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Ian Hislop is back to continue his quest for the earliest possible examples of standard British joke types. His subject today, and for no particular reason beyond a certain amount of legal experience accrued over the years, is a search for the oldest lawyer jokes. It leads him, with the guidance of Oxford professor Laura Ashe, to a 14th-century poem about the state of the nation, Piers Plowman. Written at around 1370 by the poem William Langland it includes a brutal side-swipe at lawyers who already have a reputation for doing absolutely nothing unless money is involved. Ian also speaks to a contemporary lawyer and collector of lawyer jokes, Tim Bishop who helps explain the enduring popularity of jokes at the expense of his own profession. Producer: Tom Alban
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