Chapters in this book

1. Prelim pages i
2. Table of contents v
3. Pragmatics and linguistic research into humour 1
4. Part 1. Stylistic figures as forms of humour
5. 1.1: Irony
6. Will anticipating irony facilitate it immediately? 19
7. “That’s not ironic, that’s just stupid” 33
8. Irony via “surrealism” 51
9. 1.2 Puns and other wordplay
10. The role of syllables and morphemes as mechanisms in humorous pun formation 71
11. Context-sensitive aspects of Shakespeare’s use of puns in comedies 105
12. Dimensions of incongruity in register humour 125
13. Part 2. (Non)interactive forms of humour
14. 2.1: Jokes
15. Displays of “new” gender arrangements in Russian jokes 147
16. Understanding ethnic humour in Romanian jokes 173
17. Sexuality in Anglo-American anti-proverbs 191
18. 2.2 Conversational humour
19. Joker in the pack 217
20. Humour in quasi-conversations 243
21. Humour and the integration of new staff in the workplace 265
22. Part 3. Forms of humour in public discourse
23. Parody in the light of the incongruity-resolution model 291
24. “I’ll be there for you!” On participation-based sitcom humour 311
25. “Losers, poltroons and nudniks” in Woody Allen’s Mere Anarchy 335
26. Notes on humour and persuasion in advertising and legal discourse 353
27. Comic takeover or comic makeover? 365
28. Name index 379
29. Subject index 381