Inherently funny word: Difference between revisions
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Bob Sagget |
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{{OR|date=September 2007}} |
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The belief that certain '''words''' are '''inherently funny''', for reasons ranging from [[onomatopoeia]] to [[phonosemantics]] to [[sexual innuendo]], is widespread among people who work in humor. |
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== Cultural variation == |
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The concept of inherent humor appears to be heavily dependent on culture. [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]] and [[German language|German]] words, for example, are a staple of humor in [[American English]], in particular those that begin with the {{IPA|/ʃ/}} ("sh") sound, spelled ''sch-'' (or sometimes ''sh-'' in Yiddish). Take for example the derisive prefix ''shm-'' or ''schm-'', as in "[[Oedipus]] schmoedipus!" - the trick known as [[shm-reduplication]]. |
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It has been determined {{Who|date=September 2008}} using the [[comparative method]] that the [[Finnish language]] developed the sound [[Ö]] [ø] relatively recently to introduce a fronted counterpart to [o], in line with [a] - [æ] and [u] - [y]. Moreover, the new sound has found use mostly in words considered by many to be derisive or amusing. For example, the reason the vowel /ö/ was originally used for the word ''pöllö'' "owl" was to make it sound stupid, since the Finnish mythology and folklore always presents the [[owl]] as a stupid animal. Most words meaning "stupid" contain /ø/, e.g. ''hölmö, pöhkö, höhlä, höperö, pöpi''. <ref>[http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514280032/isbn9514280032.pdf Tutkielmia vähemmistökielistä Jäämereltä Liivinrantaan. Vähemmistökielten tutkimus- ja koulutusverkoston raportti V<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> <ref>[http://www.kajaaninyliopistokeskus.oulu.fi/kampuslehti/joulu2001/1201.html Kajaanin kampuksen tiedotuslehti - joulukuu 2001<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Words with front vowels, especially with [ø], are inherently funny, or derisive, e.g. ''älä hölise ja kälätä'' "don't talk nonsense and babble". In Finnic linguistics, the term "expressive" is often used. One can consider words such as ''jööti'' "gross chunk" or "törkeä" ''obscene, aggravated (legal)''. Words that contain either <ö> or <öö> and are neutral-sounding are uncommon. Notice that this doesn't apply to the diphthongs <öy> and <yö>, which have developed from earlier sounds, and are not inherently funny. |
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==English language== |
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===Comedy=== |
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Some influential [[comedian]]s, such as [[W. C. Fields]] have long regarded certain words in the [[English language]] as being inherently funny and have used these to enhance the [[humour]] of their routines. |
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For example, the radio panel game ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'' includes an occasional round called "[[List of games on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue#Straight Face|Straight Face]]", in which the panelists take turns saying a single word. A player is eliminated from the game if anyone in the audience [[laughter|laughs]] at their word ("even the merest titter"). The winner is the last player standing. |
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It is part of the mythology of actors and writers that the consonant [[plosive]]s (so called because they start suddenly or "explosively") ''p, b, t, d, k'', and ''g'' are the funniest sounds in the English language. |
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[[Alliteration]] also contributes to humour. [[Ken Levine]]'s comment that [[Jack Bauer]] has not received so much as a "holiday ham" for his services to the country is funnier than "Christmas ham" or other non-alliterative variations. |
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Additionally, the meaning of the word can play a factor. The local word for ''[[duck]]'' is considered to be funny in many languages, irrespective of pronunciation - this may be because ducks are seen as a silly animal, as shown by [[Richard Wiseman]]'s [[LaughLab]] experiment.<ref>[http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992876 World's funniest joke revealed - 03 October 2002 - New Scientist<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. |
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Additionally, taboos associated with certain words can make a word humorous in certain circumstances. |
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It is not clear whether there are [[physiology|physiological]] or [[linguistics|linguistic]] reasons for why these words are funny, nor whether the funny sounds are the same in other languages.{{Fact|date=August 2007}} |
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=== Funny numbers === |
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Some comedians maintain that certain numbers are funnier than others, although they tend to rely on context to set up an expectation of size or exactitude. |
