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Is "Wry sense of humor" the same as "Dry sense of Humor" and in any case what is it (or are they)?
The first I can find nothing on topic. People generally think the second is a form of "sarcasm", but that does not seem right to me.
Carl
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Howya Carl
How's yerself and alla them jung fellas keepen? Well, it's a sad state a affairs fer sure when it's left ta the likes a meself fer ta try ta answer yer cry ta the wry vs dry enigma. It's a mind boggler fer sure and I'd say meself that it might just be a matter of opinion, but as I take my lexiconography - like my sense a humour - very seriously, I'm open ta other opinions on me opinion.
Ta me, a wry sense a humour is sorta quirky - perhaps a bit offa the wall; while a person with a dry sense a humour has no sense a humour at all and are no fun or they just get the most basic of joaks.
A course, now I see that I've tied meself up in knots here cos I bet yer looken fer a few examples ta illustrate what I just said.
Ya know, being the generous sorta bear that I am, I think I'll leave that privilige ta some other AWAD scribe.
Meanwhile, I know you're fairly new here and may not realise that queries on words and meanings should really appear in the Questions and Answers about Words segmint a this forem. This segmint here is fer word play and fun only, and whereas I'm quite open minded about it, some peeple may be offended - and rightly so - at yer posten such a serious query in the wrong segmint.
Be seein ya
GallantTed
Last edited by GallantTed; 02/11/08 01:09 AM.
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Could this mean that 'dry 'sense of humour is about cynicism
while 'wry' humour is meant to make people laugh?
Dry humour a more or less witty remark to give a pinch or kick to something or someone?
Last edited by BranShea; 02/11/08 01:51 PM.
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I'd say Gallant Ted is pretty close on the distinction between wry and dry humor, but, being merely a teddy bear, I can understand Ted's missing the delicate sense of dry humor. I would say that a dry humor could easily be mistaken for a lack of a sense of humor. A wry sense of humor would leave the hearer thinking 'that was pretty funny but I don't quite know why,' whereas a dry humor would be caught only somewhat later.
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Well thanks for the help and a chance to smile. I will repost it where I should have, though I have learned a lot here from you very gentle people.
Carl
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Possible examples a dry joaks. All commints welcome. Tester: yer ment ta painfully go "ha, ha" on readen/hearing these cos they're so lame. If ya fall about the place laffen, then perhaps ya have a dry sense a humour.
Why does a chicken lay eggs?
Because if she dropped them, they'd break
What do polar bears have that no other animal has?
Polar bear babies.
Why do baby chicks say "cheap, cheap, cheap?"
Because they can't say "expensive, expensive, expensive!"
A golf club walks into a local bar and asks the barman for a pint of beer.
The barman refuses to serve him. "Why not," asks the golf club.
"You'll be driving later," replies the bartender
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I'm afraid that dictionaries often use 'dry' in defining 'wry'; e.g., OED2 and AHD4:
Dryly or obliquely humorous; sardonic, ironic.
Dryly humorous, often with a touch of irony.
M-W is somewhat better: cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous
-joe (@#$% lexicographers) friday
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Howya tsuwm
Ya made some good pints fer sure. However, I notice ya failed ta mention the fella what will laff at anythin when he's filled ta the brim with whiskey - he's the guy with a rye sense a humour.
Be seein ya
GT
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 Between the definitional and the practical appraoch: Googling for 'dry' jokes and for 'wry' jokes shows a distinction between 'dry', the dummy lame ones and 'wry', the more intelligent ironic and sarcastic ones.
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Howya Bran! How is things?
And would ya agree that the fella what sniggers up his sleeve has a sly sense a humour?
Be seein ya
GT
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Definitionately. Personally for the time being I have a "just getting by" sense of humor. Cheers GT.
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I can give you an example of my cousin's use of dry humor; he's somewhat of a neighbor of yours, meaning I haven't seen the house. When I asked him what the house he'd built looked like, he said, "Oh-h-h, four walls and a roof."
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I can give you an example of my cousin's use of dry humor; he's somewhat of a neighbor of yours, meaning I haven't seen the house. When I asked him what the house he'd built looked like, he said, "Oh-h-h, four walls and a roof." ah, he's got a dog, then?
formerly known as etaoin...
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Howya tsuwm
Ya made some good pints fer sure. However, I notice ya failed ta mention the fella what will laff at anythin when he's filled ta the brim with whiskey - he's the guy with a rye sense a humour.
Be seein ya
GT HA!!
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Howye fokes
Meself and the other Teds have been hotly debaten this issue beyont in Slasher's jint. Maybe it's just the case that someone haven a dry sense a humour and a actual dry joak are 2 different things alltagather. And as fer the peeple what laff at dry joaks, well, what ta call them may be a different kittle a fish fer sure.
Meanwhile, me pal, MadDogTed, is wonderen if someone what laffs at himself has a I sense a humour - or is it a me sense a humour?
Be seein ya
GT
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Pooh-Bah
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My friend Iris has an eye sense of humor.
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>- if someone what laffs at himself has a I sense a humour - or is it a me sense a humour?
Someone what laffs at himself has a high sense of humour.
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I don't think someone with a dry sense of humour is someone without humour, but someone whose humour is not immediately recognisable as such. It's not your garden variety cheery slapstick type, and may be perceived as rather mirthless by those who prefer Benny Hill to Daria. It is a cat's humour rather than a dog's humour. It is the kind of joke you tell without smiling, out of the side of your mouth with teeth firmly clamped together like Dirty Harry. It is unlikely to evoke a belly laugh in response, but more likely a quite snigger.
I think 'dry' and 'wry' humour are overlapping terms, but not completely interchangeable. 'Wry' contains the element of being a bit twisted. The word comes from OE for 'twist' and is presumably where we get 'wring' from. Dry humour can be wry humour, but not necessarily.
Last edited by The Pook; 02/23/08 03:47 AM.
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>It is a cat's humour rather than a dog's humour.
I love this. May I borrow it?
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>It is a cat's humour rather than a dog's humour.
I love this. May I borrow it? You mean you'll give it back when you're finished? Of course you may. As far as I know I made that one up. A one-liner I didn't make up that I love is "so funny it'd make a cat laugh."
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An example of dry humor might be in order. In his otherwise unhumorous book The Dictionary of Misinformation Tom Burnam says of the habit of the English of drinking warm beer: It is often said that the English like to serve and drink their beer warm. This is not exactly true; commonly, beer is served in England at room temperature. No one who has spent much time in England is likely to confuse this with "warm."
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An example of dry humor might be in order. In his otherwise unhumorous book The Dictionary of Misinformation Tom Burnam says of the habit of the English of drinking warm beer: It is often said that the English like to serve and drink their beer warm. This is not exactly true; commonly, beer is served in England at room temperature. No one who has spent much time in England is likely to confuse this with "warm."  ...on the other hand, most English Pubs seem to be full of hot sweaty English bodies crammed in round a roaring fire!
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When I think "dry humor", I think mostly of the delivery. Dry humor is definitely intended and deliberately delivered, but without any hint of amusement on the part of the deliverer. Whenever I see episodes from "All Creatures Great and Small" (one of the many BBC program(me)s that I love!), I thoroughly enjoy the multiple displays of dry humor in this superbly written and acted series.
On the other hand, to me "wry humor" is delivered with, at the very least, a twinkle in the eye, and possibly a nascent smile, and maybe even a wink, as the deliverer is thoroughly enjoying his/her own humor. It must also, in my mind, be witty and creative, so as to rustle the hair of some listeners, as they may notice its passing, but not quite understand what just whizzed by over their heads... :0)
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