Either that, or you start telling the joke, then some asshole starts talking louder over you and finishes the joke. Stealing the credit.

Or when you tell the joke and no one hears you. Then the next person repeats the joke and gets all the laughs

Just set up the joke one step earlier. Look for any new topics of conversation that can link you back to those balloons you’re collecting of gold. Its called doing a call-back, slick. chews his toothpick clentchily… staringly