shaggy dog story
Rambling pointless tale
A shaggy dog story is a long, rambling joke or anecdote that builds elaborate detail only to end with an anticlimactic, pointless, or absurd punchline.
The humor lies in the contrast between the drawn-out setup and the deliberately weak payoff—the teller wastes the listener's time on purpose: He spent ten minutes on that shaggy dog story just to make a terrible pun.
Humorous statement seeking laughter
- gagMouth restraint or jest
- witClever, inventive humor
- jestHumorous remark or act
- punWordplay using double meanings
wordplay · absurd · silly · ludicrous · droll · facetious · tongue-in-cheek · whimsical
Disappointing conclusion after buildup
- letdownFailure to satisfy expectations
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
- fizzleFail after promising start
- deflatingReleasing contained gas
underwhelming · buildup · payoff · punchline · non-event · damp squib · pointless · meandering
Spoken or written narrative
- yarnTwisted strand for crafts
- anecdoteBrief account of incident
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
- narratorOne who tells events
oral tradition · campfire · raconteur · setup · delivery · timing · buildup · embellishment
Long-winded and unfocused
- verboseMore words than necessary
- meanderingFollowing a winding course
- digressiveTending to stray topically
- tangentialBarely connected to main point
circuitous · drawn-out · elaborate · convoluted · winding · discursive · interminable · protracted
joke
Humorous statement seeking laughter
pun · wordplay · absurd · silly · ludicrous · droll · facetious · tongue-in-cheek · whimsical · playful
anticlimax
Disappointing conclusion after buildup
- letdownFailure to satisfy expectations
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
- fizzleFail after promising start
deflating · underwhelming · buildup · payoff · punchline · non-event · damp squib · pointless · meandering · groaner
tale
Spoken or written narrative
- yarnTwisted strand for crafts
- anecdoteBrief account of incident
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
narrator · oral tradition · campfire · raconteur · setup · delivery · timing · buildup · embellishment · tall tale
rambling
Long-winded and unfocused
- verboseMore words than necessary
- meanderingFollowing a winding course
- digressiveTending to stray topically
tangential · circuitous · drawn-out · elaborate · convoluted · winding · discursive · interminable · protracted · labyrinthine