That straightman flaw still haunts me, though. When I feign ignorance for a cheap laugh people always try to correct my apparent idiocy. I have to stop making those kinds of jokes. They're not even funny anyway. It's like a really bad habit and now most of my acquaintances just think I have zero common sense.
I'm suffering from an example just currently:
It's exam period over here and like silly college kids do, I've stopped shaving for exams. Well I got sick of myself a few days ago and shaved off everything on the front leaving myself with a nice Amish neck-beard. I had a review session scheduled with friends that day as well, and when I showed up they were all like "Oh man, what did you do to yourself?!" So in an attempt at wittiness I told them "Come on guys, it's exams now. Haven't you heard of the 'Luck of the Amish?' I'm trying to tap into that." A stupid joke do doubt. Very Sherman and Peabody style but without the pacing. In fact, I said it very realistically - too realistically. I was immediately corrected for my "mistake," and that's currently the joke of the hour. Friends I've run into who weren't even at that review session are coming up to me randomly and saying stuff like "Oh so I hear you've got the luck of the Amish now, huh?" They all think I'm an idiot, but I guess it's my fault because I was too embarrassed about having totally mislead them (to begin with) to correct them and thus deprive them of their great mirth at my expense. I though we'd be over the joke in a few minutes, but I was wrong. If I say I was just joking now it sounds like I'm making sad excuses.
Let this be a warning to those of you who think crappy jokes are a good idea to play straight.