Dating all the way back to Neolithic times, the mortise and tenon is the oldest wood joint known to mankind. While the specific provenance of the joint is unknown, I'm willing to bet the inventor wasn't a virgin.

In the thousands of years since, craftspeople have developed an almost absurd variety of joints, some of which you learned in the ID shop at school, some of which you've never heard of, and that one that you can always see in your head but have forgotten the name of. To help you remember for the next time you're building something out of wood, or to give you some alternatives for any current designs you're working on, here are some visual guides:

Joints by Application:

Joints for Chairs, Frames and Tables

[This unattributed image has been floating around the web. If anyone knows the provenance, please let us know in the comments so that we can properly attribute it.]

Joints for Tabletops and Cabinets

[This unattributed image has been floating around the web. If anyone knows the provenance, please let us know in the comments so that we can properly attribute it.]

Joints for Boxes and Drawers

[This unattributed image has been floating around the web. If anyone knows the provenance, please let us know in the comments so that we can properly attribute it.]