Public Speaking Course:

Words are Funny

There are some words that just sound funnier than others. The words you choose for your presentation can be the key to creating a successful witty line or a dud. All professional comedic writers agree on the following techniques taught in my public speaking course.

The sound of certain words can almost guarantee a laugh from your audience. In Neil Simon's play, The Sunshine Boys, Willy, a main character, gives his nephew a lecture about comedy:

"Fifty-seven years in this business, you learn a few things. You know what words are funny and which words are not funny. Alka Seltzer is funny. You say "Alka Seltzer" you get a laugh . . . Words with "k" in them are funny. Casey Stengel, that's a funny name. Robert Taylor is not funny. Cupcake is funny. Tomato is not funny. Cookie is funny. Cucumber is funny. Car keys. Cleveland . . . Cleveland is funny. Maryland is not funny. Then, there's chicken. Chicken is funny. Pickle is funny too."

Is "Spea-king" funny? Or Public? Remember being funny is part of using the skills you learn in your public speaking course.

Someone actually researched why the 'k' sound gets such a funny reaction. They deduced that it has something to do with the sounds we hear as babies that are associated with comfort. Like cootchie-coo, cuddle, cozy, etc. Note that these words don't have a 'K' in them, but they have the 'K' sound. Kinda Crazy, huh? Or how about Captain Kangaroo? That brings up a funny memory or two.

Examples:

Those turkeys over at XYA (remember no Z's allowed) company can't hold a candle to our team of installers.

I'll bet you a cupcake to a cucumber the blue team will outsell the gold team.

So kids, keep on keeping on with what you learn in my public speaking course.

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