In the land of beer, cheese, and muskies—where the polka is danced and winter is unending and where Lutherans and Catholics predominate—everybody is ethnic, the politics are clean, and the humor is plentiful. This collection includes jokes, humorous anecdotes, and tall tales from ethnic groups (Woodland Indians, French, Cornish, Germans, Irish, Scandinavians, Finns, and Poles) and working folk (loggers, miners, farmers, townsfolk, hunters, and fishers). Dig into the rich cultural context supplied by the notes and photographs, or just laugh at the hundreds of jokes gathered at small-town cafes, farm tables, job sites, and church suppers. This second edition includes an afterword and indexes of motifs and tale types.

"A treasure trove of ‘occupational humor’ that’s often slightly racy and usually shot through with a blunt appreciation of the peculiar ways of the Midwestern world."—Tom Laskin, Isthmus

"An accomplished blend of firsthand familiarity with the region and broad academic knowledge of the discipline of folklore."—Robert T. Teske, Minnesota History

"Leary conveys a palpable sense of the original joke telling experience."—Clyde Wade, Humor: International Journal of Humor Research

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