettyFunny.
** After [[EvilHand Snake's hair]] is shot in "Hell Toupee":
--->'''Wiggum:''' Now that's what I call a bad hair day.\\
'''Marge:''' May I remind you that two people are dead and... oh, wait, I just got it. ''[joins in with EverybodyLaughsEnding]''
** There's also the time in "Stark Raving Dad" when Homer wears a pink shirt to work. His coworkers mockingly offer him a donut with pink icing, which he thanks them for before realizing the joke.

* ''The WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle Show'' had a cartoon called "Aesop And Son". In one episode, Aesop laughs at a joke he heard days ago and tells his son a fable with the moral "He who laughs last laughs best". Come to think of it, a lot of things in that show were [[ParentalBonus jokes young viewers wouldn't get until later]].
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' Bill and Dale tell Hank and Peggy a joke about them ordering nachos with cheese and the punchline is they tell the waitress "if it's nacho cheese then who's is it" and everyone enjoys a good laugh except Peggy, later much time has passed and Peggy says "oh I just got that nacho cheese joke it's funny!".

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'':
** Peter (in an attempt to become more sophisticated) spends days standing by a newspaper stand staring at a New Yorker cartoon (with the punchline "I'd be more apathetic if I weren't so lethargic") before he finally gets it, saying in a charitable tone that it's "kind of funny," before returning the magazine and getting a copy of ''Juggs''.
** Another time, Peter basically steals Lois' position as director of a play. The morning of the play, she accuses him of lacking creativity, to which he responds:
-->'''Peter:''' I have more creativity in my whole body than most people do before 9:00 A.M..
-->'''Lois:''' The only thing you create before 9:00 A.M. is exactly what you've turned my show into.
-->'''Peter:''' I think my work will speak for itself. ({{beat}}) I just got that. A poop joke? [[SarcasmMode That's real creative, Lois.]]
** In another episode, Peter, hosting a children's variety show, is mauled by a mountain lion during a failed comedy sketch based on the classic "Who's on First?" comedy routine by Abbott and Costello. Peter is later visited in the hospital by the same mountain lion, bearing flowers and stating "I get it now: 'Who' is the guy's NAME!"
* In ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', Finn is worried that Flame Princess doesn’t like him anymore because she didn’t laugh at one of his jokes. Jake and BMO try to assure him that she just probably didn’t get the joke yet. Towards the end of the episode, after Finn comes back from his (possibly) trippy dream inside the pillow fort, Flame Princess calls Finn, telling him that she finally understood the joke. Their relationship is saved!
* WesternAnimation/TopCat is a show about a gang of colorful hoods living in a Creator/DamonRunyon-esque world. A lot of kids must only have grasped what was going on here years later.
* One ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' episode revolves Jokey finding the ultimate joke. Anyone who hears it will laugh uncontrollably and never be able to stop. Jokey alone is immune because he doesn't get it. After a long, arduous journey to cure the laughing Smurfs, the band returns to the village... only for Jokey to burst out laughing, having finally got the joke.
* The WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes character Foghorn Leghorn was based on a radio character Sen Claghorne (who was so Southern he only drank from Dixie cups and would not drive through the Lincoln Tunnel). He also copied his signature response to people who didn't get his jokes "Ah say, ah say son, these are the jokes. I keep pitching them and you keep missing them!"

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* A comedian by the name of Tim Sample occasionally started his routine by explaining that you might not get it right away, and that you could, for example, burst out laughing on the highway and drive right off the road.

* Dane Cook has a standup routine where he's talking about the really annoying sort of car alarms, and coming up with lyrics to go with the alarm noises. He says that it might seem stupid now, but the next time you hear a car alarm, you'll stop and think to yourself, "Ha ha, that Dane Cook is a silly bitch."

* British comedian Creator/StewartLee runs into these responses fairly often, as his act is rather unconventional. During the course of one show, he informed his audience that "the jokes are there, but some of you might have to raise your game". On other occasions, he has divided the room by response - those getting the joke becoming Team A, while the less receptive audience members become Team F.
* Music/TheCapitolSteps have a regular bit they call "Lirty Dies," where they throw as many {{Spoonerism}}s in as they can while commenting on a few recent news items. If they get delayed laughter the performer will likely add some comment such as "Got some low slearners here tonight" or "Better deck your chicktionaries on that one".

