Abstract
In this paper we focus primarily on the second dimension of the model designed for the comparative cross-cultural analysis of conversational humor outlined in (Béal, Christine & Kerry Mullan. 2013. Issues in conversational humour from a cross-cultural perspective: Comparing French and Australian corpora. In Bert Peeters, Kerry Mullan & Christine Béal (eds.), Cross-culturally Speaking, Speaking Cross-culturally. 107–139. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.), namely the linguistic devices and discursive strategies used by speakers to create humor in social interaction. Using a range of illustrative examples we will show that although a number of similar strategies occur in both the French and Australian English data (play on words, personification, implicit references, borrowing words from other languages), there are also marked differences in terms of preferential choices between French and Australian speakers when it comes to the mechanisms that make a particular utterance or exchange a humorous one. In particular, the French speakers in our data displayed a greater tendency to play with the language itself, while the Australians showed a preference for incongruity and absurdity, and collaborative scenarios with escalation.
A number of comparative examples of failed humor are also examined. It will be seen that the responsibility for the failure in all cases lies less with the speaker and more with the hearer; i.e. the problem is not actually with the linguistic device employed, but with the hearer’s non-appreciation of the humor or lack of humor support.
About the authors
Kerry Mullan is Senior Lecturer and Convenor of Languages at RMIT University. She is Higher Degree by Research program leader for the Social and Global Studies Centre. She teaches French language and culture, and sociolinguistics. Her main research interests are cross-cultural communication and differing interactional styles, particularly those of French and Australian English speakers. She also researches in the areas of intercultural pragmatics, discourse analysis, language teaching and conversational humor.
Christine Béal is Emeritus Professor of Linguistics at Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 and a member of Praxiling, a CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research) Research Lab specializing in linguistics and communication. Her areas of expertise are French linguistics, interactional linguistics and cross-cultural pragmatics. Her work is based on naturally occurring data (spontaneous talk between work colleagues, meetings, job interviews, among friends) in French and English. She has focused on terms of address, speech acts, politeness, rituals and routines, turn-taking and conversational humor.
Transcription Conventions
- /
rising intonation
- \
final intonation
- =
latching speech
- [ ]
overlapping speech
- (.)
short pause under 0.2 seconds
- (1.1)
pause over 0.2 seconds
- :
lengthened sound or syllable
- ‘
elision
- XXX
omitted for anonymization purposes
- ???
unclear or inaudible speech
- ((laughter))
cannot be attributed to a single speaker
- <>
particular vocal production
- { }
researcher’s comments (to provide more context or background information useful to the reader)
References
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Appendix
Ridicule (19.28 – 20.25 mins)
A la cour de Louis XVI.
Le marquis de Bellegarde: Baron, comment avez-vous trouvé les Anglais ?
Le baron de Malenval: très distrayants, ils ont là-bas une forme de conversation qu’ils appellent « humor » (prononcé à l’anglaise) et qui fait beaucoup rire, enfin ce qu’ils appellent rire…
Une jeune marquise: « humor » ?
Le baron: mmm…
Un autre courtisan: c’est une forme d’esprit ?
Le baron: non, pas vraiment, non…
L’abbé de Vilecourt: et comment le traduisez-vous ?
Le baron: on ne peut le comparer à rien
La comtesse de Blayac: assez de mystère, vous nous faites brûler de curiosité
Le marquis de Bellegarde: non, ce n’est pas « esprit », le mot juste, il nous manque un terme à nous Français
Le baron Ponceludon de Malavoy: donnez-nous un exemple, ça ira plus vite
Le baron: eh bien je… je demandais à Lord Twickenham combien il avait de maîtresses, et il répondit, impassible « à partir de combien peut-on dire plusieurs » ?
Murmures confus, petits rires polis.
Le baron (l’air dépité): enfin, pour l’instant, c’est le seul exemple qui me vienne à l’esprit.
At Louis XVI’s court
The marquis of Bellegarde: Baron, what did you make of the English?
The Baron of Malenval: very amusing, they have a way of conversing over there that they call « humor » (pronounced with an English accent) and it makes them laugh a lot, well, what they call laughing
A young marquise: « humor » ?
The Baron: mmm…
Another courtesan: is it a form of wit?
The Baron: no, not really, no…
The Abbot of Vilecourt: and how would you translate it?
The Baron: it doesn’t compare to anything
The countess of Blayac: don’t be so mysterious, we’re dying of curiosity
The Marquis of Bellegarde: no, wit isn’t the right word; we don’t have an equivalent in French
The Baron Ponceludon of Malavoy: give us an example, it will speed things up
The Baron: well, I was asking Lord Twickenham how many mistresses he had, and he answered, with a straight face « How many would qualify as several? »
Mumbling and half-hearted sniggering from the audience
The Baron (looking nonplussed): well, right now, this is the only example that comes to mind.
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