"It only hurts when I laugh" is a punchline of a joke which exists in numerous versions since at least 19th century. A typical setup is that someone badly hurt is asked "Does it hurt?" — "I'm fine. It only hurts when I laugh."[1][2]

The phrase has been used as a title of various works:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Leon Rappoport, Punchlines: The Case for Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Humor, p. 83
  2. ^ "The Joke Stops Here", Memphis Flyer