Page 48 - The Language of Humour

THE SHOCK OF THE NEW 35
A cause of unintentional humour is the use of mixed metaphors,
usually two clichéd expressions joined together without awareness of
the strange images created. This is seized on and repeated as soon as a
politician, or any public figure, does this.

A lot of people think the hard noses of Fleet Street don’t have a
soft centre, but they do you know. (Gerald Williams)

This clumsy use of language can then be used in scripted humour.
The term conceit is used for an extended metaphor, found, for
example, in metaphysical poetry: John Donne compares himself and his
mistress to the two points of a compass, seeming to travel far apart, but
always connected. Something similar happens in humour where an
original or strange analogy is made. In the radio programme The
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy the basis of the situation is: ‘Let’s
imagine that people are hitchhiking round the galaxy…’.
Similar to this extended analogy is the use of an incongruity between
language and situation for a shorter piece of humour. Many of the
cartoons by Gary Larson superimpose the language and habits
identifiable with one group (usually familiar modern humans) onto a
quite different group. In this example there is a picture of galley slaves.
One has his hand up and is complaining to the overseer.

Mr Mathews! Mr Mathews! I just went to the restroom and
Hodges here took my place. It’s my turn for the window seat, Mr
Mathews.

Another conceptual shift comes when Gary Larson portrays the animal
world in human terms (or is it the other way round?). He shows one
female praying mantis calling on another.

I don’t know what you’re insinuating, Jane, but I haven’t seen
your Harold all day—besides, surely you know I would only
devour my OWN husband.

It is interesting that this type of humour is not usually found on
television, where the bizarre situation would have to be created with
costume and special effects. (Red Dwarf keeps to a fairly basic set.) It is
found in cartoon form, or on the radio, where the listener can visualise
any strange scene suggested. A Radio 4 game involved placing
characters from one fictional text into another and devising the new