ABSTRACT
It is common knowledge among (at least) humor scholars that humor surfaces in most genres. For instance, Pickering and Lockyer (2005, p. 3) point not only to the ubiquity of humor but also to the sociocultural restrictions imposed on its use: “humor infiltrates every area of social life and interaction, even rearing its head in situations where it is not normally regarded as appropriate.” Hence, humor scholars currently investigate the use and functions of humor in a wide range of (con)texts: from casual interactions among intimates to parliamentary debates, from business meetings and service encounters to informal online chat between strangers, and from educational settings to most kinds of media texts.
