# What makes you laugh?



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

There was another thought-provoking letter in today's paper (about the perils of online dating):

*'A couple of years ago, having ticked the "good sense of humour" box, I went on a date with a man who asked me what actually made me laugh.
I said I thought innuendoes using words like plums, melons and ginger nuts were quite funny. He stared at me and said: "Personally, for me, it is the wit of Oscar Wilde."
We didn't have a second date.'*
Jo Marchington, in _The Telegraph_. 

Personally I enjoy innuendoes *and* Oscar Wilde. I don't like the innuendoes to be too gross or obvious, though. The only sort of humour that I don't much like involves pulling faces and putting on silly voices - but when I took some examples of that into a sixth-form English Language A-level lesson ('analysis of humour'), the males in the group laughed their socks off. 
And I admit, I've found Tony Hancock's changes of expression, reflecting his thoughts, to be both funny and witty.

It's all a matter of degree and timing, I suppose.

But what *in general* actually makes you laugh? How would you describe your 'sense of humour'?

Illustrations and actual jokes are welcome, if they aren't obscene or in other ways contravene the TC terms of service. 

*Note - the poll is multiple-choice. You can vote for the lot, if you like.* 
Thanks in advance for any replies. :tiphat:


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## Botschaft (Aug 4, 2017)

Criticism of Johannes Brahms.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I voted for the four options at the top - satire, wordplay, irony, innuendoes - which explains why I like Jane Austen and Carry On Up The Khyber, I suppose. (I do like jokes that rely on the use of the brain - Tag & I have a boxed set of _Yes, Minister_,which we both love :trp:.)

But I also opted for 'corny jokes', as I have a childish and silly-British side to my humour.

As examples, I include one of my favourite satirical sketches:






And for wordplay/ innuendo, another of my favourites:






And the silly one-liners? Here's one from _The Wizard_ in the 1970s:

*Q. What letter is the most magical in the alphabet?
A. The letter l - because it turns pears into pearls.*


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

I like and appreciate almost all forms of humor, but especially off-the-wall material--I will list some examples that have me in hysterics often: The "cartoon" books of Kliban; the TV zaniness of the late, great Ernie Kovacs; the very learned collection of medieval French poetry titled _The Coucy Castle Manuscript_, "edited" by Ormonde de Kay; the series of guides to proper or effective behavior by Stephen Potter titled _Gamesmanship, Lifemanship, One-Upmanship_. But there is so much funny stuff out there; it brings tears to my eyes!


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Ingélou said:


> As examples, I include one of my favourite satirical sketches . . . And for wordplay/ innuendo, another of my favourites.


I was laughing out loud at those. I guess that's my sense of humor also.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Here is a bit of serious musical expression by the world-famous Nairobi Trio, organized by Ernie Kovacs. One of the members of the trio is the film actor Jack Lemon:


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

I'm more of a _Jeeves and Wooster_ sort of person, but I do like the occasional _Monty Python_ sketch.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Sometimes there's an exception to every rule, here is a silly voice example that actually made me laugh.






The only thing that puzzles me is how they manage to keep their faces straight performing this


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

The first three for me.

It's wittiness mostly that makes me laugh, those clever one liners. I still laugh out loud at "Frazier", as well as some of the old episodes of "Yes Minister" and "Hancock". The "Twelve Angry Men" episode of the latter has one of my all time favourite lines in it, but the only clips I can find on Youtube are either the full episode or the one line on its own and it loses a lot if it's not in context. I was a big fan of Dave Allen and I loved the gentle humour of Eric Sykes, especially the black and white episodes when he took an everyday situation and it became crazier and crazier. I think it appealed to my sense of the absurd. "Goodness, Gracious Me" made me laugh while it gave me food for thought too.

What I've never been able to see the humour in, even as a small child, is slapstick.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Most forms of humour make me laugh if done well. Steve Martin movies are a notable exception. And "Friends" - couldn't stand the smugness.
I particularly enjoy an inventive and vulgar limerick.


