Comments on: What is Dry Humour?

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:38:38 +0000

A dry sense of humour has everything to do with the delivery. This is not a joke but a situation where a dry joke was used,
I was in a car with 2 of my friends. We were talking about first impressions of 3 of our other friends. Not a serious chat but just normal talk.
We were saying John looks like a businessman whose business is doing very well.
Aaron looks like an Oxbridge graduate with a decent job.
Peter looks like a drug dealer whose product isn’t selling well.
Everyone laughed because If you know all 3, John is always impacably dressed,Aaron where glasses but is very smart and Peter is always wearing shabby clothes like addidas tracksuit, etc.

Dry sense of humour almost always has some truth to it, or its just the complete opposite.

Then to make it worse said looks like a drug dealer who smoke his own dope. And has debt to his supplier.
And now Peter looks like a drug dealer who smokes his dope because its not selling and is indebted to his supplier.
This saiid with a serious face is too out there and unbelievable.

By: Iamsam

Iamsam — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:49:43 +0000

My jokes usually fly right over the heads of my crowds and I’d have to say something like “pardon the pun” and some other hint to give away that a joke grew wings and was soaring above. I have on several occasions been told that my sense of humour is very dry and been puzzled as I know dry humour to be more hurtful and not diluted in any way. I am slowly learning that different cultures have different meanings for terms that we grow up hearing and using so I’m leaving the definition as having a strict cultural governing that is why some jokes will not be accepted around certain people. like beauty comedy is in the eye of the beholder and the length of this controversial definition portrays exactly this.

By: Star

Star — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:23:40 +0000

Oh.. also.. most people have to be at least 10 years old to understand dry humor, because some of it is “over the heads” of children.

By: Star

Star — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:09:15 +0000

I just finished reading an article by David Berry. It was hilarious, and reminded me that my favorite comedians have a dry sense of humor, or “dead pan”, spoken matter-factly, with no change in facial expression, and the funny part sneaks up on you. In his article, he was relating his experience in getting a colonoscopy. He explained he had to mix a powdered medicine with 1 litre of water and drink it the night before his procedure. He then said, “and.. for those of you who aren’t familiar with the metric system, a litre is 32 gallons..” (I cracked up right then and there, uncontrollably!.. the thought of drinking 32 gallons of liquid, instead of approximately 1 gallon, ONLY ONE GALLON, was hilarious!! : ) ) I immediately forwarded the article to a friend and when I typed “dry humor”, it automatically highlighted itself, and that’s how I got to this site! I will be bookmarking this, and checking in with you from time to time. A dry sense of humor is definitely a compliment, I give my highest kudos to!

By: Phah.

Phah. — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:31:33 +0000

Hmm… Mr Tim and Ms Suzanne, I salute you.

By: Donn

Donn — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 04:30:15 +0000

@eric

Now, if you ask me, that’s dry humour!

By: eric

eric — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:43:27 +0000

I was always told I have a dry sense of humor. I never knew what they meant. So finally, one day, I asked one of my accusers what dry humor was, he replied, “well, they’re jokes, their just not funny.”

By: john

john — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:08:39 +0000

one word defines dry humor, “Seinfeld.”

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:59:59 +0000

I would also like to clear up the idea that ALL BRITISH HUMOR IS NOT DRY.

For example, if you want to understand what dry humor is….BENNY HILL IS A BRITISH COMEDY. IT IS NOT DRY HUMOR. Therefore don’t rely on all British humor, to understand dry humor.

Thank you, and I’m done.
Suzanne

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:55:20 +0000

Dear Mr. Thomas,

“i got tired of reading people’s dumb ideas halfway down. why don’t any of you just grab a dictionary or something. or look on wikipedia, you don’t even need to leave the chair you’re in now. instead of everyone having their own “well i think it means.. or, well there’s a lot of different meanings..” no there aren’t. idiotsss. everyone who talked about being about the delivery is spot on. it has nothing to do with the context. at all.”

I read your above opinion, and I’m afraid that although I am humbled at your valuable opinion–I must disagree with one point, (actually, the only point I could extract.)

THERE IS SOMETHING TO CONTEXT, WHILE USING DRY HUMOR.

(although I am terribly humbled at your valuable insights….as well as your fine example of using the word idiot with multIple s’s, as a way of describing many individuals. I have always stuck to using only one ’s’ for plural words…..I will remember in future to use one s per individual as you do,

IE: idiotsssss would be, I am assuming, 5 individuals.

I also admire your respect in general of people, and will remember to hold your own shining example as my high ideal to aim for. tysvm.

However, I would like to, if I may…respectfully disagree with your comment? There is, yes…something to do with content, in dry humor….

IE: HOW MANY ELEPHANTS CAN YOU FIT IN A REFRIGERATOR in my humble knowledge IS CONTEXT. IT IS ALSO NOT DRY HUMOR.

Kindest regards,
Suzanne