"had no business getting into a predominantly male profession. Another example is a Slashdot poster that aims to discredit militant feminists that reads ""GET YOUR ASS BACK IN THE KITCHEN AND MAKE ME A SANDWICH"" The phrase, as used in an intended humorous context, dates to at least 1995. It was first introduced in a ""Saturday Night Live"" skit, by actor Tim Meadows, who appears as a weatherman trying too hard to be cool/hip and uses controversial language to deliver his forecast. He predicts an incoming storm, and calls it ""bitch"" and tells it to make him a sandwich. There"
"Wit Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. A wit is a person skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack. As in the wit of Dorothy Parker's set, the Algonquin Round Table, witty remarks may be intentionally cruel (as in many epigrams), and perhaps more ingenious than funny. A quip is an observation or saying that has some wit but perhaps descends into sarcasm, or otherwise is short of a point, and a witticism also suggests the diminutive."
"Appeal to ridicule Appeal to ridicule (also called appeal to mockery, ab absurdo, or the horse laugh), is an informal fallacy which presents an opponent's argument as absurd, ridiculous, or humorous, and therefore not worthy of serious consideration. Appeal to ridicule is often found in the form of comparing a nuanced circumstance or argument to a laughably commonplace occurrence or to some other irrelevancy on the basis of comedic timing, wordplay, or making an opponent and their argument the object of a joke. This is a rhetorical tactic that mocks an opponent's argument or standpoint, attempting to inspire an emotional"
"Ridiculous To be ridiculous is to be something which is highly incongruous or inferior, sometimes deliberately so to make people laugh or get their attention, and sometimes unintendedly so as to be considered laughable and earn or provoke ridicule and derision. It comes from the 1540s Latin ""ridiculosus"" meaning ""laughable"", from ""ridiculus"" meaning ""that which excites laughter"", and from ""ridere"" meaning ""to laugh"". ""Ridiculous"" is an adjective describing ""the ridiculous"". In common usage, ""ridiculousness"" is used as a synonym for absurdity or nonsense. From a historical and technical viewpoint, ""absurdity"" is associated with argumentation and reasoning, ""nonsense"" with semantics and"
"absurdity inherent in any event, enables someone to ""call a spade a spade"", while ""wit"" is a form of displacement (level 3). Wit refers to the serious or distressing in a humorous way, rather than disarming it; the thoughts remain distressing, but they are ""skirted round"" by witticism. One must have a sense of humor and a sense of seriousness to distinguish what is supposed to be taken literally or not. An even more keen sense is needed when humor is used to make a serious point. Psychologists have studied how humor is intended to be taken as having seriousness,"
"Seriousness Seriousness (noun; adjective: serious) is an attitude of gravity, solemnity, persistence, and earnestness toward something considered to be of importance. Some notable philosophers and commentators have criticised excessive seriousness, while others have praised it. Seriousness is often contrasted with comedy, as in the seriocomedy. In the theory of humor, one must have a sense of humor and a sense of seriousness to distinguish what is supposed to be taken literally or not, or of being important or not. Otherwise, it may also be contrasted with a sense of play. How children learn a sense of seriousness to form values"
"funny, clever""), a positive way of referring to a person. The earliest known use of the word, according to the ""Oxford English Dictionary"", was as part of a placename of a London street, Gropecunt Lane, c. 1230. Use of the word as a term of abuse is relatively recent, dating from the late nineteenth century. The word appears not to have been taboo in the Middle Ages, but became taboo towards the end of the eighteenth century, and was then not generally admissible in print until the latter part of the twentieth century. The term has various derivative senses, including"
"field was popularized by John R. “Haj” Ross in the 1960s. A squib may also develop a minor theoretical argument. A particularly interesting variety of squibs are the so-called snippets, which are ""the ideal footnote: a side remark that taken on its own is not worth lengthy development but that needs to be said"". The online journal Snippets is dedicated to this type of squib. Squib (writing) A squib is a brief satirical or witty piece of writing or speech, like a lampoon, or a short, sometimes humorous piece in a newspaper or magazine, used as a filler. It can"
"argumentation. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche often dismissed philosophical positions by calling them ""ridiculous"" without further argument given. Ridiculous To be ridiculous is to be something which is highly incongruous or inferior, sometimes deliberately so to make people laugh or get their attention, and sometimes unintendedly so as to be considered laughable and earn or provoke ridicule and derision. It comes from the 1540s Latin ""ridiculosus"" meaning ""laughable"", from ""ridiculus"" meaning ""that which excites laughter"", and from ""ridere"" meaning ""to laugh"". ""Ridiculous"" is an adjective describing ""the ridiculous"". In common usage, ""ridiculousness"" is used as a synonym for absurdity or nonsense. From"
