ˈpunch line orig. U.S.
Also with hyphen and as one word.
[f. punch n.2 + line n.2 23.]
Words or a sentence expressing the point of a joke, play, song, etc. Hence punch-line v. intr.
| 1921 Variety 25 Nov. 8/1 All of their sure-fire punch⁓lines went over. 1934 S. R. Nelson All about Jazz vii. 158 The gentlemen who write lyrics..imagine the public hang on their doggerel—particularly the line known as the ‘punch line’. 1937 Dime Detective Mag. Nov. 45/2 Go on..give me the punch line. 1944 S. Bellow Dangling Man 158 Yes, things change. C'est la guerre. C'est la vie. Good old punch lines. 1957 Oxford Mail 17 Oct. 1/2 It was Mr Dulles's punch-line and showed the Russians—and the American people—that President Eisenhower regards the Middle East crisis with great anxiety. 1959 Time 14 Sept. 44/2 ‘I'll kill myself..’ said Benny. ‘All right,’ Truman punch-lined, ‘I've got an undertaker friend.’ 1961 B. Wells Day Earth caught Fire vii. 107 ‘Wonder who writes his punchlines?’ remarked Reynolds. 1971 World Archaeology III. 226 He [sc. V. G. Childe] was fond of dramatic punch-lines. 1977 New Yorker 27 June 67/1 Reaching the punch line, he erupted in laughter. |