“Broke as a joke”

To be “broke as a joke” is to be very broke—and that’s no joke. The rhyming expression “broke as a joke” has been cited in print since at least 1997. It’s not known where the expression originated.
 
   
Google Groups: alt.collecting.autographs
Newsgroups: alt.collecting.autographs
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Sandra Doyle)
Date: 1997/01/29
Subject: Re: $$ ITS OUT THERE $$
 
: I just got out of college
Translation:  I was just kicked out of college for being stupid.
: and was broke as a joke
Translation:  My life is a joke, I spent my tutition on beer & pot.
 
Google News Archive
10 February 1997, The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), pg. 2B, col. 2:
Former two-time world champion Donald Curry says he’s returning to boxing because he loves the sport, but mostly he could use the money.
 
“I’m broke as a joke. I need money. I owe everybody,” said Curry, who is ending a 5 1/2-year retirement after moving to Las Vegas to try to resurrect his pro career and repair his character.
 
Google Books
Friends and Lovers
By Eric Jerome Dickey
New York, NY: Signet
1998, ©1997
Pg. 191:
Leonard said, “If you didn’t spend so much on that weave, you wouldn’t be broke as a joke and walking ‘round begging.”
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Portrait of a family
Author: Fam (Musical group)
Publisher: St. Louis, Mo. : 4Front Records, 1999.
Edition/Format:   Music CD : CD audio : Popular music : English
Contents:
Broke as a joke
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Broke as a joke : the acoustic album.
Publisher: [S.l.] : Dynagon Records, [2004]
Edition/Format:   Music CD : CD audio : Popular music : English
 
Urban Dictionary
broke as a joke
1.crazy po’ like a mofo 2. no loot. 3. tough finicial times 4. need a brotha/sista to help out with cash. 5. so po’ fo sho, you know.
(...)
by Jimmygtp13 Oct 29, 2007