"Pooh-pooh A pooh-pooh (also styled as poo-poo) is a fallacy in informal logic that consists of dismissing an argument as being unworthy of serious consideration. Scholars generally characterize the fallacy as a rhetorical device in which the speaker ridicules an argument without responding to the substance of the argument. Authors have characterized the fallacy as a form of a straw man fallacy, where an argument is described as inherently worthless or undeserving of serious attention. Some authors have also described the fallacy as the act of ""ridicul[ing]"" an argument as though it were ""a myth"", and some characterize it as"
"Sarcasm Sarcasm is ""a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter gibe or taunt"". Sarcasm may employ ambivalence, although sarcasm is not necessarily ironic. Most noticeable in spoken word, sarcasm is mainly distinguished by the inflection with which it is spoken and is largely context-dependent. The word comes from the Greek σαρκασμός (""sarkasmós"") which is taken from σαρκάζειν (""sarkázein"") meaning ""to tear flesh, bite the lip in rage, sneer"". It is first recorded in English in 1579, in an annotation to ""The Shepheardes Calender"" by Edmund Spenser: However, the word ""sarcastic"", meaning ""Characterized by or involving sarcasm; given"
"Irony Irony (), in its broadest sense, is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or event in which what appears, on the surface, to be the case, differs radically from what is actually the case. Irony can be categorized into different types, including: ""verbal irony"", ""dramatic irony"", and ""situational irony"". Verbal, dramatic, and situational irony are often used for emphasis in the assertion of a truth. The ironic form of simile, used in sarcasm, and some forms of litotes can emphasize one's meaning by the deliberate use of language which states the opposite of the truth, denies the contrary of the"
"Squib (writing) A squib is a brief satirical or witty piece of writing or speech, like a lampoon, or a short, sometimes humorous piece in a newspaper or magazine, used as a filler. It can be intended to ignite thinking and discourse by others on topics of theoretical importance—e.g., see MIT Press's journal, ""Linguistic Inquiry"", but is often less substantial than this and just humorous (see The Daily Squib). One of the most famous squibs in English literature is ""The Candidate"" by Thomas Gray. In linguistics, squibs may outline anomalous data but not suggest a solution. This usage in the"
"Humorous Interpretation Humorous Interpretation (often shortened to ""HI"", or ""Humor"") is an event in competitive middle and high school forensics leagues such as the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association and the National Speech and Debate Association. It consists of a piece from any published work, edited to fit within a 10-minute span with a 30-second grace period (it does not have a minimum and cannot be above 10:30). It is judged based upon how the person portrays his or her characters and whether the piece is humorous. Ideally proper portrayal of characters should achieve a comedic effect to the"
"Happy talk Happy talk, also called banter, is the additional and often meaningless commentary interspersed into television news programs by news anchors and others on set. It may consist of simple jokes or simply a modified wording in asking a question of another reporter. For instance, instead of a simple handoff to a sportscaster, an anchor might say, ""So, Erin, what the heck happened out on that field today? Is our team going down the tubes?"" ""Happy talk"" may also refer to a format of news which encourages such commentary. Happy talk has been derided by some who prefer a"
"Practical joke A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort. A person who performs a practical joke is called a ""practical joker"". Other terms for practical jokes include gag, jape, or shenanigan. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks or hoaxes in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being talked into handing over money or other valuables. Practical jokes are generally lighthearted and without lasting impact; they aim to make the victim feel humbled or foolish, but not"
"radio and TV with innuendos in a humorous context, a feature known as ""Innuendo Bingo"". Presenters and special guests fill their mouths with water and listen to the clips, and the last person to spit the water out with laughter wins the game. Innuendo An innuendo is a hint, insinuation or intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or a derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion. In the latter sense the intention is often to insult or accuse someone in such a way"
