1. Upper-Intermediate Lesson 29
British humour
Upper-Intermediate Lesson 29

2. Today we are going to learn:
Language to describe humour and success
How to tell a personal anecdote

3. Jokes of the week:
Q: How do astronomers organize a party? A: They planet. I changed my Ipod name to TITANIC. IT's syncing now. Q: How do you call a deer with one eye? A: No eye deer.

4. Humour collocations:
LOL = laugh out loud laugh at yourself burst out laughing A good laugh is sunshine in the house.
tell a joke crack a joke play a joke fall for a joke

5. What makes you laugh. Who did you make fun of recently
What makes you laugh? Who did you make fun of recently? Is it generally polite in your country? Do you have a good sense of humour? Do you understand British humour well? What’s your favourite type of humour?

6. Types of humour:
with a dark side: black, dark, grim, macabre, morbid, gallows
crazy: surreal, off-the-wall, qirky, wacky
not obvious: gentle, subtle, tongue-in-cheek
poker face: dry, wry, deadpan
disrespectful: ironic, irreverent, sarcastic, sardonic

7. What type of humour is it?
1. I’m trying to imagine you with a personality. 2. Don’t bother me. I’m living happily ever after. 3. I’m going to have a desease named after me. 4. Knock Knock! Who's there? Al! Al who? Al give you a kiss if you open this door!

8. Answers:
1. sarcastic 2. deadpan 3. morbid 4. wacky

9. Glossary:
Funny I laughed myself silly. He had me in stitches. I nearly died laughing. He makes me crack up.
Not funny It left me cold. I just don’t get it. It didn’t even raise a snigger.

10. Which comedy genres make you crack up?
slapstick: Charlie Chaplin’s silent films
a stand-up: Comedy Club
a mockumentary: BBC on spaghetti harvest
a situation comedy (sitcom): Friends
a farce: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare
satire: newspaper cartoons

12. What’s the comedy genre?
1. a show based around the same group of characters and location 2. a pretend documentary 3. humour based on simple actions, e.g. falling over 4. comedy arising from a ridiculous situation 5. the use of humour as a form of criticism 6. telling jokes to a live audience

13. Answers:
1. a sitcom 2. a mocumentary 3. slapstick 4. a farce 5. satire 6. a stand-up

14. Today we have learned: Language to describe humour and success
How to tell a personal anecdote