one evening round a barbeque with a bunch of afghans, i listened while they told jokes (in english), slapping their thighs and screaming with laughter. at each joke i waited for a punch line and smiled, wrinkling my forehead and trying to understand.

and ive noticed this happening on the cat here and there. we all say meeow, but in different tones. a few times i've found myself taking very seriously something happening on a thread, only to find out from a comment much later on that it was all mucking around. again, on a few occasions including twice in the last couple of days i've said something totally in humour, to find someone taking my comment as being literal. eek.

so in an attempt to start thinking about all the different varieties of humour, here is a site translating australian humour for the uninitiated (please disregard the vulgar drawing, a portrait of one of our former prime ministers)

antipodean humourum incomprehensum

history and philosophy of irony

straight faced irony

i would appreciate any other similar analyses or pointers to understanding incomprehensible humour dialects from other cultures.

freda