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Humor can be found when numbers are oddly exact (such as the ''[[Car Talk]]'' standard prize of a gift certificate for [[26 (number)|26]] dollars) or of an [[order of magnitude]] different from what is expected (such as [[Dr. Evil]]'s holding the world to ransom for a meager one [[million]] dollars in [[Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery]] or Ty Webb announcing "You know, I feel like a hundred dollars" in [[Caddyshack]]). |
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The idea that the answer to "[[Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything|life, the universe, and everything]]" is [[42 (number)|42]] is funny, according to author [[Douglas Adams]], because it is an "ordinary, smallish" number, whereas numbers relating to space tend to be extremely large or extremely small and exact to many decimal places, while numbers invested with mystical significance tend to be [[prime number|prime]]. |
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In the 1996 video ''Caesar's Writers'', former writers for [[Sid Caesar]]'s ''[[Your Show of Shows]]'' discuss a skit in which [[Imogene Coca]] places a bet on a roulette wheel. The writers tried out several numbers before deciding "[[32 (number)|thirty-two]]" was the funniest number Coca could say.<ref>[http://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0211&L=nabokv-l&D=0&P=18531&F=P. NABOKV-L Archives - November 2002 (#161)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Neil Simon]], one of the writers, went on to write ''[[Laughter on the 23rd Floor]]'', based on his experiences writing for Caesar. He claimed the [[23 (number)|''23'']] in the play's title was a transposition of [[32 (number)|''32'']]. [[Carl Reiner]] created the [[Dick Van Dyke Show]] based on his experiences as a writer for "Your Show of Shows." In a first season episode, "The Curious Thing About Women," [[Morey Amsterdam]]'s character, Buddy, explains that a package in a comedy skit they are writing should contain 32 pounds of hair, rather than 15, because "32 has always been a funnier number. I hear 32, I get hysterical!" |
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[["Weird Al" Yankovic]] famously uses the number [[27 (number)|27]] prominently in his songs and videos because, according to him, "twenty-seven is a funny number."<ref>http://weirdal.0catch.com/txt/27.list.html </ref>. |
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On the [[DVD commentary]] for the British sitcom ''[[I'm Alan Partridge]]'', its writers put forward their own theory of funny numbers, going against the more common view that smaller, specific numbers are funny and instead employing large, round numbers (e.g. "a million pounds", or "[[Lynn Benfield|Lynn]] - fifty"), with the humour coming from the numbers' bluntness. |
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===Examples of references to the concept=== |
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* In [[Neil Simon]]'s play ''[[The Sunshine Boys]]'', a [[fictional character|character]] says, "Words with a ''[[k]]'' in it are funny. ''[[Alka-Seltzer]]'' is funny. ''[[Chicken]]'' is funny. ''[[Pickle]]'' is funny. All with a ''k''. ''[[L]]''s are not funny. ''[[M]]''s are not funny." |
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* In an article in the ''[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]'' published in 1936, [[H. L. Mencken]] also argues that "k words" are funny. "''K'', for some occult reason, has always appealed to the oafish risibles of the American plain people, and its presence in the names of many ... places has helped to make them joke towns ... for example, ''Kankakee'', ''Kalamazoo'', ''Hoboken'', ''Hohokus'', ''Yonkers'', ''Squeedunk'', "Stinktown" and ''Brooklyn''." |
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* The ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' episode "[[The Outrageous Okona]]" features [[Joe Piscopo]] as a [[comedian]] who, in attempting to teach the android [[Data (Star Trek)|Data]] the concept of humor, refers to words ending in a ''k'' as funny. |
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*In a sketch on ''[[The O'Franken Factor]]'' (now ''[[The Al Franken Show]]'') Al plays an "outsourced" version of himself with an exaggerated Indian accent, who remarks that "All of my material is in my native language, Urdu. And most of it is wordplay that would not translate. Hard k's and p's, though, such as 'hockeypuck,' are always funny, just as 'Don Rickles, the king of the put-down.'" |
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* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'': |
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** In one episode,{{Clarifyme|date=December 2008|reason=Which one? Anyone could add any total b.s. to any article and claim that "some" Simpsons episode mentioned it, given that there are many hundreds of them after over a dozen seasons.}} Krusty notes that the funniest letter is 'k', and the funniest number is 3. He then appears distressed at the fact that this would make the [[Ku Klux Klan]] funny. |
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** In another episode,{{Clarifyme|date=December 2008|reason=Which one? Anyone could add any total b.s. to any article and claim that "some" Simpsons episode mentioned it, given that there are many hundreds of them after over a dozen seasons.}} Krusty explains that many people believe comedy is about dirty words, but asserts that, rather, it's about "words that sound dirty." |
