Comedy Analysis: Wit and wordplay

Old Will was a master of wit and wordplay

“Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's alright now.”

Wit and wordplay are two distinct types of humour which are closely related. Both require some intelligence on both the listener's and the speaker's part. Wordplay is also often considered to be a form of wit, although this is sometimes disputed.

Wit is generally seen as an intelligent form of humour, wherein an intelligent statement of remark is made for comic effect. This may be in a sarcastic form or as a put-down. As such, wit can be outright mean or cruel, yet is still funny.

Wordplay requires some knowledge of language. A word is often used in manner where it gets a new meaning, or the meaning is ambiguous. A well-known example of wordplay is:

“We'll have to rehearse that” said the undertaker as the coffin fell out of the car.

In this case the word 'rehearse' can mean practice, as the undertakers might have to practice handling a coffin without dropping it. I can also be interpreted to be re-hearse, as an undertaker's car would be a hearse, so putting the coffin back into the car, can be called 're-hearsing'. This is funny, since it's unclear which of the two meanings the undertaker is getting at.

Wit and wordplay have been around for hundreds of years. William Shakespeare was famous for both, as was Oscar Wilde. Today word play and wit are still prevalent both with comedians as with other people. Both are often used in advertising and branding. Also puns are increasingly popular, partly due to the rise of the Internet. Puns are also a form of wordplay after all.

With entire websites and Facebook pages dedicated to collecting the best wit and wordplay, this form of humour isn't going anywhere soon. Do a Google search for more, or keep an eye on this blog for more laughing matter!