"Talking shit Talking shit (e.g. General Grievous) is a term and type of trash-talk that refers to various types of derogatory language aimed at an individual or any type of entity, such as a group or organization. Talking shit can be used as a tactic in fighting or brawling, used to draw attention to the matter among onlookers. This is a term that has been coined more recently and is used in reference when someone talks negatively or spreads false ideas about another person, concept, organization, or entity. Shitposting is the act of posting ""content of aggressively, ironically, and trollishly"
"Ali G Show"". have also been described as shock humour. Shock humour Shock humour is a style of comedy intended to shock the audience. This can be achieved through excessively foul toilet humour, overt sexual themes, mocking of serious themes (otherwise known as black comedy), or through tactlessness in the aftermath of a crisis. In radio, shock jocks use this brand of humour. In conservative communities, such risque broadcasting can cause controversy, such as Jim Quinn and Don Jefferson's ""Stupid Human Tricks"" segment of their late-1980s WBZZ-FM show. Proponents of shock humour include Andrew Dice Clay, Tom Green, and Norm"
"Deadpan Deadpan, dry humor or dry wit is the deliberate display of a lack of or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness of the subject matter. The delivery is meant to be blunt, ironic, laconic, or apparently unintentional. The term ""deadpan"" first emerged as an adjective or adverb in the 1920s, as a compound word combining ""dead"" and ""pan"" (a slang term for the face). The oldest usage recorded by the ""Oxford English Dictionary"" comes from ""The New York Times"" (1928), which defines the term as ""playing a role with expressionless face""."
"that North Korea banned sarcasm altogether. Sarcasm Sarcasm is ""a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter gibe or taunt"". Sarcasm may employ ambivalence, although sarcasm is not necessarily ironic. Most noticeable in spoken word, sarcasm is mainly distinguished by the inflection with which it is spoken and is largely context-dependent. The word comes from the Greek σαρκασμός (""sarkasmós"") which is taken from σαρκάζειν (""sarkázein"") meaning ""to tear flesh, bite the lip in rage, sneer"". It is first recorded in English in 1579, in an annotation to ""The Shepheardes Calender"" by Edmund Spenser: However, the word ""sarcastic"", meaning"
"""What elephant?"" was a regular show-stopper. Durante reprises the piece in the 1962 film version of the play, ""Billy Rose's Jumbo"". The term refers to a question, problem, solution, or controversial issue which is obvious to everyone who knows about the situation, but which is deliberately ignored because to do otherwise would cause great embarrassment, sadness, or arguments, or is simply taboo. The idiom can imply a value judgment that the issue ought to be discussed openly, or it can simply be an acknowledgment that the issue is there and not going to go away by itself. The term is"
"some cultures; and prostitution is a serious crime in some cultures. Perception of seriousness is measured in assessing varying cultural perceptions on health risks. Seriousness Seriousness (noun; adjective: serious) is an attitude of gravity, solemnity, persistence, and earnestness toward something considered to be of importance. Some notable philosophers and commentators have criticised excessive seriousness, while others have praised it. Seriousness is often contrasted with comedy, as in the seriocomedy. In the theory of humor, one must have a sense of humor and a sense of seriousness to distinguish what is supposed to be taken literally or not, or of being"
"Joke A joke is a display of humour in which words are used within a specific and well-defined narrative structure to make people laugh and is not meant to be taken seriously. It takes the form of a story, usually with dialogue, and ends in a punch line. It is in the punch line that the audience becomes aware that the story contains a second, conflicting meaning. This can be done using a pun or other word play such as irony, a logical incompatibility, nonsense, or other means. Linguist Robert Hetzron offers the definition: It is generally held that jokes"
"the act of dismissing an argument ""with insults without responding to its substance in any way"". Other authors describe the fallacy as the act of dismissing an argument ""with the wave of a hand"". Some sources also suggest the fallacy is an expression that involves ""sneer[ing]"", ""ridicule"", or ""malicious comments about the proponent of the argument"". According to the ""Oxford Dictionary of English"", the term ""pooh-pooh"" originated in the late eighteenth century as a ""reduplication"" of the word ""pooh"", which was a common expression of disgust. Some authors also suggest the term originated as a ""representation of the act of"
"Word play Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phonetic mix-ups such as spoonerisms, obscure words and meanings, clever rhetorical excursions, oddly formed sentences, double entendres, and telling character names (such as in the play ""The Importance of Being Earnest"", ""Ernest"" being a given name that sounds exactly like the adjective ""earnest""). Word play is quite common in oral cultures as a method of reinforcing meaning."