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**In his DVD{{Clarifyme|date=December 2008|reason=Which DVD? There are a huge pile of Simpsons DVDs. This is totally bogus quasi-citation and could even be totally fake. Cite a source properly, with [[Template:Cite video]].}} commentaries, ''Simpsons'' creator [[Matt Groening]] has proclaimed the word ''[[underpants]]'' to be at least 15% funnier than the word ''[[underwear]]''. This idea is based on a theory by ''[[Futurama]]'' writer [[Ken Keeler]].{{Fact|date=December 2008|reason=Says who?}} |
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** In the episode "[[Homie the Clown]]", drawing from [[W. C. Fields]], [[Krusty the Clown]] tells [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] during a lesson at his clown college: "Memorize these funny place names: ''[[Walla Walla, Washington|Walla Walla]]'', ''[[Keokuk, Iowa|Keokuk]]'', ''[[Rancho Cucamonga, California|Cucamonga]]'', ''[[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]]''." Upon hearing the word "Seattle", Homer bursts into laughter. |
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* Comedian [[George Carlin]], also drawing from W. C. Fields, talks about ''[[kumquat]]s'', ''[[garbanzos]]'', ''[[succotash]]'' and ''[[guacamole]]'' in his older routines, claiming that due to their names they are "too funny to eat." |
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* In an episode of ''[[All That]]'' the cast is shown as having to try out for their spots on the show,and in an event they are told to come up with funnier versions of given words. Like "pants" to which Kenan replies with the funnier word "trousers". |
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* The [[Monty Python]] sketch "Are You Embarrassed Easily?" includes a list of alternately ordinary and humorous words: ''[[shoe]]'', ''[[megaphone]]'', ''[[grunt]]ies'', ''[[Wankel engine|Wankel rotary engine]]'', ''[[tit]]s'', ''[[winkle]]'', and ''[[vibraphone]]''. |
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* In the [[December 21]], [[1989]] ''[[Dilbert]]'' comic strip, Dilbert uses his computer to determine the funniest words in the world, coming up with ''[[chainsaw]]'', ''[[weasel]]'', ''[[prune]]'', and any reference to ''[[Gilligan's Island]]''. In an earlier "[[The Far Side]]" book, [[Gary Larson]] had declared ''weasel'' to be the funniest word in the English language. |
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* The inherent funniness of the word ''[[duck]]'' was popularized by the [[Marx Brothers]] comedies ''[[The Cocoanuts]]'' (featuring their "[[Why a Duck]]" routine) and ''[[Duck Soup]]''. Comedian [[Joe Penner]]'s famous "[[Wanna buy a duck?]]" routine of the 1930s is another example. |
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* In the movie ''[[My Favorite Year]]'', one character tells another to use "guy" instead of "man" when telling a joke, because "guy" is funnier. |
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*On ''[[Gilmore Girls]],'' Lorelai Gilmore posits that "[[Oy vey|oy]]" is the funniest word ever and ''[[poodle]]'' is also very funny, and creates what she considers a wonderful catchphrase, "Oy with the poodles, already." |
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*Comedian [[Ron White]], in routines such as "They Call Me 'Tater Salad'", emphasizes the ''c'' in ''public'' to draw laughter from the audience, in addition to the use of the word ''[[tater]]''. |
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*"Bulbous Bouffant" performed by [[The Vestibules]] and picked up by [[Dr. Demento]], is a routine based entirely on inherently funny words.{{Clarifyme|date=December 2008|reason=Such as...?}} |
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*In one ''[[King of the Hill]]'' episode, Bobby attends clown school which teaches the art and science of funny words.{{Clarifyme|date=December 2008|reason=And...?}} |
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In the interest of keeping this list short and manageable, please try to limit additional contributions to those given by notable figures. Consider whether the addition adds value to the article as a whole. And remember to cite your sources. Please keep this disclaimer at the bottom of the list. |
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Keep in mind also that words-as-words are italicized, ''muskelunge''; see [[Use–mention distinction]].--> |
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===Funny nonsense words=== |
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Sometimes words are invented with a specific purpose to make them funny. |
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A classic example is the ''[[Jabberwocky]]'' poem by [[Lewis Carroll]], which uses a rich set of [[nonce word]]s. |
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*[[Dr. Seuss|Theodor Geisel]], also known as Dr. Seuss populated many of his writings with made-up words and objects. |
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*[[Douglas Adams]] created many nonsense names for his characters in ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', such as [[Zaphod Beeblebrox]], Quordlepleen, Phouchg, Wowbagger, and [[Slartibartfast]]. He also created "[[Vogon poetry]]", consisting of words such as ''groop'', ''gruntbuggly'', ''gabbleblotchit'', and ''bindlewerdle''. |
