Comedy Techniques

noun a spontaneous or improvised speech or performance

verb to speak or perform without preparation

• The actor was able to ad lib his lines flawlessly during the live performance.
• She had to ad lib a response when asked a question she wasn't prepared for.
• I love watching comedians ad lib during their stand-up routines.
• Sometimes in life, you have to ad lib and make quick decisions on the spot.

noun a literary term used to describe a sudden shift in tone from the lofty or serious to the trivial or mundane, often resulting in a comedic or absurd effect

• The sudden shift from high drama to low comedy in the play created a sense of bathos.
• The movie's attempt at emotional depth ended up feeling more like bathos.
• The show's finale was so cheesy, it was practically bathos.
• The politician's attempt to appear relatable only resulted in bathos and insincerity.

noun a picture, description, or imitation of a person or thing in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect

• The artist created a detailed caricature of the politician for the newspaper.
• I love how the caricature artist exaggerated my features at the fair.
• That caricature of the celebrity is so funny, it's spot on!
• Her exaggerated reaction was like a caricature of someone in a soap opera.

noun a facial expression characterized by lack of emotion or enthusiasm

adjective showing no emotion or enthusiasm

• The speaker delivered the news with a dead pan expression, showing no emotion.
• She told the joke with a dead pan face, making it even funnier.
• He always has this dead pan look on his face, it's kinda creepy.
• Her dead pan delivery of the bad news left everyone feeling uneasy.

noun a word or phrase that has two interpretations or significances

adjective having two interpretations or significances

• The poet's use of double meaning in his verses adds depth to his work.
• I love jokes with a double meaning - they always make me laugh.
• That song has a double meaning, if you know what I mean.
• Her smile had a double meaning, hiding both joy and sadness.

verb to smile broadly, especially in an unrestrained or silly manner

• She walked into the room, grinning from ear to ear as she greeted her colleagues.
• I caught my friend grinning mischievously as she played a prank on our other friend.
• The comedian had the audience grinning like Cheshire cats with his hilarious jokes.
• The old man sat on the park bench, grinning at the memories of his youth.

noun a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in 'I could sleep for a year'

• The author's use of hyperbole in his writing emphasizes the extreme nature of the character's emotions.
• She always uses hyperbole when describing how busy she is, like saying she has a million things to do.
• He's always exaggerating with hyperbole, like saying he's so hungry he could eat a horse.
• Her love for him was so strong, it was like a hyperbole that couldn't be contained.

noun a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result

• The irony of the situation is that the man who never wanted children ended up being the best father.
• It's ironic how the weather forecast said it would be sunny all day, but it's been raining non-stop.
• The irony of the whole thing is that she said she hated drama, but she's always in the middle of it.
• The irony of life is that sometimes the people who claim to care the most are the ones who hurt you the most.

verb to treat something as unimportant or trivial

• It is inappropriate to make light of someone else's struggles.
• Don't make light of the situation, it's serious.
• She always makes light of everything, it's annoying.
• He tends to make light of his own mistakes to avoid feeling guilty.

noun a statement or conclusion that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement

• The professor pointed out that the student's argument was a non sequitur.
• I don't get why you brought up that random fact, it's a total non sequitur.
• That comment was such a non sequitur, like what even?
• Her sudden outburst was a non sequitur in the otherwise calm meeting.

noun a humorous or satirical imitation of a person, literary work, movie, etc., exaggerating characteristic features for comic effect

• The artist created a parody of a famous painting to critique the original work.
• The comedian made a hilarious parody of a popular movie.
• That parody video had me rolling on the floor laughing!
• His actions were a parody of what a responsible adult should do.

noun a repeated light tapping sound

verb to make a rapid succession of light tapping sounds

• The patter of rain on the roof was a soothing sound as I worked in my study.
• I love the patter of my dog's paws as he runs around the house.
• The patter of gossip in the office was getting out of control.
• The patter of applause filled the room as the speaker finished their inspiring speech.

noun the action of uncontrollably laughing on stage or while filming, often resulting in the inability to continue with a performance

• The actor couldn't control his corpsing during the serious scene.
• We all ended up corpsing during the blooper reel.
• Stop corpsing, we need to finish this scene!
• Her infectious laughter had everyone corpsing in no time.

noun a comedic reaction in which someone spits out liquid they were drinking due to surprise or laughter

• During the elegant dinner party, the guest did a spit take when the host made a hilarious joke.
• I nearly did a spit take when I heard the gossip my friend told me.
• The comedian's joke was so unexpected, I did a spit take with my drink.
• The shocking plot twist in the movie made me do a mental spit take.

verb to improvise or deliver spontaneously without preparation

• The actor ad-libbed his lines during the live performance.
• She ad-libbed a funny joke during the meeting.
• I totally ad-libbed that presentation and it went great!
• He ad-libbed his way through the conversation, trying to cover up his lack of knowledge.