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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006cold joke?
Hi, I came across the following from a forum I belong to: "In English, _cold jokes_ usually refer to jokes that show no emotion at all. And very commonly they refer to cruel or gross jokes." Is it true? -- DJ >Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >Is it true? I've never heard that term applied. I thought a "cold joke" was: What do you take to make you stop sneezing? Ex-Lax, because you're then afraid to sneeze.  SignatureTony Cooper Orlando, FL >> Hi, >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Ex-Lax, because you're then afraid to sneeze. Thanks!! -- DJ > >Hi, > > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Ex-Lax, because you're then afraid to sneeze. EWWW but funny. The Tony Cooper entity posted thusly: >>Hi, >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Ex-Lax, because you're then afraid to sneeze. I did not think of a cold (virus), but thought that it might be a joke about cold (temperature). How cold was it? Well, it was so cold, Madonna had to have two guys on top of her. > I did not think of a cold (virus), but thought that it might be a > joke about cold (temperature). > > How cold was it? > Well, it was so cold, Madonna had to have two guys on top of her. She said I once met a fellow with dark wavy hair, So we rushed off to Alaska for a quick love affair, But I came back disappointed with a cold and a cough, We were both frozen stiff and I just broke it off. http://www.monologues.co.uk/Comic_Songs/We_Knew_What_She_Meant.htm SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |The Elizabethans had so many words 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |for the female genitals that it is Palo Alto, CA 94304 |quite hard to speak a sentence of |modern English without inadvertently kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com |mentioning at least three of them. (650)857-7572 | Terry Pratchett http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ > "In English, _cold jokes_ usually refer to jokes that show no emotion at > all. And very commonly they refer to cruel or gross jokes." There were 12 hits, some quite interesting, searching Google/Books for "cold joke" -- see: http://books.google.com/books?q=%22cold+joke%22&btnG=Search+Books&as_brr=0 Some of the hits would seem to support your interpretation. In AmE, I think most would understand a "cold joke" to be one long dead from over usage. Either that, or an epithet for Schlitz beer. Aloha ~~~ Ozzie Maland ~~~ San Diego >> "In English, _cold jokes_ usually refer to jokes that show no emotion at >> all. And very commonly they refer to cruel or gross jokes." [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > http://books.google.com/books?q=%22cold+joke%22&btnG=Search+Books&as_brr=0 Thanks for the info! > Some of the hits would seem to support your interpretation. In AmE, I It's not my interpretation.... > think most would understand a "cold joke" to be one long dead from over > usage. Either that, or an epithet for Schlitz beer. So, by saying it's "*usually* refer to..." is a bit going overboard.... - DJ >>> "In English, _cold jokes_ usually refer to jokes that show no >>> emotion at all. And very commonly they refer to cruel or gross [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > So, by saying it's "*usually* refer to..." is a bit going > overboard.... The type of English referred to may be a factor. It's not a familiar phrase to my North American ear, but here is a short extract from a comedian who uses it to mean "a joke that isn't funny": "*that late night conversation in the car ride back home* the following conversation took place in between 2am and 2.15am, during the drive to send Denise home. Denise: "Why issit raining so much nowadays?" "Maybe God had too much to drink during the festive seasons?" I replied (er there no reaction from her but I was laffing out loud ... anyone find it funny or issit a cold joke?) Then while waiting for the traffic lights to turn green, I saw her looking at a taxi driver uncle and I asked her "I am not old enough for you ah?" (er folks who do not know this, I am 8 years older than her) Her killer return serve was "but he richer" That choke me for a while . cos it's quite true". http://journalite.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_journalite_archive.html As you can see, the blogger is using a distinctly Chinese-influenced English, and that may be the variety of English where the phrase is familiar. HVS, Ray O'Hara, Thanks for your replies! Yes, I want to know if it's idiomatic (especially in daily usage). > http://journalite.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_journalite_archive.html > > As you can see, the blogger is using a distinctly Chinese-influenced > English, and that may be the variety of English where the phrase is > familiar. Thanks! Yeah, when I first saw "cold joke", I actually thought it meant "a joke that isn't funny" because of my own Chinese-influenced English. ("Cold joke" can be a direct translation from a Chinese phrase which means, well, a joke that isn't funny :-) ) Then I looked it up and couldn't find this phrase from dictionaries, so I got suspicious ... (together with the one mentioned in my OP). -- DJ On 16 Nov 2006, DJ wrote > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Is it true? I've never heard the term, so as far as I know it's not idiomatic. (It might be a technical term used by people who analyse/categorise humour.) SignatureCheers, Harvey Canadian and British English, indiscriminately mixed For e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Is it true? I've never heard the term. >> I came across the following from a forum I belong to: >> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > I've never heard the term. Nor I. My first reaction was that "cold jokes" are like this one: From: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055708/usercomments Johnny Carson said, "It was really cold today." Ed McMahon, his trusty sidekick, asked, "How cold was it?" Johnny answered, "It was so cold today, a cab driver was saying something to a pedestrian and his middle finger froze." Another genre of Carson jokes: when doing his 'Carnac' routine, the answer was "Four on the floor." The question was, "Describe two 80-year old topless go-go dancers." SignatureMaria The Maria entity posted thusly: >>> I came across the following from a forum I belong to: >>> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >today, a cab driver was saying something to a pedestrian and his middle >finger froze." The one I supplied in a previous post was, I think, a Carson answer to a McMahon question. >Another genre of Carson jokes: when doing his 'Carnac' routine, the >answer was "Four on the floor." The question was, "Describe two 80-year >old topless go-go dancers." My favourite in that genre was: A: Dr. Livingston I presume. Q: What is your full name, Dr. Presume? > My favourite in that genre was: > > A: Dr. Livingston I presume. > Q: What is your full name, Dr. Presume? Hence the modern song: 99 joints of jane on the wall 99 joints of jane take one down pass it around living stoned I presume Aloha ~~~ Ozzie Maland ~~~ San Diego The tinwhistler entity posted thusly: >> My favourite in that genre was: >> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >pass it around >living stoned I presume Excellent! I'll keep that one. In return, I offer: 99 little bugs in the code 99 little bugs fix one bug compile it again 100 little bugs in the code > Another genre of Carson jokes: when doing his 'Carnac' routine, the > answer was "Four on the floor." The question was, "Describe two 80-year > old topless go-go dancers." lol (took me a while, but I got it) (eewww? :p ) DJ filted: >"In English, _cold jokes_ usually refer to jokes that show no emotion at >all. And very commonly they refer to cruel or gross jokes." > >Is it true? It's not what the average English-speaking person would call such a joke...more often we'd refer to "dark" or "sick" humor...an example (26 years is past the statue of limitations on bad taste, right?): Q: What was John Lennon's last hit? A: The pavement. After an insensitive exchange like that, someone might observe "that's cold"...that would be a comment on the cruelty of the sentiment expressed, but it's not a categorization of the joke itself....r Signature"Keep your eye on the Bishop. I want to know when he makes his move", said the Inspector, obliquely. > DJ filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > It's not what the average English-speaking person would call > such a joke...more often we'd refer to "dark" It's usually called "black humor", I believe. > or "sick" humor...an example (26 years is past the > statue of limitations on bad taste, right?): Not for some of us. > Q: What was John Lennon's last hit? > A: The pavement. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > sentiment expressed, but it's not a categorization of the joke > itself....r SignatureFranke: EFL teacher & medical editor Native speaker of American English; posting from Taiwan. Unmunged email: /at/easypeasy.com "Impatience is the mother of misery." |
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