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*[[Spike Milligan]]'s ''[[Goon Show]]'' scripts often include funny nonsense words, such as ''spon'', ''ploogie'', ''plinge'', ''klugy'', ''[[lurgy]]'', ''ying tong iddle i po'' and ''needle nardle noo''. |
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* The film ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' features the [[Knights who say Ni]], who are said to be feared for the manner in which they utter the word ''"Ni"''. <ref>"Script" subtitles, ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' DVD</ref> |
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*[[Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious]] is a nonsensical word that is used in the musical [[Mary Poppins]]. |
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*[[Paracetamoxyfrusebendroneomycin]] is a nonsensical word that is used by [[Amateur Transplants]] as a parody on [[Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious]]. |
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<!--In the interest of keeping this list short and manageable, please try to limit additional contributions to those given by notable figures. Consider whether the addition adds value to the article as a whole. And remember to cite your sources. Please keep this disclaimer at the bottom of the list.--> |
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===Context-dependent funny words=== |
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The notion of the "inherently funny" word should not be confused with situations when a certain word sounds funny when unexpectedly used in an inappropriate situation. |
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For example, the [[surreal humour|absurdist]] [[superhero]] [[The Tick]], when required to choose a [[battle cry]], chooses "Spoon!", while in the radio series of ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', the "rudest word in the Universe" is revealed to be "[[Belgium]]". |
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In his 1991 book ''Dave Barry Talks Back'', reprinting a column on linguistic humor, [[Dave Barry]] contrasts the phrases "[[Richard Nixon]] wearing a [[necktie]]" with "Richard Nixon wearing a neck [[weasel]]", and "Scientists have discovered a 23rd moon orbiting [[Jupiter]]" with "Scientists have discovered a giant weasel orbiting Jupiter." Barry concludes that "You can improve the humor value of almost any situation by injecting a weasel into it." |
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<!--In the interest of keeping this list short and manageable, please try to limit additional contributions to those given by notable figures. Consider whether the addition adds value to the article as a whole. And remember to cite your sources. Please keep this disclaimer at the bottom of the list.--> |
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==See also== |
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* [[Malapropism]] |
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* [[Speech error]] |
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* [[Nonsense poetry]] |
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* ''[[Cellar door]]'' (words that [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] said were especially beautiful) |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==References== |
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*Barry, Dave (1991), ''Dave Barry Talks Back'', 1st edn., New York: Crown. ISBN 0-517-58546-4. |
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*The Power of the Plosive, Tips & Tactics, 1st Quarter 1999, ''The Naming Newsletter'', Rivkin and Associates [http://www.namingnewsletter.com/article.asp?id=39] |
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*H. L. Mencken, "The Podunk Mystery", ''The New Yorker'', [[September 25]], [[1948]]. |
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== External links == |
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* [http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/woodytin.htm Monty Python "Woody and Tinny Words" sketch transcript] |
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* [http://www.inherentlyfunny.com/cat-3-funny_words.html Inherently Funny Words] |
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* [http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~kimb/dai_version/subsection3_6_5.html#SECTION0006500000000000000 "Funny letters"] |
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* [http://www.public-speaking.org/public-speaking-humorwords-article.htm "Funny words"] |
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* [http://facstaff.uww.edu/shiblesw/humorbook/h8%20theory.html Theories on humor] |
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[[Category:Lists of English words]] |
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[[Category:Humor]] |
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[[Category:Comedy]] |
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[[Category:English phrases]] |
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[[Category:Phonaesthetics]] |
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Revision as of 02:35, 15 December 2008
Bob Sagget