Here is a list of words that every aspiring humorist should know. Review them and then talk about your piece with a classmate or a friend using your new vocabulary!

association: A humorous mental connection between thoughts, feelings, or ideas.

double entendre: A word or phrase that invites two interpretations.

exaggeration: An enlargement or an abnormal distortion often used to comedic effect within a realistic piece.

incongruity: A comedic device that pairs unlikely actions or thoughts.

irony: The use of sarcasm or wit to mean the opposite of what is expressed.

malaprops: The erroneous use of language by an innocent character.

non sequitur: A funny statement that does not follow logically from the statement preceding it.

hyperbole: A figure of speech where exaggeration is used for comic effect.

pun: A play on words.

running gag: A line or joke introduced early in a piece and then repeated throughout for comic effects.

surprise: An essential element of all comedy, this occurs when the reader laughs at something unexpected.

telegraph: The act of giving your reading too many introductory details, ruining the ending of your story.

understatement: A subtle lack of expression used to elicit laughter from the reader.

	Your Turn When giving and receiving feedback on your humorous piece, try to use all of these words.