tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post8619778567654225320..comments2023-10-15T11:23:35.339+01:00Comments on Hawkins Bizarre: What's that funny sound?Alishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-81759275061579525212008-03-27T20:06:00.000+00:002008-03-27T20:06:00.000+00:00Hi Alis. Thanks for Tuesday. It was enjoyed by all...Hi Alis. Thanks for Tuesday. It was enjoyed by all. :DAkasha Savage.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13482147165827577180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-6909389523335165402008-03-27T12:50:00.000+00:002008-03-27T12:50:00.000+00:00David, your example reminds me of my favourite pas...David, your example reminds me of my favourite passage from Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (if that implies I've read it all, I'm a liar...):<BR/><BR/>"The most scandalous charges were suppressed; the Vicar of Christ was only accused of piracy, murder, rape, sodomy and incest."<BR/><BR/>It's not quite the same effect, but then Gibbon is doing it deliberately.Tim Strettonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08598897603628943741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-60905378825311268482008-03-26T18:06:00.000+00:002008-03-26T18:06:00.000+00:00You've hit some of the major causes of mirth. Sudd...You've hit some of the major causes of mirth. Sudden changes in diction can be funny, too--especially when the writer is being serious. For example, I saw a college paper once where the writer referred to "rape, beatings, murder, and other antisocial activities." He didn't understand why that phrase had me rolling on the floor. (I also find mixing concrete words with Latinate abstractions is often funny.)<BR/><BR/>Another trick is cliche/rhetoric twisting. Robert Benchley was fond of this in his essays: <BR/><BR/>"When you think about it, it's a wonder we've come as far as we have...or have we?"<BR/><BR/>"Yet many people make this mistake. Are you one? Are you two?"David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.com