A Confederacy of Dunces


Book Description

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize “A masterwork . . . the novel astonishes with its inventiveness . . . it is nothing less than a grand comic fugue.”—The New York Times Book Review A Confederacy of Dunces is an American comic masterpiece. John Kennedy Toole's hero, one Ignatius J. Reilly, is "huge, obese, fractious, fastidious, a latter-day Gargantua, a Don Quixote of the French Quarter. His story bursts with wholly original characters, denizens of New Orleans' lower depths, incredibly true-to-life dialogue, and the zaniest series of high and low comic adventures" (Henry Kisor, Chicago Sun-Times).




Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations


Book Description

This hilarious collection of humorous quotations, full of wisecracks and wit, snappy comments and inspired fantasy, has been specially compiled by the late broadcaster and raconteur Ned Sherrin, with a foreword by leading British satirist, Alistair Beaton. Now packed with even more quotes and covering more subjects than before, from Weddings to the Supernatural, Australia to Headlines. Find the best lines from your favourite jokesters and wordsmiths, add that extra something to a speech or presentation, or just enjoy a good laugh. 'A chair is a piece of furniture. I am not a chair because no one has ever sat on me.' Ann Widdecombe on the announcement that Parliamentary language will now be gender-neutral. 'No wonder Bob Geldof is such an expert on famine. He's been feeding off 'I don't like Mondays' for 30 years.' Russell Brand On deciding to run for governor of California: 'The most difficult decision I've ever made in my entire life, except for the one in 1978 when I decided to get a bikini wax.' Arnold Schwarzenegger 'Wanting to know an author because you like his work is like wanting to know a duck because you like p--acirc--;t--eacute--;.' Margaret Atwood 'I am so sorry. We have to stop there. I have just come to the end of my personality.' Quentin Crisp, closing down an interview




The Oxford Book of Humorous Prose


Book Description

In this magisterial collection, Frank Muir guides the reader on a journey of discovery and delight through five centuries of humorous prose in the English language.Starting in London with William Caxton and a Preface written and printed in 1477, and ending with P. G. Wodehouse whose last novel was published in 1977, the route is meandering: from England to Ireland and Scotland, back to England again, on to America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. There areexamples chosen from humorous fiction, letters, and journalism written by over 200 authors and ranging from medieval jests to the New Yorker and Beachcomber; from Thomas Nashe and Tom Brown's galloping bawdy to Jane Austen and on to Garrison Keillor and Arthur Marshall; from the jokes in SamuelJohnson's Dictionary to Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim and his hangover. The great humorous writers such as Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and P. G. Wodehouse are given a kind of mini-anthology of their own so that the range and versatility of their work can be appreciated.The extracts are embedded in a commentary that sets the writers in their historical context with items of contemporary gossip and anecdotal biography.As tour leader of this enjoyable enterprise, there could be no one better than Frank Muir to entertain, inform, and above all amuse the reader in his own distinctive fashion.




Back Bencher's


Book Description

Backbencher(A life Lesson) is a fascinating anthology of school life, co-written by 30 different voices. Through a back-bench lens, each page dives into the highs and lows of adolescence-friendships, catch- ups, academic struggles, and pressures to penetrate. The co-authors provide a vivid portrait of school life, celebrating the joys and challenges of growing up. Ultimately, Backbencher is a nostalgic tribute to the unforgettable memories that shape our youth.




Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations


Book Description

Writer, broadcaster, and wit Gyles Brandreth has completely revised Ned Sherrin's classic collection of wisecracks, one-liners, and anecdotes. Add sparkle to your speeches and presentations, or just enjoy a good laugh in company with Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, Joan Rivers, Kathy Lette, Frankie Boyle, and friends.




