- humor
- 1340, "fluid or juice of an animal or plant," from Anglo-Norm. humour, from O.Fr. humor, from L. umor "body fluid" (also humor, by false assoc. with humus "earth"), related to umere "be wet, moist," and to uvescere "become wet." In ancient and medieval physiology, "any of the four body fluids" (blood, phlegm, choler, and melancholy or black bile) whose relative proportions were thought to determine state of mind. This led to a sense of "mood, temporary state of mind" (first recorded 1525); the sense of "amusing quality, funniness" is first recorded 1682, probably via sense of "whim, caprice" (1565), which also produced the verb sense of "indulge," first attested 1588. "The pronunciation of the initial h is only of recent date, and is sometimes omitted ...." [OED] Humorous in the modern sense is first recorded 1705. For types of humor, see the useful table below, from H.W. Fowler ["Modern English Usage," 1926].
device HUMOR WIT SATIRE SARCASM INVECTIVE IRONY CYNICISM SARDONIC motive/aim discovery throwing light amendment inflicting pain discredit exclusiveness self-justification self-relief province human nature words & ideas morals & manners faults & foibles misconduct statement of facts morals adversity method/means observation surprise accentuation inversion direct statement mystification exposure of nakedness pessimism audience the sympathetic the intelligent the self-satisfied victim & bystander the public an inner circle the respectable the self - grump
- "ill-humor," 1727, in humps and grumps "surly remarks," later the grumps "a fit of ill-humor" (1844), then "a person in ill humor" (1900); perhaps an extended sense of grum "morose, surly," which is probably related to Dan. grum "cruel;" or perhaps suggested by grumble, grunt, etc. Grumpy first recorded 1778.
- phlegm
- late 14c., fleem "viscid mucus" (the stuff itself and also regarded as a bodily humor), from O.Fr. fleume (13c., Fr. flegme), from L.L. phlegma, from Gk. phlegma "inflammation, heat, humor caused by heat," from phlegein "to burn," related to phlox (gen. phlogos) "flame, blaze," from PIE *bhleg- "to shine, flash," from base *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn" (see bleach). Modern form is attested from c.1660. The "cold, moist" humor of the body, in medieval physiology, it was believed to cause apathy.
- Pythonesque
- 1975, in ref. to the style of humor popularized by British TV series "Monty Python's Flying Circus."
- satire
- late 14c., "work intended to ridicule vice or folly," from L. satira "satire, poetic medley," earlier satura, in lanx satura "mixed dish, dish filled with various kinds of fruit," lit. "full dish," from fem. of satur "sated" (see saturate). First applied in literary sense to a collection of poems on a variety of subjects by Ennius. In classical L., a poem which assailed the prevailing vices, one after another. Altered in L. by infl. of Gk. satyr, on mistaken notion that the form is related to the Gk. satyr drama (see satyr).
"Satire (n.) - An obsolete kind of literary composition in which the vices and follies of the author's enemies were expounded with imperfect tenderness. In this country satire never had more than a sickly and uncertain existence, for the soul of it is wit, wherein we are dolefully deficient, the humor that we mistake for it, like all humor, being tolerant and sympathetic. Moreover, although Americans are 'endowed by their Creator' with abundant vice and folly, it is not generally known that these are reprehensible qualities, wherefore the satirist is popularly regarded as a sour-spirited knave, and his every victim's outcry for codefendants evokes a national assent." [Ambrose Bierce, "Devil's Dictionary," 1911]
For nuances of usage, see humor. - humour
- See humor.
- Rabelaisian
- 1817, from François Rabelais (c.1490-1553), whose writings "are distinguished by exuberance of imagination and language combined with extravagance and coarseness of humor and satire." [OED]
- conundrum
- 1596, Oxford University slang for "pedant," also "whim," etc., later (1790) "riddle, puzzle," also spelled quonundrum; the sort of ponderous pseudo-Latin word that was once the height of humor in learned circles.