* Moose of ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'' lived this trope.

* One ComicBook/AchilleTalon gag goes like this: his neighbor tells him a hilarious joke at which Talon doesn't (initially) laugh at all because he hasn't understood what's funny. It bothers him for hours in his daily activities. And then, the next day as he's walking down the street, he tilts and starts to laugh like mad — except that he bursts into laughter precisely when he crosses paths with a very ugly man with a pimple on his big nose, who takes it personally, knocks Talon down and leaves while shouting: "SOME PEOPLE JUST LAUGH ''TOO'' EASILY."

* A ''ComicStrip/BeetleBailey'' strip starts with unexplained laughter in the middle of the night, which turns out to be Zero reacting to a joke told during the day.
* In ''ComicStrip/GetFuzzy'' for [[http://www.gocomics.com/getfuzzy/2012/10/18 October 18, 2012,]] Satchel laughs in a somewhat tense situation and says it's at one of Rob's jokes. Rob says he told the joke an hour ago, but Satchel actually meant a joke from about [[DogsAreDumb six months ago]].
* ''Drabble'' for [[http://assets.amuniversal.com/773601c09e590130ce08001dd8b71c47 June 15th, 2013.]] Ralph is cooking hamburgers outside when his wife June hands him some tongs and says "Tongs!", to which Ralph says "You're welcome!" June walks away puzzled. Later that night while they're in bed she tells him "Oh, I get it!" Of course, Tongs = Thanks.
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' has one where Series/TheLoneRanger (long-since retired) happens to look up "Kemosabe" in an Apache dictionary and realizes Tonto has been calling him a horse's ass this entire time.

* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' story [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/53317/18/no-i-am-not-a-brony-get-me-outta-equestria/td-trolls-the-canterlot-intellectual-elite T.D. Trolls the Canterlot Intellectual Elite]]'' ends with Celestia finally figuring out -- after 1543 years -- why Luna named said intellectual elite the [[FunWithAcronyms Delegation to the Office of the Royal Knowledge Society]].

* The ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'' episode "Shameless Self Reference" features numerous {{Continuity Nod}}s and [[ShamelessSelfPromoter references to the creator's other work]], all of which prompt Fluttershy to respond, "I don't get it." The episode ends with Rainbow Dash [[TitleDrop working the words "ultra fast pony" into her dialogue]], to which everyone responds with over-the-top awe--while Fluttershy shouts "I got the joke! I got the joke!"

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids'', Russ tells Nick he learned artificial respiration, which he just used to save Nick's big sister Amy, from French class. At the end of the movie, the closing scene irises out -- only to iris right back in on Nick, the [[TeenGenius pre-teen genius]], laughing his head off as he finally makes the connection between [[KissOfLife artificial respiration]] and French class.
* In ''Film/{{Predator}}'', Hawkins's telling of a post-battle [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093773/quotes?qt0315372 old and dirty joke]] to Billy about his girlfriend's, ah, capacity leaves Billy looking bewildered for a good long pause. Hawkins desperately re-tells the punchline and then wanders off looking a bit crestfallen. A few more seconds pass... then Billy laughs heartily.
* A plot point in ''Film/ShortCircuit''. To test Number 5's sentience, Newton Crosby tells a rather tasteless joke. The robot is stumped, and Netwon takes it as evidence that he is not as "alive" as he thinks. Just when he's about to remark on it, Number 5 blurts out "I GET IT!" and starts snickering. Crosby is astounded, and instantly sides with him and Stephanie against his bosses.
* Taken to the limit in ''Film/MysteryTeam''. One character states that their sign reads "Lost kitten finding purrrrrfessionals", in which Charlie exclaims he finally gets the joke... Eleven years later.
* In ''Film/RaisingArizona'', this is Glen's excuse for H.I. not laughing at his terrible joke. Glen claims that it's a "way-homer" that you only get on the way home. H.I. counters that he's already ''at'' his home.
* Near the end of ''Film/MaryPoppins'', Mr. Banks has been fired from his job at the bank. However, while stunned at first, he has a hysterical epiphany that ends with him telling his ex-bosses the old 'man with a wooden leg named Smith' joke from earlier in the film before leaving. While the rest of board is shocked by his behavior, Mr. Dawes Sr. is mulling over the joke's punchline. After a few moments, he starts to laugh. And laugh. [[DieLaughing And keeps laughing till the end.]]
* ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'': During the mission, several soldiers wonder if the situation is "FUBAR", a term that tagalong translator [[NaiveNewcomer Upham]] is unfamilar with. They claim it's a German word, with Upham obviously failing to find it in his translation book. Much later, just before the climax, Mellish offhandedly tells Upham that things are "fucked up beyond all recognition". FUBAR. He bemusedly recognizes the acronym after a moment, though as a grim reminder that most of them probably won't survive the coming battle.

* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': Miss Brooks remarks to Mr. Boynton that stealing a kiss is "petting larceny". A couple minutes later, Mr. Boynton gets the joke and starts to laugh.

* In the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E22OverdrawnAtTheMemoryBank Overdrawn at the Memory Bank]]", Mike made an incredibly lame joke about the '20s-style gangsters being kicked out of Music/MenWithoutHats. The actual joke was that Servo completely misses the point, and asks Mike to clarify the punchline ("Because the brims on their hats would keep them from reading the music?"). A few minutes after finally dropping it, Servo blurts out, "Oh, because they're wearing hats!"

* In an episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', Penny memorized a "physicist joke" and recited it in front of the guys, then wondered why nobody laughed. Well beyond a commercial break later, she figured out the punchline, and realized it was really insulting to physicists.
* In ''Series/OneTreeHill'', Lucas was upset over his breakup with Brooke and went to his mom, Karen, for advice. Karen, who owns a cafe, tries to console him with advice from a former customer.
-->'''Karen:''' A customer once told me, the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else!... oh my God, I just realized what that meant! I thought it was more philosophical than that!

* Dougal in ''Series/FatherTed'' is usually very, very slow to get a joke, naturally enough. In "Speed 3", when he temporarily takes over the milkman's job because the milkman was sacked for having affairs with his female customers, some of said customers greet him at the door, and he is oblivious to their horrified reaction. Until he wakes up in the middle of the night, after the end credits, and realizes:
-->'''Dougal:''' Those women were in the nip!
* Franchise/TheMuppets did a TV special called "The Muppets Go To The Movies" where they spoofed several movie genres. Fozzie tells a joke during the Monster Movie sketch that goes "What do you get when you pour boiling water down a rabbit hole?" the answer is "Hot cross bunnies". The Frankenstein Monster from that sketch [[BrickJoke pops up later]] and says "Hot cross bunnies! I just got that!"

* A running gag in ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'', where Alice never gets the jokes Geraldine tells her at the end. Usually Geraldine or someone else has to explain it to her first (and even then, [[TheDitz she still doesn't always get it]]).

* On the anti-gravity episode of ''Series/MythBusters'', the Build Team test a number of devices that claim to create anti-gravity fields, the last of which was called a "Hamel Generator", which was supposedly created by a man who was abducted by aliens and was introduced to their technology. However, every one of these devices failed to deliver, including the Hamel Generator, prompting Grant to quip that "You're better off using something designed by Creator/MarkHamill!" A few seconds after he and Kari have finished laughing, Tori finally busts out laughing himself, having apparently just then gotten the reference.

* This is ''Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse'''s entire appeal for those who laughed as small children and are rediscovering it as adults.

