If you're a fan of Steven Wright then you're probably well aware of what dry humor is and have a sense of humor when it comes to that particular style of comedy. However, not everybody knows what dry humor is and that can lead to some awkward or uncomfortable situations around the kitchen table if you're unsure if what somebody said was meant to be serious or funny.
What is the definition of dry sense of humor?
Sarcasm tends to get lumped into the category of dry humor but not all dry humor has to be sarcastic in tone. Subtlety is king when it comes to dry humor because not everybody is able to pull off dry humor. It can be difficult trying to say something that is meant to be funny but in a way which you're not trying to come off as funny. It's a real talent to be able to make a person wonder if what you said was meant to be funny or serious.
The reason why that's the case stems around the fact that dry humor depends on not showing any expression or emotion while telling a joke or relaying a funny story. If you were to hear somebody make a joke to you about dirty diapers and they were telling you the joke in an expressive manner that saw them use hand gestures then you could tell that what they were saying was probably meant to be a joke. If they were to laugh after the joke was made then you would know for sure that it was a joke.
However, imagine that same joke being told in a straight manner, where the joke teller was just talking to you like they were recapping how their day was at the company they work for. You would be just a tad bit confused, right? Exactly. If you're unsure if what was being told to you was supposed to make you laugh or make you feel sorry for the person you were talking to then it would make it a lot harder to determine what your appropriate response should be; should you laugh or sympathize and offer them some encouraging words?
Of course, there are dry humorists out there that want you to feel exactly that way because to them dry humor is all about how the joke is implied or indirectly told to you in a matter-of-fact way. One final point about dry humor is that this style of humor focuses more on the how of the joke, whether the joke is about the cost of umbrellas when it is raining, or about a monkey loose in a furniture store. Our special thanks go out to Bear Equipment & wire rope sheaves for their continued support of our website and the message we are trying to provide to the public.
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