- calcitrant
- 1866, from L. calcitrantem "kicking" (see recalcitrant). Pedantic humor.
- kef
- 1808, from Arabic kaif "well-being, good-humor." Specifically, state of dreaming intoxication produced by smoking cannabis; dolce far niente. In Morocco and Algeria, it was the name for Indian hemp.
- agog
- "in a state of desire; in a state of imagination; heated with the notion of some enjoyment; longing" [Johnson], c.1400, from O.Fr. en gogues "in jest, good humor, joyfulness," from gogue "fun," of unknown origin.
- jocose
- 1673, from L. jocosus "full of jesting, joking," from jocus "pastime, sport" (see joke). Implies ponderous humor.
- funk (1)
- "depression, ill-humor," 1743, probably originally Scottish and northern English, earlier as a verb, "panic, fail through panic," (1737), said to be 17c. Oxford University slang, perhaps from Flem. fonck "perturbation, agitation, distress," possibly related to O.Fr. funicle "wild, mad."
- miff (n.)
- 1620s, "fit of ill humor," perhaps imitative of an exclamation of disgust (cf. Ger. muffen "to sulk"). The verb is from 1797. Miffy (adj.) "liable to 'take a miff' " is from 1810; miffed is 1824 (Sir Walter Scott calls it "a women's phrase").
- invective (n.)
- 1523, from a M.E. adj. (1430), "characterized by denunciatory language," from L.L. invectivus "abusive," from L. invectus, pp. of invehi "to attack with words" (see inveigh). For nuances of usage, see humor.
- vein
- c.1300, from O.Fr. veine, from L. vena "a blood vessel," also "a water course, a vein of metal, a person's natural ability or interest," of unknown origin. The mining sense is attested in English from late 14c. Figurative sense of "strain or intermixture" (of some quality) is recorded from 1560s; that of "a humor or mood, natural tendency" is first recorded 1570s.
- verve
- 1697, "special talent in writing," from Fr. verve "enthusiasm" (especially pertaining to the arts), in O.Fr. "caprice, odd humor, proverb" (12c.), probably from Gallo-Romance *verva, from L. verba "(whimsical) words," plural of verbum "word" (see verb). Meaning "mental vigor" is first recorded 1803.
- irony
- c.1500, from L. ironia, from Gk. eironeia, from eiron "dissembler," perhaps related to eirein "to speak" (see verb). Used in Gk. of affected ignorance, especially that of Socrates. For nuances of usage, see humor.
- cynic
- mid-16c., from Gk. kynikos, lit. "dog-like," from kyon (gen. kynos) "dog." Supposedly from the sneering sarcasm of the philosophers, but more likely from Kynosarge "Grey Dog," name of the gymnasium in ancient Athens where the founder, Antisthenes (a pupil of Socrates), taught. Diogenes was the most famous. Popular association even in ancient times was "dog-like." For nuances of usage of cynicism, see humor.
- pleasant
- 1320, from O.Fr. plaisant, prp. of plaisir "to please" (see please). Pleasantry "sprightly humor in conversation" (1655) is from Fr. plaisanterie, from O.Fr. plesanterie (13c.), from plaisant. It has the word's modern Fr. sense of "funny, jocular."
- Archibald
- male proper name, from O.H.G. Erchanbald, lit. "genuine bold," from erchan "genuine" + bald (see bold). Archie, British WWI military slang for "German anti-aircraft fire" (1915) supposedly is from black humor of airmen dodging hostile fire and thinking of the refrain of a popular music hall song, "Archibald, certainly not!"
- sarcasm
- 1579, from L.L. sarcasmos, from Gk. sarkasmos "a sneer, jest, taunt, mockery," from sarkazein "to speak bitterly, sneer," lit. "to strip off the flesh," from sarx (gen. sarkos) "flesh," prop. "piece of meat," from PIE base *twerk- "to cut" (cf. Avestan thwares "to cut"). Sarcastic is from 1695. For nuances of usage, see humor.