* In ''Series/HomeImprovement'', during the {{Flashback}} to the pilot episode of ''Tool Time'', Tim tells the audience he is going to teach them how to "drive a stake" and holds up a picture of a [[{{Pun}} man sitting on top of a steak with a steering wheel.]] Al doesn't get the joke until several moments later.
* ''Series/{{Community}}'': In "Comparative Religion", Shirley is peeved at the Dean's promoting a non-denominational "Winter Holiday".
-->'''Shirley:''' I am so sick of the Dean jamming his PC-ness down my throat!\\
'''Jeff:''' Pierce, I'd like to commend you for letting that one go.\\
'''Pierce:''' ''[after a beat]''... PC-ness. ''[chuckles]'' Now I get it!\\
'''Troy:''' ''[grinning]'' [[DontExplainTheJoke It sounds like "penis"]]. I just got it too!
* On ''Series/NightCourt'' Christine gets engaged to the dullest man any of them have met. Then when she dumps him he suddenly "gets" every punchline of every joke and begins laughing hysterically while saying things like "Twenty bucks, same as in town."
* ''Series/KenanAndKel'' has an example in the episode "Get the Kel Outta Here", revolving around a joke about a sculpture of Kel's head that Kyra has made for school.
-->'''Kenan:''' What are y'all studyin', nasty freak monsters?\\
''[Kel laughs]''\\
'''Kyra:''' This model happens to look exactly like Kel.\\
'''Kenan:''' Like I said, what y'all studyin', nasty freak monsters?\\
''[Kenan, Kel, and Sheryl share a laugh]''\\
'''Kel:''' Ha ha ha! YEAH! Ha ha... ha... hey... that's about me... with the freak monster...
* Quico in ''Series/ElChavoDelOcho'' is prone to this, mostly when someone insults him.
* ''Series/TheGoodPlace'': In "Jason Mendoza", it is not until Michael is declaring the restaurant open that he realizes that "The Good Plates" is a pun on "The Good Place".
* ''Series/LittleLunch'': In "The Joke Competition", Rory doesn't get Melanie's joke until he is doing his direct-to-camera piece several days later. When he says the joke out loud, it finally sinks in.
* ''Series/FTroop'': A running gag was that Sergeant O'Rourke wonders how to get out of a situation when Corporal Agarn would come up with a solution. O'Rourke would turn to him and say, "I don't know why people say your dumb." At the start of the next scene (usually), Argarn would retort, "Who says I'm dumb?"

* Referred to as an "icebox laugh" in ''Picasso at the Lapin Agile'' (i.e., something that you laugh at when FridgeLogic kicks in) and brought up in relation to an intentionally nonsensical joke about e-shaped pies. Gaston gets the joke while in the bathroom, most likely by, as Einstein puts it, "[[{{Pun}} process of elimination]]."

-->'''Buford:''' I don't know, I kinda like her like that. She looks like [[IncrediblyLamePun Cand-berry sauce.]]\\
'''Phineas:''' We gotta get her back into the right shape before he solidify her. And we're gonna need to adjust the contour in ''[{{beat}}, Phineas starts laughing]'' Ha ha, ''Cand-berry'' sauce!

* Music/The CapitolSteps have a regular bit they call "Lirty Dies," where they throw as many {{Spoonerism}}s in as they can while commenting on a few recent news items. If they get delayed laughter the performer will likely add some comment such as "Got some low slearners here tonight" or "Better deck your chicktionaries on that one".

* In one issue of ''{{ComicBook/Zannablu}}'', the boars -- usually so stupid that [[TheFool it's a miracle they're still around]] -- find and drink an intelligence-boosting serum. The first thing everybody does upon drinking is burst into laughter. A flashback later reveals they'd been told a joke that morning which nobody understood.

* The Music/CapitolSteps have a regular bit they call "Lirty Dies," where they throw as many {{Spoonerism}}s in as they can while commenting on a few recent news items. If they get delayed laughter the performer will likely add some comment such as "Got some low slearners here tonight" or "Better deck your chicktionaries on that one".

* An episode of the animated ''Series/FraggleRock'' revolved around "The Funniest Joke In The Universe". Boober didn't get it, and asked everyone else, who immediately convulsed in unstoppable hilarity. It turns out he has to get water from the Well of Forgetfulness to make them stop laughing and since he's the only one not in stitches, he's the only one who can. At the end, all's well... until Boober gets the joke, and [[HereWeGoAgain the other Fraggles have to take him to the well]].

* In ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'', Pollo, despite being named that way since he first appeared in the review of ''ComicBook/AmazonsAttack'' in 2009, doesn't realize his name means "chicken" in Spanish, or, by extension, that Linkara built himself a literal WesternAnimation/RobotChicken, until the review of ''ComicBook/{{Chew}}'' geared towards the character [[NamesTheSame Poyo]], in 2022.

* Meta example in Creator/TeamFourStar's playthough of ''VisualNovel/{{Nekopara}}''. Taka and Zito don't realize that all the characters have EdibleThemeNaming until Taka mispronounces Shigure's name as "sugary" in part 5, ''halfway through the game''.

* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', it is mentioned at one point that this is how Caboose reacts to everything because [[TheDitz he's just so dumb]] that he lags a few moments behind everybody else. He mistakes this for telepathy.

