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Laughter

edited February 2007 in - Reading

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  • Can you recall the last time you laughed hysterically? What was it that made you laugh so hard that your sides literally ached?
  • Sounds like a terrible day, thank goodness you were laughing!
  • Not hysterical laughter but a mini-laugh at Jeremy Paxman's expense!

    On tonight's University Challenge he referred to the opera 'Soeur Angelica' (Sister Angelica) as "Soir Angelica" (pronounced as in soiree).

    Never mind, Jeremy. You can't be right all the time!
  • This evening. 'Just A Minute' was on. Paul Merton and others were so funny.
  • Maya - I heard the second half of that. The part where they were making gestures at Nicholas Parsons!
  • When we watched Ice Age 2 - Meltdown, there was a scene in it that had me rolling round on the sofa with tears in my eyes, clutching my sides.  In case anyone plans to watch it, I won't give that part away, but I'll just say it involved Sid the sloth in very much his own scene...  Classic!
  • I`ll second all that, nenastew5! I thought I was the last remaining person alive to remember and like Danny Kaye and Victor Borge. Here in Germany no-one seems to have heard of them. There is someone here called Loriot, who pretends to be the concert hall caretaker and tries to swat a fly on the conductor`s rostrum. Of course, the Berlin Philharmonic think he`s conducting.....Fantastic!
  • If you went to an all girls school, you'll probably remember when everyone in the class got the giggles - usually over something trivial. Eventually the teacher would manage to calm things down - and then a few minutes later someone would splutter and set everyone off again!

    Proves that for some reason laughter, like yawning, is infectious!
  • I have a 16 year old daughter with a loony sense of humour and the most infectious laugh in the world. She makes my sides ache several times a week; most of the time the trigger is something totally ridiculous like a misheard piece of conversation...
  • I have to confess that I actually find childish things quite funny. I'm a 27 year old woman who was in fits of laughter after hearing my work colleague 'bottom burp'! I think the reason I found it so funny was that this person is so utterly reserved and quiet; it was the first time I actually heard him make a noise! Clearly I need to grow up.
  • Never ever grow up, Monkeynuts - far too boring.  My best friend says you can't stop growing old, but growing up is a choice you make for yourself.  I find silly things funny.  I remember a time when I was in the first year of secondary school, someone came in with a message for a friend of mine.  The form tutor relayed this message, which was: "[friend] dear, you have to go and have a hearing test, now."  Friend turned round and said, "What?"  I couldn't believe no one else saw the funny side, but I was the only one trying not to laugh :o)
  • I often laugh when it seems no one around me gets the joke and I actually find that makes me laugh all the more!
    I deal with company shareholders on a daily basis and I find that I come across some very bizarre and funny names. The funniest one, and probably most widely known private shareholder is on the board of directors of PartyGaming. As telling you it will mean I am including a swear word (and I don't think Webbo would like me to swear), I'll leave you to find that one out. (Just type in "PartyGaming directors Anurag")
  • There's this scene from the film 'Kung Fu Hustle' by Stephen Chow that has me in hysterics even though I've watched it about 6 times now.  (For anyone who's watched it, it's the chase scene where the crazy landlady goes after the main character after he's tried to kill her, you know, the scene where he uses the knife blade as a rearview mirror)
  • My boyfriend had me in stitches on Saturday evening with his 'dancing' to the Hawai'i Five O music - he kept pretending disasters were happening and had to row faster or in circles to get away.

    The weekend before we both ended up crying with laughter as I tried to do an impersonation of Madonna in the video of 'Every Little Thing' (not sure if that's the title), in my pyjama top, underwear and bedsocks - who says glamour and romance are dead?  He went hysterical and promptly set me off - the fact that it was 1am in the morning and my block of flats was silent as the grave meant everyone else probably shared in our hysteria.

    (I can't help wondering if we'll ever grow up - he's 40 and I'm 42 - we'll be the most annoying/rowdy people in the old folks' home at this rate).
  • The scene: Our daughters' senior school.

    Cast: A class of teenagers, waiting to go into an exam. And me, sitting at a desk in front of them, making sure they behave themselves.

    Enter a teacher with a message for me.

    Girl: You've just had a baby, haven't you, miss?
    Teacher (cautiously):  Yes I have.
    Girl:  Was it a boy or a girl, miss?
    Teacher:  A boy.
    Girl:  What have you called him, miss?
    Teacher:  Edwin.
    Girl (politely):  That's a nice name, miss.

    Exit teacher. Door shuts. Complete silence for about five seconds and then ....

