Comments on: More Ladyfingers and Woolly Bears http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=177 A Blog about Words and Language(s) from alphaDictionary.com Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:00:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.6 By: rbeard http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=177&cpage=1#comment-76996 rbeard Tue, 13 Nov 2007 04:26:56 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=177#comment-76996 I'm not sure what anyone would rest a case on but I would love to read any attempt. The fact that we borrow words from so many languages may give us more opportunities for humor. We make up ridiculous words—I'm working on the 100 funniest I know. But the Yiddish words we adopt are so close yet so alien that they are funny in and of themselves: schlemiel, schlep, meshugga, putz. I think you might mount a case for there being more humor in the English vocabulary itself for reasons like these. Maybe I'll do some research one of these days. I’m not sure what anyone would rest a case on but I would love to read any attempt. The fact that we borrow words from so many languages may give us more opportunities for humor. We make up ridiculous words—I’m working on the 100 funniest I know. But the Yiddish words we adopt are so close yet so alien that they are funny in and of themselves: schlemiel, schlep, meshugga, putz. I think you might mount a case for there being more humor in the English vocabulary itself for reasons like these.

Maybe I’ll do some research one of these days.

]]> By: Barbara Kelly http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=177&cpage=1#comment-76491 Barbara Kelly Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:09:45 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=177#comment-76491 I read someplace...a long time ago that the English language is best suited (among languages) for humor. We can have fun with words. Not that you can't in other languages but English offers more opportunity.The source labeled French the language of diplomacy and Spanish the language of love. I think German was the language for technical explanations. I can tell you that language amuses me every day! I read someplace…a long time ago that the English language is best suited (among languages) for humor. We can have fun with words. Not that you can’t in other languages but English offers more opportunity.The source labeled French the language of diplomacy and Spanish the language of love.
I think German was the language for technical explanations.
I can tell you that language amuses me every day!

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