Dictionary of Humorous Words: Vocabulary Building


Book Description

What are “Humorous Words”? What is Humor? [HUMOUR [(British English) | HUMOR (AMERICAN ENGLISH)] Humor is something that is funny, comical, or amusing Definition of ‘Humorous Words’ Words that are intended to be amusing, entertaining, funny, or comical are called humorous words. Examples: beak [noun] – large or pointed nose of somebody ego-surfing [noun] – the activity of searching your name on different websites on the Internet iron rations [noun] – a small amount of food carried for an emergency by soldiers, etc. while climbing or walking unhand [verb] – to release somebody that you are holding Besides “Humorous Words”, there are some Idioms and Phrasal Verbs which are used to express humor (amusement or funniness) Example- (idiom): a big cheese – a very important and influential person in a big organization Example- (phrasal verb): gird (up) your loins – to get ready to do a difficult task or activity NOTE: Many ‘Humorous Words’ are also used in ‘formal’, ‘informal’ or other sense Example: BEAST beast [noun] [Humorous] – a person or thing who is unpleasant beast [noun] [Informal] – a thing of a particular type beast [noun] [Formal] – a large and dangerous animal A detailed list of ‘humorous words’, parts of speech they belong to, and their meanings are as follows: Humorous Words -- A abaya [noun] a full-length, sleeveless outer garment worn by Arabs abdicate [verb] to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach abibliophobia [noun] the fear of running out of reading material abomasums [noun] the fourth stomach of a ruminant, such as a cow or a sheep absquatulate [verb] to abruptly leave or abscond with something academe [noun] the world of studying, teaching, etc. at academic institutions e.g. universities and colleges accoutrements (accouterments) [noun] pieces of equipment that are required for an activity; accessories acerbate [verb] to embitter somebody acidulous [adjective] rather sour or sharp in speech, manner, etc. adjourn to… [phrasal verb] to go to another place to calm down of advanced years | sb's advanced age [idiom] used to show that somebody is ‘very old’ or aged agelast [noun] one who never laughs aglet [noun] the plastic tip on the end of a shoelace alack [exclamation] used to express sadness or regret allegator [noun] someone who alleges allergic [adjective] strong dislike towards somebody amatory [adjective] relating to physical activity or desire amphibology [noun] grammatically ambiguous phrase or sentence (e.g.: he talked to his son and his daughter) amphisbaena [noun] a mythical serpent with a head at each end anencephalous [adjective] lacking a brain anfractuous [adjective] circuitous or winding anguilliform [adjective] resembling an eel anserine [adjective] goose-like | silly or foolish antediluvian [adjective] traditional or out-of-date anthropophagy [noun] cannibalism apolaustic [adjective] devoted to the seeking of enjoyment apple-knocker [noun] an ignorant or unsophisticated person appurtenance [noun] a smaller part of something larger, superior or more significant archipelago [noun] a chain of islands argle-bargle [noun] meaningless and abundant talk or writing




Bridging the Humor Barrier


Book Description

The language barrier is a familiar term, but what exactly is the humor barrier? Humor is a universal phenomenon, but the cultural variance in how humor is used can prove to be a major obstacle for English language learners hoping to communicate effectively in cross-cultural contexts. While a growing number of researchers have explored the importance of helping language learners better understand the humor of the target culture, in Bridging the Humor Barrier: Humor Competency Training in English Language Teaching, editors John Rucynski Jr. and Caleb Prichard bring together language teachers and researchers from a range of cultural and teaching contexts to tackle how to actually overcome the humor barrier. This book empirically examines humor competency training and presents related research bearing implications for humor training. Contributors address a wide range of genres of humor, providing fresh insights into helping language learners deepen their understanding and appreciation of the humor of the English-speaking world, including jokes, sarcasm, and satire. This book is an excellent resource for English language teachers looking to help their learners avoid the pitfalls and reap the benefits of humor in the target language.







Humorous Structures of English Narratives, 1200-1600


Book Description

We all have the ability to recognize and create humour. But how do we do it? Salvatore Attardo and Victor Raskin have attempted to explain the workings of humour with their General Theory of Verbal Humor. How well does their theory explain the way humour â ~worksâ (TM) in a particular text, and can it provide us with interesting, novel interpretations? By identifying and interpreting the narrative structures that create humour, this study tests the usefulness of Attardo & Raskinâ (TM)s humour theory on a specific corpus of fabliaux, parodies and tragedies. Hamilton proposes a supplementation of the General Theory of Verbal Humor to create a means of undertaking what she calls a â ~humorist readingâ (TM). By posing the questions â ~why is this humorous?â (TM), â ~how is it humorous?â (TM) or â ~why is it not humorous?â (TM) and providing the theoretical tools to answer them, a â ~humorist readingâ (TM) can make a valuable contribution to our understanding of a literary text and its place in society.




The Mammoth Book of Humor


Book Description

More than 10,000 stories and jokes, limericks and one-liners, put-downs and puns in the ultimate, most comprehensive compendium of humor ever compiled. From boners and groaners to classic shaggy-dog stories and jokes for roasts and toasts, virtually every form of verbal humor on a whole raft of topics is represented in this not totally politically correct but always devilishly diverting collection of ticklers and howlers for any occasion. Humorous quotations, epigrams and epitaphs, newspaper misprints, misleading headlines ("MAGISTRATES MAY ACT ON INDECENT SHOWS"), limericks, puns, and the darnedest things said by kids ("a fjord is a Scandinavian car") also appear among the volume's ten thousand entries, which are arranged by category and fully indexed by subject. This format makes the book an easily accessible as well as invaluable companion to speech-makers for events great and small. So it is that The Mammoth Book of Humor meets the needs of both the maiden aunt looking for a wholesome joke to relate at a golden wedding anniversary and the best man who needs a blue one for the bachelor party. The volume even offers would-be wolves on the prowl pick-up lines-at the same time that it provides some snappy comebacks and a few ribald ripostes for the reluctant or disinterested prey. Waggish, witty, wisecracking, or whimsical, the humor is as various as it is vigorous on every page of this endlessly entertaining collection.