* An episode of the animated ''Series/FraggleRock'' revolved around "The Funniest Joke In The Universe". GrumpyBear Boober didn't get it, and asked everyone else, who immediately convulsed in unstoppable hilarity. It turns out he has to get water from the Well of Forgetfulness to make them stop laughing and since he's the only one not in stitches, he's the only one who can. At the end, all's well... until Boober gets the joke, and [[HereWeGoAgain the other Fraggles have to take him to the well]].

* In ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'', Pollo, despite being named that way since he first appeared in the review of ''ComicBook/AmazonsAttack'', doesn't realize his name means "chicken" in Spanish until Linkara's review of ''ComicBook/{{Chew}}'' geared towards the character [[NamesTheSame Poyo]].

* VideoGame/TheLostVikings have a joke of this stripe in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm''.

->''"The thing about childhood is that nothing makes sense. You have no idea what half the jokes on sitcoms are about, WesternAnimation/BugsBunny keeps making references to [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII WWII-era]] European dictators you don't recognize, and Hot Wheels always manage to go around the loop-the-loop just fine on the commercials. So you just relax and go along with it, and fifteen years later you look back on the things that confused you and say 'Ah! Yes! It makes perfect sense now!'"''

* Moose of ''Franchise/ArchieComics'' lived this trope.

** Homer's workmates call him "a little slow" on poker night in one episode. By the time Homer responds "How dare you call me that?!", it's hours later, and Lenny is in his nightshirt and cap when Homer finally asks about it, prompting him to say "Boy, you ''are'' slow!" Which then causes Homer to go through the exact same thought process again until Lenny tells him to leave.

** There's also the time when Homer wears a pink shirt to work. His coworkers mockingly offer him a donut with pink icing, which he thanks them for before realizing the joke.

* In ''ComicStrip/GetFuzzy'' for [[http://www.gocomics.com/getfuzzy/2012/10/18 October 18, 2012]], Satchel laughs in a somewhat tense situation and says it's at one of Rob's jokes. Rob says he told the joke an hour ago, but Satchel actually meant a joke from about [[DogsAreDumb six months ago]].
* ''Drabble'' for [[http://assets.amuniversal.com/773601c09e590130ce08001dd8b71c47 June 15th, 2013]]. Ralph is cooking hamburgers outside when his wife June hands him some tongs and says "Tongs!", to which Ralph says "You're welcome!" June walks away puzzled. Later that night while they're in bed she tells him "Oh, I get it!" Of course, Tongs = Thanks.

* During one UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s show, Billy Crystal pretended to read the minds of some of those in attendance. On Creator/SeanConnery he said:

** In "[[Recap/buffyTheVampireSlayerS2E7LieToMe Lie to Me]]", Buffy recalls listening to "I Touch Myself" in fifth grade to help her get over Ford's rejection, and then mentions that she had no idea at the time what the song was about. Thirty seconds later Willow says, "Oh! ''That's'' what that song is about?!"

** In the episode "Lie to Me", Buffy recalls listening to "I Touch Myself" in fifth grade to help her get over Ford's rejection, and then mentions that she had no idea at the time what the song was about. Thirty seconds later Willow says, "Oh! ''That's'' what that song is about?!"

** And the incredibly adorable moment after seeing that someone had spray painted "KISS Rocks" on a locker...

** Willow has the opposite kind of moment in "Consequences":

** In another episode he's been caught in a snare by poachers who mean to leave him there. He comments "It pretty chicken thing to do to King of Jungle!" A poacher replies "If there be one thing I like, it be 'Chicken à la King'!" A few scenes later, back home, George starts laughing "Ho ho! Chicken à la King!"

Compare FridgeLogic, FridgeBrilliance, FridgeHorror (those three for this trope as applied beyond the FourthWall), BrickJoke (where the punchline itself is late in arriving), NoSenseOfHumor, ComebackTomorrow (when the character takes too long to ''think'' of a humorous line) and LampshadedTheObscureReference. The non-joke version falls under DelayedReaction.

* In the Literature/{{Discworld}} novel ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum'', Magrat mentions to Nanny that now that she's a mother, she gets most of Nanny's favorite jokes, "except for the one about [[NoodleImplements the old woman, the priest, and the rhinoceros]]," to which Nanny replies, "I certainly hope not! I didn't understand that one until I was forty." Especially frightening given that this is ''[[DirtyOldWoman Nanny Ogg]]'' we're talking about. How many children, by how many men, do you think she'd had at forty?