- aqueous
- 1640s, from L. aqua "water," on analogy of Fr. aqueux "watery" (which, however, is from L.L. aquosus "abounding in water"). Aqueous humor attested from 1640s.
- phlegmatic
- "cool, calm, self-possessed," and in a more pejorative sense, "cold, dull, apathetic," 1570s, from lit. sense "abounding in phlegm (as a bodily humor)" (mid-14c.), from O.Fr. fleumatique, from L.L. phlegmaticus, from Gk. phlegmatikos "abounding in phlegm" (see phlegm).
"A verry flewmatike man is in the body lustles, heuy and slow." [John of Trevisa, transl. of Bartholomew de Glanville's "De proprietatibus rerum," 1398]
- dry
- O.E. dryge (adj.), drygan (v.), from P.Gmc. *draugiz. Of humor, 1540s; of places prohibiting alcoholic drink, 1870 (but dry feast, one at which no liquor is served, is from late 15c.). Related: Dried; drily. Of the two noun spellings, drier is the older (1520s), while dryer (1874) was first used of machines. Dry goods (1708) were those measured out in dry, not liquid, measure. Dry land (that not under the sea) is from early 13c. Dry out in the drug addiction sense is from 1967. Dry up "stop talking" is 1853.
- indulgence
- mid-14c., "freeing from temporal punishment for sin," from L. indulgentia "complaisance, fondness, remission," from indulgentem (nom. indulgens), prp. of indulgere "be kind, yield," of unknown origin. Sense of "gratification of another's desire or humor" is attested from late 14c. That of "yielding to one's inclinations" (technically self-indulgence) is from 1640s. In British history, Indulgence also refers to grants of certain liberties to Nonconformists under Charles II and James II, as special favors rather than legal rights; specifically the Declarations of Indulgence of 1672, 1687, and 1688 in England and 1669, 1672, and 1687 in Scotland.
- sardonic
- 1630s, from Fr. sardonique (16c.), from L. sardonius (but as if from L. *sardonicus) in Sardonius risus, loan-translation of Gk. sardonios (gelos) "of bitter or scornful (laughter)," altered from Homeric sardanios (of uncertain origin) by influence of Sardonios "Sardinian," because the Greeks believed that eating a certain plant they called sardonion (lit. "plant from Sardinia," see Sardinia) caused facial convulsions resembling those of sardonic laughter, usually followed by death. For nuances of usage, see humor. Related: Sardonically.
- lunatic (adj.)
- late 13c., "affected with periodic insanity, dependent on the changes of the moon," from O.Fr. lunatique "insane," from L. lunaticus "moon-struck," from luna "moon" (see luna). Cf. O.E. monseoc "lunatic," lit. "moon-sick;" M.H.G. lune "humor, temper, mood, whim, fancy" (Ger. Laune), from L. luna. Cf. also N.T. Gk. seleniazomai "be epileptic," from selene "moon." The noun meaning "lunatic person" is first recorded late 14c. Lunatic fringe (1913) was apparently coined by U.S. politician Theodore Roosevelt. Lunatic soup (1933) was Australian slang for "alcoholic drink."
- wit (n.)
- "mental capacity," O.E. wit, more commonly gewit, from P.Gmc. *witjan (cf. O.S. wit, O.N. vit, Dan. vid, Swed. vett, O.Fris. wit, O.H.G. wizzi "knowledge, understanding, intelligence, mind," Ger. Witz "wit, witticism, joke," Goth. unwiti "ignorance"), from PIE *woid-/*weid-/*wid- "to see," metaphorically "to know" (see vision). Related to O.E. witan "to know" (source of wit (v.)). Meaning "ability to make clever remarks in an amusing way" is first recorded 1542; that of "person of wit or learning" is from c.1470. Witticism coined 1677, by Dryden. For nuances of usage, see humor.
"A witty saying proves nothing." [Voltaire, Diner du Comte de Boulainvilliers]