You had to let them know where the punch line is.
But eventually the end would have to come, and not with a punch line.
This too seemed to be waiting for a punch line.
And when you stopped to think about it, the punch line really wasn't one.
Punch line one: The man has a child in the car with him.
Here's the punch line: six weeks after the baby is born, the women must leave the program.
The punch line, this is why they've brought me here.
The punch line, of course, is that they found the body in the apartment.
Jimmy has little idea of how to tell a story or set up a punch line.
He just nodded his head, waiting for the punch line.
The television campaigns have mainly been aimed at raising awareness, combining a humorous delivery or punch line with a solemn message of concern.
That happy thought lingers for a split second, but he cannot resist the better, and slightly bitter, punch line.
For G.E., it's a simple setup and punch line.
The new humor sneaks by on little cat feet, all punch line and no setup, and if it bombs, you barely notice.
His public image evolved - if that's the word - from punch line to villain to punch line again.
So if the characters are laughing on screen, we have to come up with a whole new story and punch line to explain why.
The grand prize (and punch line): an actual guitar.
In this new kind of TV drama, the reality contestant serves as muse, actor, narrator and, every so often, punch line.
Another characteristic of the show's sketches was that occasionally they had an unclear point or punch line.
But Mr. Donaldson's tales too often trail off without benefit of point or punch line.