    Girl (barely able to contain herself): EDWIN!!!

    And the whole class erupts into hysterical laughter!

    Whilst I sit there, trying to look like a responsible adult!
  • My nan was over for a few days at Xmas.  She had a chocolate biscuit and was moaning as she couldn't break it.  'This biscuit's hard,' says nan.  'Try putting your teeth in,' says mum.  Text goes out to my uncle, saying 'Just watched mum gum a biscuit to death.'  Text comes back: 'Don't be so bloody tight, give her a cup of tea so she can dunk it like everyone else.'

    That, friends, is a true story.  I hadn't seen my mum laugh so hard for ages, and I was creasing up just watching her.  In case you're wondering, my nan does have a healthy sense of humour, and saw the funny side herself!
  • I knew I had bee firm with my new class of 13 year old Spanish children who had the potential to be lively. I had showed them early on that I would stand no nonsense and had carefully structured my lessons so that they were challenged throughout. Not doing homework was not an option. Therefore, I strode into class after lunch full of confidence, looking forward to the class. I dived straight in and started with quick fire questions to warm up. I noticed they seemed distracted but put it down to the time of day. I chivvied and encouraged but they wouldn't go over what they had learned the previous day. They were exchanging glances and muttering. Something was going on. The disturbance soon centred on Pedro. I fixed my "I'll stand no nonsense" gaze on him at which point he stood up. I wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Exert my authority or show understanding? He walked towards me to the obvious satisfaction of the others. Eva, the model student nodded her approval at him, so I took him seriously. He aproached me and said "Can I tell you something?" "Yes," I said. He came close and whispered to me with his back to the class, "You've left the shop door open." With that he returned to his seat. I was confused, what shop? The whole class looked at me in silence. I met Eva's expectant gaze. She nodded towards my trousers and the penny dropped. I turned towards the board quickly and zipped myself up. When I turned back they all collapsed laughing. Me too! It broke the ice and to this day I am in contact with that class, all in their thirties. Pedro is a journalist on'El Pais' and Eva is university lecture whose speciality is Shakespeare. 
  • Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister. I laugh at that each time I watch it. The dialogue is some of the best there has ever been.

    Hacker: Humphrey...I've been thinking.
    Sir Humphrey: Good...
  • Sir Humphery: The fact that the Prime Minister needed to know was not known at the time that the now known need to know was known, and therefore those of us who needed to advise and inform felt that the information that we needed as to whether or not to inform the highest authority of the known information was not yet known, and therefore there was no authority for the authority to be informed because the need to know was not yet known, or needed.
  • Is it known who provided all the inside information for Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister?
  • 'I can foresee lots of unforeseen circumstances'

    'Such as?'

    'If I could foresee them then they wouldn't be unforeseen'
  • I was asked to teach German for three weeks during the absence of one of the teachers.  My first lesson was with Year 8 (age 13 - 14).  A few minutes after the start of the lesson, one boy started disrobing, whilst singing the 'Right Said Fred' number "I'm too sexy for my shirt", until he was practically naked.
    Thinking on my feet for the best solution, my first instinct was to send for the Head of Year and have him remove the boy, but that would have taken time and been more embarrassing, so I just said deprecatingly: "If I were you, I wouldn't be proud of what I had so put it a  way  and get dressed."  Then I carried on with the lesson and had him excluded in the future.
    Two weeks later, I was told by the Head of Department that the boy had to be back in the classroom.  I was disappointed and dreaded the outcome.  However, the lesson progressed well.  I didn't even notice him in the class until another pupil started to mess around and not work.  Suddenly, the 'disrobing' boy turned on him and said: "How dare you behave like this in Miss' class.  You are here to work and learn."  I believe he'd learnt his lesson and, apparently, was a model pupil from then on.
                                                                                             
  • Proves that it can work.
  • Verica - It sounds as though the first boy was basically OK - just showing off - probably to impress the girls. Did you ever find out what he did when he left school?
  • That post was from me!
  • I'm sorry, Jenny, I don't know what happened to him when he left school.  Unfortunately, I can't even remember his name now, as this happened in a school where I did not usually teach, just occasionally.  He probably auditioned for a part in The Full Monty! 
  • Sounds like an ideal job for him!
  • We had an earth tremor today which we were discussing at lunch. One colleague said "For the first time in my life, the earth moved, and I didn't notice a thing!"
  • I swallowed a fly mid-laugh. Then, I coughed it up. Everyone fell about laughing and I very swiftly followed.

    p.s Thankfully, the fly was not harmed.
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