How To Create Humour Inspired By Conversation: Grandchildren, Parents, Spouses and Children

 Keep a mental note of the funny things said by your family. Many people tell jokes about their chilrden or grandchildren.

Sometimes a joke about grandchildren falls flat. Why? 

1 You have made the story too long. You have added asides such as, she is not actually my niece but neighbour's grandmother's first cousin. Nobody can understand. Nobody cares. It is not part of the joke, It merely confuses.

2 The names are hard to understand. 

They are trying to work out whether the person is your wife or mother or sister. Is the speaker the gardener or the cook?

Two people have names starting with the same initial. Mary and Martha. Albert and Archie. 

The city is confusing. Where is Maharashtra, and is it relevant?

Is Poona the capital or the country. Is it known for clever people or rural idiots?

Listners to the joke are confused who said what to whom. 

When is the punchline? The audience members don't know when you have reached the punchline and are waiting for something more.

Solutions:

Pause before the punchline. 

You might wish to explain the joke.

Confusing Foreign Languages 

I sat through a humorous speech which ended with a punchline in Singlish. I was a judge. I don't speak Singlish. I could have give the speaker marks for getting laughs from half the audience. I could have thought, if he can't get a speech adapted to be understood by an audience in Singapore, how will he get it right in the USA or Japan at the next level?

If you use a word which is not English in a speech given in English, explain the menaing of the work twice or three times during the speech so that when you reach the punchline the audience is already familiar with it.

Now I shall tell you some lines from my family. you may think it's easier to understand the one liners.

Grandma and Grandchild

My son said to his granny, "Grandma. How old is grandpa? How old are you? When are you going to die?"

My Father

My father was a practical person. When he retired, he was able to spend more time gardening and took an interest in gardens.

My father looked out of the window in London, England, at the trees in our garden. He said, "You don't have many apples on that tree."

I replied, "You're right. The reason is it was a bad spring. Rain destroyed the blossoms. You mean the nearest tree? We weren't expecteing any apples on that tree. It's an old tree. Anyway, it's a pear tree."

My Mother

Before I joined Toastmasters International, I had written a book called Wedding Speeches and Toasts. I gave a lot of speeches to pensioner's groups, mainly lunch time clubs and tea time clubs.

My mother came to hear one of my speeches at a public gathering. She sat in the front row, smiling. It's always good to have an appreciative person in the audience, smiling and laughing at your jokes. I acted everything out, mimed, exaggerated.

Afterwards I asked her, "Did you enjoy the speech?"

She said, "Yes - you were wonderful!"

"Did you like my jokes?"

'Yes. You were very funny."

"You've heard my speech before. But it's slightly different each time. Which joke did you like the best?"

"No particular one. I couldn't hear, because I forgot my hearing aid."

The moral of the story is: Allow extra time to collect elderly relatives and guests. Check they are wearing hearing aids. Allow time for them to adjust hearing aids at the venue.

M Husband's Quip About Scouts and Guides and Marriage

My husband is often amusing when talking at a dinner table.

Another guest described how he chose his wife. 

My husband replied, "But who chooses who to marry, or date?

"The boy scouts but the girl guides."

My Son Was Most Welcome

My son had an amusing memory of visiting the family in Singapore: 

He said, "We crossed the road in Singapore. We were guided across the road by a very kind volunteer 'Lollipop lady':(To an American listner - his wife-to-be.) Do you know what a Lollipopp lady is? In the UK on the zebra crossing outside schools, they used to have lady volunteers carrying signs with round banners saying stop, held up on sticks, like huge lollipops.

"When we were in Singapore, a crossing guide held up the traffic for us. When reached the other side of the road, we said to her, 'Thank you.' 

"She replied, 'You're almost welcome.' "

"We stared at each other. After a moment's thought, we realised she had meant, 'You are all - most welcome.' "

How important it is to pause between your words.

In telling this joke, you may also have to slow down, and if necessary, explain it to those who cannot spot the onfusioncof 'all most' and 'almost'.

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About The Author

Angela Lansbury

Travel writer and photographer

Author and speaker