Gag Glossary

[DJ One Record]

Not sure of the name of it, but i believe it's named after one of the writers of Cheers, and is similar to both the 'bicycle gag' and the 'contradictory revalation'.  Basically, a character makes a firm proclaimation, then immediately does or says something to directly contradict that. e.g.

HOMER: I'll never drink another beer again
VENDOR: Beer here!!
HOMER: I'll take ten.

A Stan Daniels turn, according to Al Jean on the commentary for the Simpsons episode "Duffless".

[Go With The Flow]

Whimsy
Also known as: Randomness, Surrealism

(picture)

I know that, but the term is used in that way nowadays.

[DJ One Record]

Hanging a Lantern

Not exclusively a gag, but it's mostly used for humourous effect.  The writers get away with a really unlikely or nonsensical event by having the characters comment on how unlikely or nonsensical it is. e.g the Futurama episode 'Godfellas', where Bender is hurtled from deep space all the way to Earth and lands right next to Fry and Leela.

LEELA: This is by a wide margin the least likely thing that has ever happened!

I love the lantern hanging example from the Futurama episode "The Honking" as well, when the Professor explains how robot ghosts are possible:

Professor: Just as I suspected. These robots were buried in improperly shielded coffins. Their programming leaked into the castles wiring through this old abandoned modem, allowing them to project themselves as holograms.
Hermes: Of course! It was so obvious!
Professor: Yes, that sequence of words I said made perfect sense.

Would this be an accurate term to describe those old abrupt Young Ones endings as well ("What are we gonna do?" "Ah, who cares.")? Where rather than try to resolve the show before the end of the episode, they just keep going until they run out of time without trying to hide it.

[JPA]

Warm leatherette

Chuminess dependent on a belief we all break the same laws, usually motoring or drugs offences.

e.g Max & Paddys Road to Nowhere

The episode where they vandalise the Speed Camera, before standing back and waiting to be fellated by every fuckwit who regularly breaks the law and screams 'nanny state!' when they happen to get caught.

[easytarget]

What about...

The Lazy (But Often Clever) Swear-Saver

Where you believe that a character is going to retort to verbal abuse or a damning event with a very eloquent and wittily constructed statement, but in fact just swears.

When done correctly this can be very effective, riding on a wave of (often post modernly suggested) authorial laziness with humorous results.

Darling: Erm, not all that good, Blackadder -- rather hoped I'd get through the whole show; go back to work at Pratt & Sons; keep wicket for the Croydon gentlemen; marry Doris... Made a note in my diary on my way here. Simply says, "Bugger."

[Morgan]

I know that, but the term is used in that way nowadays.

I know you know that.  It's just there's nothing that annoys me more in the entire world - surrealism was (is) such a noble and interesting concept, and now cunts just think it means fish eating lightbulbs and monkeys.

[Dark Sky]

What about...

The Lazy (But Often Clever) Swear-Saver

Where you believe that a character is going to retort to verbal abuse or a damning event with a very eloquent and wittily constructed statement, but in fact just swears.

When done correctly this can be very effective, riding on a wave of (often post modernly suggested) authorial laziness with humorous results.

Darling: Erm, not all that good, Blackadder -- rather hoped I'd get through the whole show; go back to work at Pratt & Sons; keep wicket for the Croydon gentlemen; marry Doris... Made a note in my diary on my way here. Simply says, "Bugger."

There's one I was thinking of from Blackadder which I can't remember properly so I didn't quote it...  But someone insults Blackadder quite elaborately and he retorts with, "Well you sir are a...git!"

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

There's one I was thinking of from Blackadder which I can't remember properly so I didn't quote it...  But someone insults Blackadder quite elaborately and he retorts with, "Well you sir are a...git!"

That's 'Needles to say' surely?

[Dark Sky]

That's 'Needles to say' surely?

Eh huh what now?

[Bert Thung]

Wildean Shit
The act of a modern stand up comedian to re-explain an event that's just occurred in as verbose, articulate and possibly flowery way as he can, whilst body-swerving any attempt at a punchline along the way.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

'Better lapdogs to a slip of a girl than a...git!' - Blackadder

'You'd probably write 'Needles to say...I took drugs'...' - Alan Partridge

[DJ One Record]

'You'd probably write 'Needles to say...I took drugs'...' - Alan Partridge

Is that in that voice? I haven't seen that episode.

