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title: "Do you acknowledge a joke dying, or just move on? | Tough Crowd"
description: "I’m never sure whether acknowledging a dead joke makes the room relax or just announces that I’m rattled. My instinct is usually to leave it alone and get to th"
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# Do you acknowledge a joke dying, or just move on?

T

[TomNoCrowdwork](/banter/Stand-Up-Comedians/TomNoCrowdwork) 28 Aug 

I’m never sure whether acknowledging a dead joke makes the room relax or just announces that I’m rattled. My instinct is usually to leave it alone and get to the next thing, but sometimes the silence is so obvious that pretending nothing happened feels stranger. Do you have a rule for when you comment on a miss versus just carrying on?

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