Page 56 - The Language of Humour

THE SHOCK OF THE NEW 43
casual registers. The scale from formal to informal is an oversimplified
view of the range of styles that even individual language-users can
employ, as they shift their style of language to make it appropriate to
the situation. The ‘situation’ encompasses whether you are speaking or
writing; what your purpose is; whom you are addressing, even your
topic. People make fine adjustments over the day: talking to a friend,
talking to a stranger, talking on the telephone, writing a message on the
blackboard. Some styles are more definitely set and these are recognised
as genres, like headline-style, where the language is abbreviated; the style
of estate agents’ brochures; pulp sci-fi style.

The Top Tips page in Viz imitates a recognisable style:
Housewives—why waste time and energy mashing potatoes?
Simply place a large spud under each of hubby’s car tyres last
thing at night. When he drives off to work in the morning, hey
presto, instant mash.

The markers of this style are the direct address in the opening question,
the use of cheery terms like ‘hubby’, ‘simply’ and ‘hey presto’. Even
the lexis falls within the expected field: ‘mashing potatoes’, but the
notion itself is odd.
Some rhetorical devices are so familiar that they signal a grand
speech-making style. One is the pattern of building up balanced phrases
in threes—but in humour, the final one drops in register, for a sort of
anti-climax. Another is the use of a balanced structure, often with a
lexical contrast. The patterning helps to emphasise the point being
made.

Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung. (Voltaire)
The soul is born old but grows young. That is the comedy of
life.’ ‘And the body is born young and grows old. That is life’s
tragedy.’ (Oscar Wilde)

When using language in a variety of everyday contexts, people shift
from one register to another. Joos (1961) describes styles of speaking
and writing on a five-point scale of degrees of formality:
intimate—use of a ‘private’ code, rather than ‘public’ vocabulary,
e.g. jargon
casual—between friends, so using shortened forms and slang
consultative—coming to terms with strangers, supply background
information