Page 78 - The Language of Humour

‘CRIKEY, THAT’S A HARD ONE!’ 65
One factor which influences the audience response is the use of
euphemisms or innuendos, rather than explicit language or taboo
words:

The decorating-mad couple always fell off the bed when making
love, because they wanted a mat(t) finish.

Once a particular object has sexual connotations, that word can be
enough to trigger the laugh: ‘bananas’, ‘cucumbers’. A word or phrase
may have a double meaning. Some words, like ‘balls’, are polysemes,
and the homophone ‘pear/pair’ creates a number of corny gags à la
Benny Hill: ‘What a lovely pear.’ The teller can then blame the tellee for
‘having a dirty mind’.
Billy Connolly comments on the use of the archetypal taboo word it
is ‘strong’ language, in the sense that it has a powerful effect.

People say it’s a limited vocabulary that makes you swear. Well, I
know… 127 words, and my favourite is still ‘Fuck’. There is no
English equivalent for ‘fuck’—‘Go away’ ‘Shoo’? You couldn’t
say: ‘Fuck off,’ he hinted.

The force of taboo words changes from one social group to another.
Restrictions have loosened about what words can be printed and
broadcast, but they still increase the tendency to laugh. Compare your
reaction to the joke from Unit 2: ‘When is a car not a car? When it turns
into a garage’, and this similarly constructed ambiguity, which adds
shock value—and topical reference.

Why are monkeys like acid rain? They both fuck up trees.

Activity with text
Read the following examples. Is sex the only taboo to be broken?
Would it be more acceptable if innuendo was used, rather than explicit
taboo language? (No commentary follows.)

This is the idea that has made me virtually an anonymous figure in
America for the last ten years If you have children here tonight, I’m
sorry to tell you this, they are not special. Don’t misunderstand me, I
know you think they’re special, I’m aware of that. I’m just telling you
they’re not. Do you know that everytime a guy comes he comes two