#198 Types of Humor in English

Speak English Now through mini-stories with teacher Georgiana

vocabulary, and how to improve your English more effectively.

Transcript:

Hi, everybody! I am Georgiana, your English teacher and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you speak English fluently.

Today we will talk about humor in English. There are many different ways that a person can be funny, and I will give you some examples of different types of humor in English.

And with a mini-story, you will improve your fluency. I will tell you a story while asking many questions that you will need to answer as quickly as possible. It’s like having a conversation with another person in English.

Before we get started, visit my website SpeakEnglishPodcast.com and get the transcript for free.

Ok, let’s start.

First, let’s talk about what we call a funny person, or at least someone who tries to be funny.

1) A goofy person

For example, we have the typical goofy person or goofball who does silly things, including funny dances and dressing up in ridiculous costumes. Sometimes they make funny mistakes, although those are usually on purpose. Clowns are usually considered goofy.

2) A prankster

A prankster is someone who plays practical jokes on people. Practical jokes are tricks that confuse or frighten others for a short period. I, personally, don’t enjoy pulling pranks, let alone being pranked. However, many people have a great time watching videos on the internet containing these practical jokes.

3) A self-deprecating person

If you watch stand-up comedy, you will often find this type of self-deprecating person who makes jokes that make them look bad. They joke about their shortcomings and problems, although sometimes I find that they can even go too far with their storytelling, and I find their performance humiliating.

4) A witty person

A witty person says funny and brilliant things. Witty people are also quick with their jokes. An example of witty humor would be: “Too many people run out of ideas long before they run out of words.”

Now let’s look at the different types of humor in English.

Quirky sense of humor

Someone with a quirky sense of humor tells strange, unpredictable jokes, and they frequently use improvisation.

Dry or Deadpan sense of humor

Someone with a dry or deadpan sense of humor usually says funny things with a serious, calm expression. They don’t smile, laugh, or make silly faces.

This type of humor is my favorite, and the people who tell these types of jokes are usually very intelligent.

Warped sense of humor

Having a warped or twisted sense of humor means making fun of things that many people find scary or offensive. We’re talking about jokes about illness and tragic events.

And, of course, this kind of humor can go wrong in so many ways.

The truth is that there are types of humor that rarely make you laugh, such as, for example, corny humor.

Corny or cheesy jokes

Cheesy or corny jokes are supposed to be funny, but they’re not. They’re too silly or too predictable. For example, jokes involving two words that sound alike are too corny.

Another type of jokes that don’t make me laugh are lame jokes.

Lame jokes

Lazy jokes just aren’t funny. A “lame” joke is actually worse than a “corny” joke. For instance, you might laugh at a corny joke even if you think it’s awful, but trust me, a lame joke just isn’t funny.

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