Wordplay.. Forms. Techniques. Jewish Roots. With over 500 examples.

From Jewish humor to riddles: Robert Sedlaczik takes a closer look at linguistic fun.

Language as joke material!

Wordplay is one of the cleverest examples in the diverse world of jokes. Many classic wordplay jokes have all the hallmarks of a good joke, and then some: they get their humor not just from language, but from language itself. We laugh and smile at misunderstandings, whether intentional or not, at unexpected double meanings, at literal interpretations of metaphors, at sudden shifts in emphasis, at odd word combinations, and much more. Wordplay jokes are especially prevalent in jokes about blondes, jokes about the Burgenland, and jokes about Count Bobby, Count Mikosch, and Mrs. Pollack von Barnig. The fool and the clever one often meet in jokes—and also in cabaret shows—but as Karl Farkas once said, sometimes the opposite is true.

Another masterpiece from Austrian linguist and lexicographer Robert Sedlacek.

Using more than 500 examples, Sedlacek analyzes the workings of wordplay and traces its evolution through the ages: from duets in the 1950s and 60s, through the great cabaret performers of the interwar period and the slang-filled play “Die Klabriaspartie,” to the end of the 19th century, when jokes with strong endings emerged from fables, anecdotes, and proverbs—jokes that still make us laugh today. In his search for the roots of wordplay, Sedlacek pays particular attention to Jewish humor. He analyzes modern clichés and timeless Jewish jokes, offering examples from contemporary joke collections and old cabaret programs. This first comprehensive book on wordplay is both entertaining and informative.