The One Big Halloween Scare

Why makes this Joke funny?

Explanation:
- Setup:
  "I told my wife that ..."
  The setup gives us an expectation that the speaker will mention something specific that scares him during Halloween. It encourages us to expect a particular answer – perhaps ghosts, zombies, or witches, which are commonly associated with Halloween frights.
- Misdirection:
  "My wife: Which is?"
  The wife’s question, "Which is?" is meant to inquire about which particular thing scares the speaker on Halloween. The phrasing of the question is where the misdirection is placed because “which is” phonetically resembles “witches,” a common fear-inducing figure associated with Halloween.
- Punchline:
  "Me: Exactly"
  The punchline is a play on words. Instead of answering the question as expected, the speaker confirms "Exactly," pretending as though the wife correctly guessed that "witches" are what scare him, whereas she was only asking a question.
The humor arises from the surprise and unexpectedness of the punchline, playing with the similarity in sound between "Which is?" and "Witches." It`s a light, playful form of humor based on misinterpretation and clever wordplay. Remember, humor can be quite subjective, and this form of wordplay might be funnier to some people more than others depending on their personal taste, expectations, and experiences with English language puns.