Know how to joke, and know when to stop.

What it means

Humor is a skill, and so is timing. A joke pushed too far turns into an insult. Read the room and quit while it is still funny.

The source

"Know how to joke, and know when to stop." This Russian proverb is recorded in Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Laughter — Jest — Merriment" («Смех — Шутка — Веселье»). Translated from the original Russian by Spartan Surfers.

"Умей пошутить, умей и перестать."

Original Russian, Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Laughter — Jest — Merriment" («Смех — Шутка — Веселье»). Text read at ru.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Proverbs of the world (Every age). Sayings from the Latin, Greek, Norse, Japanese, Chinese and more, each traced to an old source in its own language.

Questions

What does "Know how to joke, and know when to stop." mean?

Humor is a skill, and so is timing. A joke pushed too far turns into an insult. Read the room and quit while it is still funny.

Who said "Know how to joke, and know when to stop."?

Russian proverb. Source: Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Laughter — Jest — Merriment" («Смех — Шутка — Веселье»).

What is the original Russian?

Умей пошутить, умей и перестать. Translated from the original Russian by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Know how to joke, and know when to stop." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Know how to joke, and know when to stop." (Russian proverb, Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Laughter — Jest — Merriment" («Смех — Шутка — Веселье»), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/know-how-to-joke-and-know-when-to