Humor in the Arabic comedy show, N2O

Abstract

This study examines verbal humor in the Jordanian stand-up comedy show N2O. It identifies and analyzes how conversational maxims are flouted to create humor. To achieve this aim, 60 seven-minute episodes were taken from the channel of the show. The study showed that comedians flouted the maxims of quantity, quality, relevance and manner to create humor, aiming to make the audience look for implicature. It was also found that the maxims of quantity and quality were the most flouted. The comedians flouted the maxim of quantity by being regularly either less or more informative than required. They also flouted the maxim of quality by telling obvious lies and exaggeration. The study also revealed that the Jordanian comedians in N2O create the audience’s laughter by using satire, pun, exaggeration and mocking to flout Grice maxims of conversation while addressing different social practices or phenomena, such as the high increase in prices, addiction to the internet and Jordanians’ ignorance of some social issues.