Questions tagged [humor]
Questions about humorous expressions, jokes, puns, etc.
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Understanding the joke, "Make an 'ell, I say" (from The Crux)
Reading chapter 1 of The Crux, there is a joke that I don't understand about the three "Foote girls," who are in their 50s and visiting Mr. and Mrs. Lane. Here is the paragraph in question:
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Word for nonce antonyms formed by reversing idioms
Someone recently used "on-limits" to describe something that was allowed, i.e. not "off-limits." The same person subsequently described unplugging something as "plugging it ...
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What terms describe humorous acceptance of a compliment?
My wife complimented a chef on his delicate fish cookery last night.
Reply: "They're great, these boil-in-the-bag dishes."
I complimented a violinist on his performance recently and ...
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What does "are nines" mean in this context?
I stumbled upon some conversation on the TV show Desperate Housewives (Season 4, Episode 10) and I do not understand what the "nines" and "a three" indicate in the following ...
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Term for (humorous) sentences that end in unexpected ways [duplicate]
I'm trying to find the term that refers to a certain type of joke. These jokes generally have the following characterstics:
generally only one sentence long
the first half is straightforward and ...
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What is the term for this sort of ambiguity? [duplicate]
"Scientists discover emperor penguin colony in Antarctica using satellite images"
This is the title of an article in the Guardian newspaper today.
There must be some clever penguins down ...
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Is there a term for sentences that are hopelessly and often humorously ambiguous? (e.g. "Squad helps dog bite victim") Are there algorithms for them?
The humorous 1980 book titled Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim and Other Flubs from teh Nation's Press (AbeBooks, Goodreads)1 recently came to mind after seeing the headline
Shocking video shows Chinese ...
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What is the meaning of "Neanderthals on a day pass"? [closed]
Said as some sort of an insult I guess.
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Closest equivalent to the Chinese jocular use of 职业病 (occupational disease): job creates habits that manifest inappropriately outside work
The Chinese expression 职业病 (zhi ye bing, occupational disease), when used seriously, just means occupational disease, e.g. lung problems caused by working in a chemical factory.
But there is also a ...
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The meaning of "I am not snapping as much"
Would you please help me and tell me why did the audience laugh when they heard the speaker saying saying the following sentences? I heard them like this:
"over time I would say, actually I am ...
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What constitutes humor on this "i before e" coffee mug text? [closed]
I saw this writing on a coffee mug, which is supposedly popular amongst linguists:
i before e
Except after C
and also when you
heinously seize your
feisty foreign neighbor's
conceited beige heifer
...
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Is there a word for when something rhymes with a profanity [duplicate]
I am specifically thinking of the Grand Tour episode entitled "A massive hunt". Is there a word that describes this wordplay? It is not a double-entendre, nor is it a homophone.
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I want to know why this joke is supposed to be hilarious [closed]
A couple is anxiously waiting to hear the results of a medical test for their unborn child.
The doctor says: "I will start with the good news; Your child will always find a parking space."
...
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What is the humor in "water's warm and deep" while relieving oneself?
The two men halted at the edge of the canal, hiked their tunics, then
fumbled with their loincloths. Soon two arcs were gurgling across the
filmy surface. “Hmm,” Xinemus said. “The water’s warm.” Even
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Humorous mis-spelling of "spell checker"? [closed]
When I back a spelling mistake I tend to blame it on the spear chucker. Some get the attempt at humour, but it escapes others.
Can anyone supply a more humorous mis-spelling of "spell checker&...
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