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## Marinera (May 13, 2016)

All of the above, but I'm not laughing all the time. A lot depends on the situation, how it's done, many other particulars.


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

A real classic! Made for Czech customers of Billa (Austrian Supermarket)


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Clever wordplay (written) and Henny Youngman one-liners.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Lots of thgings make me laugh but generally I just enjoy silly, childish humour. Working with young kids gives me a rich source of silliness.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

I like wordplay, juxtaposition, absurd things, and general subversion of expectations. I prefer my humor to be gentle and lighthearted rather than practical or malicious. Here is one video from my YouTube humor playlist:






Cookie Monster and Ian McKellen make for a great combo.


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

TxllxT said:


> A real classic! Made for Czech customers of Billa (Austrian Supermarket)


Have you seen the Air Malta ad?


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Annied said:


> Have you seen the Air Malta ad?


Soon we'll be flying to Malta, but alas, with a non singing Transavia...But hopefully, once we've landed... 
The Austrians however win with their Austrian flavour...


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## Gordontrek (Jun 22, 2012)

Whose Line Is It Anyway makes me laugh.


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## Totenfeier (Mar 11, 2016)

Robert Benchley and his ardent modern disciple Dave Berry make me laugh so hard I cry.

George Carlin was the absolute master of modern satire.

Done well, farce is wickedly funny; unfortunately, it is all too easy to do badly - and when farce is done badly, there's nothing worse.

I'm also rather fond of the anti-joke genre; for those who don't know about it, a representative sampler:

1. A horse walks into a bar. Several people scramble out of its way in alarm. The horse, frightened and confused, does some minor property damage. The bartender calls animal control, and when they arrive, they calm the horse down and take it into custody. People resume their seats and continue with their afternoon.

2. A priest, a rabbi, and a pastor walk into a bar. They order drinks (whiskey for the priest, wine for the rabbi, and a coffee for the pastor). They spend an enjoyable and instructive evening discussing religious differences and current social situations in a wide-ranging manner.

3. What do you call a black man selling drugs on the corner?
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A pharmacist, you racist.


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

TxllxT said:


> Soon we'll be flying to Malta, but alas, with a non singing Transavia...But hopefully, once we've landed...
> The Austrians however win with their Austrian flavour...


I envy you, I've been to Malta several times, although not recently. It's one of my favourite countries. Have a great time!


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I often laugh at humour...


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Cats being cats.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Satire is quite funny. Immature jokes around flatulence, stupidity etc also make me laugh.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Innuendos, often quite blatant ones (as pretty much everyone on TC knows by now...) :lol:


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bettina said:


> Innuendos, often quite blatant ones (as pretty much everyone on TC knows by now...) :lol:


I'll make a note of it, after I finish repairing the bedroom clock.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

hpowders said:


> I'll make a note of it, after I finish repairing the bedroom clock.


 I don't get it! eek: - But don't explain, she added hastily...)


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Ingélou said:


> I don't get it! eek: - But don't explain, she added hastily...)


I will try to make my jokes less cryptic, moving forward.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

DeepR said:


> Cats being cats.


And let sleeping dogs lie .


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I share Jack Handey's sense of humor: "Whenever I see an old lady slip and fall on a wet sidewalk, my first instinct is to laugh. But then I think, what if I was an ant and she fell on me. Then it wouldn't seem quite so funny."


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Great one-liners (OK, maybe a few lines):

"I'm so ugly; when I visited my proctologist, he put his finger in my mouth."

"The only bath toy my mother let me have was a radio."

Psychiatrist: 'You're crazy."
Patient: "I want a second opinion!"
Psychiatrist: "OK, you're ugly too."

Oldies but Goodies.

I also loves Goldwynisms and Berraisms.


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Most things, but among my favourites are:

1. Jewish humour (Curb etc)
2. Curmudgeonly social commentary
3. TC members getting riled up about atonal music


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

For me, this sketch has the perfect combination of witty word-awareness and British silliness!
Thanks to someone on TC for alerting me to it - Dim7, I *think*?


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