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

It most cerrrrr-tain-ly *is*.

[neveragain]

Yes, I've seen many a young stand-up merely explain something self-importantly and think that, in itself, that is all they need to do.

Edit to add: And I've seen many a cocky young whip post a humorous auxiliary comment only to be superceded by those with fingers quicker to the touch!

[Lookalike Mark Chapman]

Just how general are we going with this? I mean, is this acceptable: (?)

The Pun
For example, the word "chakras" being taken to imply "any sexual parts" when talking to one who practices yoga - or, at a push, anyone with long hair. The word pun is itself an acronym of the phrase 'play on words.'

The Woman as Owner of Lots of / Buyer of Lots of / Fetishist of Shoes
Because it's true. Right, guys?

The 'Right, Guys?'
Said after a character has made an off-colour comment, usually a comment kissed by sexism, in the expectation that the gathered company will agree whole-heartedly. Hilariously, they often don't.

The Fall-Over
Simple comedy device which elicits a bigger laugh than any of the previously listed, supposedly more sophisticated, set-ups. A classic example would be the chart-topping 'Del Boy through bar,' although for jaded falling-over devotees, a more elaborate Fall-Over can be found in Arrested Development's 'Tobias, with umbrella, through glass table.'

The Funny Voice
In which the character or performer affects what they believe to be a funny voice. This may be used for throw-away childish jokes ('he wanks as high as any in Wome!') or may in extreme cases form the basis of an entire career (John Culshaw).

The 'He's Behind Me, Isn't He?'
A character talking to a second character is slagging off an as-yet unseen third. At the height of the scorn, the first character realises that the object of scorn is, in fact, standing behind them - invariably provoking a version of the question 'He's behind me isn't he?' This may be followed by a text-book Unnecessary Yup.

The You Don't Say?
(Picks up phone): "You don't say? You don't SAY?! You DON'T say!!"
(Someone else): "Who was that?!"
(The first one, bleating hysterically): "...They didn't say!!!!"
Now, I don't know about being used a lot in 'comedy' but this gem was certainly overused in Sixth Form assemblies, children's television broom cupboards, and terrible pantomimes with people who used to be in Grange Hill in them.

[rudi]

The word pun is itself an acronym of the phrase 'play on words.'

I don't get it - is this a joke?

[Lookalike Mark Chapman]

Was meant to be yeah. Never mind.

[Sheldon Finklestein]

The Brand-namedrop:

The specific referencing of a brand-name to enhance the realism (and therefore, comedy) of a statement.

See: Every episode of I'm Alan Partridge. "Peephole Pringle, etc."

[DJ One Record]

The 'He's Behind Me, Isn't He?'
A character talking to a second character is slagging off an as-yet unseen third. At the height of the scorn, the first character realises that the object of scorn is, in fact, standing behind them - invariably provoking a version of the question 'He's behind me isn't he?' This may be followed by a text-book Unnecessary Yup.

Or, in the case of Futurama, a not so text-book "No. I'm in front of you."

The You Don't Say?
(Picks up phone): "You don't say? You don't SAY?! You DON'T say!!"
(Someone else): "Who was that?!"
(The first one, bleating hysterically): "...They didn't say!!!!"
Now, I don't know about being used a lot in 'comedy' but this gem was certainly overused in Sixth Form assemblies, children's television broom cupboards, and terrible pantomimes with people who used to be in Grange Hill in them.

That reminds me of a couple of other comedy phone clichés:

The Interpreter[/u]

Whenever A is talking to B, who is either on the phone,or speaks a different (often made up) language, and A repeats what B says for the benefit of the audience.
Example:
Futurama "Insane In The Mainframe" - Judge Whitey answering the phone:

Whitey: Yes? What? You say if I testify I'll be killed? Oh, it's for you.


"Must be a bad line..."[/u]

Often used in conjunction with The Interpreter, this refers to when the voice on the other end of a phone call is heard by the viewer as gibberish.
Example:
Dastardley And Mutley In Their Flying Machines - Dick Dastardly on the phone to the General, who is simply heard as "Oioioioioioioioi."