"hence quinitis, irritation of the quine. The Philosophical Lexicon The Philosophical Lexicon is a humorous dictionary founded by philosopher Daniel Dennett and now edited by Asbjørn Steglich-Petersen. It lists neologisms that have been humorously coined from the names of (mostly) contemporary philosophers. For example, the following definition refers to the philosopher Willard Van Orman Quine:quine, v. (1) To deny resolutely the existence or importance of something real or significant. ""Some philosophers have quined classes, and some have even quined physical objects."" Occasionally used intr., e.g., ""You think I quine, sir. I assure you I do not!"" (2) n. The total"
"particular lessons about human vanity or folly."" On this aspect, ""The Oxford English Dictionary"" (""OED"") has also: According to ""Encyclopædia Britannica"": According to Richard Whately: The word came into English as a figure of speech in the 16th century as similar to the French ""ironie"". It derives from the Latin ""ironia"" and ultimately from the Greek ""εἰρωνεία"" eirōneía, meaning ""dissimulation, ignorance purposely affected"". ""The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics"" distinguishes between the following types of irony: According to ""A glossary of literary terms"" by Abrams and Hartman,Verbal irony is a statement in which the meaning that a speaker"
"an expansion of the definition of irony from ""saying what one doesn't mean"" into a ""general stance of detachment from life in general"", this detachment serving as a shield against the awkwardness of everyday life. Humor from that era (most notably, ""Seinfeld"") relies on the audience watching the show with some detachment from the show's typical signature awkward situations. The generation of people in the United States who grew up in the 90s, Millennials, are seen as having this same sort of detachment from serious or awkward situations in life, as well. Hipsters are thought to use irony as a"
"Flatulence humor Flatulence humour or flatulence humor refers to any type of joke, practical joke device, or other off-color humor related to flatulence. Although it is likely that flatulence humor has long been considered funny in cultures that consider the public passing of gas impolite, such jokes are rarely recorded. Two important early texts are the 5th century BC plays ""The Knights"" and ""The Clouds"", both by Aristophanes, which contain numerous fart jokes. Another example from classical times appeared in ""Apocolocyntosis"" or ""The Pumpkinification of Claudius"", a satire attributed to Seneca on the late Roman emperor: He later explains he"
"Spit-take A spit-take is a comic technique or reaction in which someone spits a beverage out of their mouth when they react to a surprising statement. In this context, the word ""take"" is used in the sense of taking in information. It is similar in construction to the phrase ""double-take."" Spit take made it into the Oxford Dictionary, not to be confused with the Oxford English Dictionary, in a 2014 update. Albert Brooks' short film, ""The Famous Comedians School"", features a workshop on spit takes. Two characters sit at a table. Character #1 has a cup of coffee in hand."
"Tongue-in-cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a mock serious manner. The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scott in his 1828 ""The Fair Maid of Perth"". The physical act of putting one's tongue into one's cheek once signified contempt. For example, in Tobias Smollett's ""The Adventures of Roderick Random,"" which was published in 1748, the eponymous hero takes a coach to Bath, and on the way, apprehends a highwayman. This provokes an altercation with a less brave passenger: The"
"one, while the second, figurative meaning is often ironic or risqué and requires the hearer to have some additional knowledge to understand the joke. A pun consists of a deliberate confusion of similar words or phrases for humorous effect, whether humorous or serious. A pun can rely on the assumed equivalency of multiple similar words (homonymy), of different shades of meaning of one word (polysemy), or of a literal meaning with a metaphor. Juxtaposition is a literary technique which causes the audience to compare two elements simply because they are placed next to each other. When the comparison is unexpected,"