Neal R. Norrick

All of us inject puns, jokes, and wisecracks into our talk. This book investigates these and other forms of humor that enliven everyday conversation, examining the ways humor helps us break the ice, fill awkward silences, smooth the way for requests, and build group solidarity. Norrick demonstrates that an account of joking is a necessary part of any complete description of conversation. At the same time, he shows that conversation is the natural home of many forms of humor. We can understand these only if we can explain why and how they are used in everyday talk. Norrick's close study of joking provides new insights into both verbal humor and the nature of conversation. Conversational Joking builds on recent developments in discourse analysis and linguistic pragmatics, and on current work in the study of humor, narrative, and social interaction. It provides a coherent perspective on conversational joking and makes a major contribution to our understanding of humor, conversation, and face-to-face interaction.

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