[Little Hoover]

The Mislead (or a "Screw the Audience")[/u]

Making the audience think they can predict what's the next line is going to be but then putting some kind of twist on those expectations. (sometimes used in conjuction with the pull back and reveal)
Something Simpsons would do very well, for example.
Bart: "Oh, it's no use,"  I'm _never_ going to find that tree.  This whole
raid was as useless as that yellow lemon-shaped rock over there,  wait a
minute...there's a lemon behind that rock!"

or

Krusty: But I love that plane!  I used to fly to Vegas in it with
       Dean Martin.  One time we were flyin' in it, and the moon hit
       his eye like a big pizza pie!  We wrote a song about it!
       But it ended up infringing on one he recorded years before.

[DJ One Record]

Legs: I'm seein' double here: four Krustys!

[Nik Drou]

The Anti-Gag (or The Non-Gag)

Gags that have a recognisable set-up but do not follow through into a typical comedic punchline or resolution, instead going either completely realistic or utterly nonsensical.  The humour is therefore derived from the subverting of the audiences expectation and/or recognition of an ironic aspect being delivered.  

The best example I can think of from television is one of the first Unlucky Alf sketches on The Fast Show...

ALF: (tuts) They're building dirt' great hole at end of street.  Knowing my luck, I'll probably fall into it.

(He walks down the street, away from camera, for a good 30-40 seconds until he is far in the distance.  He then does a spectacular prat-fall into the hole).

This basically qualifies as Anti/Non Humour because there isn't really a clever twist, he does what he says he'll do (of course, that in itself is the clever twist).  Let me just say that it's one of the most brilliant and underrated sketches I've ever seen.  You have all that time to work out the pay-off, and no matter how much you think "oh, he cant just fall in, it's too obvious!", it's still hilarious when he does. This is partly due to Paul's sense of timing and physical comedy, but also the extent of Alf's futile predeterminism of his own miserable life.

Also, here's a link to a whole bunch of Anti-Gags from Something Awful.

http://www.somethingawful.com/index.php?a=2792

[niat]

Another The Interpreter-style gag is the long, rambling sentence in a foreign language which goes on for ages, only to be interpreted as "No", or another single English word.

[ffogems]

Can anyone identify what this gag might be? It seems like a play on convention, taking a common phrase and plugging it with a surprising follow-up, but that seems very vague. Here it is -

HARRY: Word round the water cooler is...there's a weird guy hanging round the water cooler.

(From: Third Rock From The Sun)

Can anyone think of its derivation, and a name for it?

[Neville Chamberlain]

http://www.somethingawful.com/index.php?a=2792

Some of them sound quite similar to John Thompson's character Bernard Right-On...

Q: How many Jewish people can you fit in a Mini?
A: Oh, about four, and maybe room for a small child.

(paraphrased a bit)

[Gavin]

http://www.somethingawful.com/index.php?a=2792

Some of them sound quite similar to John Thompson's character Bernard Right-On...

Q: How many Jewish people can you fit in a Mini?
A: Oh, about four, and maybe room for a small child.

(paraphrased a bit)

Paraphrased so as to misconstrue the whole joke.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Have I? Gosh. Now I'm really confused. Love to know how it really went then.

[Nik Drou]

Some of them sound quite similar to John Thompson's character Bernard Right-On...

Q: How many Jewish people can you fit in a Mini?
A: Oh, about four, and maybe room for a small child.

(paraphrased a bit)

Ah, yeah I completely forgot about Right-On, he's a perfect example.

"There's a black man, a pakistani and a jew in a pub..........what a fine example of a racially integrated community that is."

Also, just remembered, in the Adam and Joe Book,  there's a page of cracker jokes in a similar vein.

'A man walks into a bar with a lion.  A lady at the bar screams and runs to the toilet, along with several other customers.  Trembling, the bartender asks the man what he is doing with a lion in the bar but the man just orders a beer and sits down.  The lion growls but stays calm.  The man is finishing his beer as the police arrive.  The man explains he thought it would be funny to bring the lion into the bar.  He is taken away.  So is the lion.'

[Gavin]

Have I? Gosh. Now I'm really confused. Love to know how it really went then.

It's Pakistanis in the car, not Jews.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Ah yes! I was thinking of something to do with ashtrays in a mini and it had all got messed up in my mind over the years.