# Humor Sounds

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-sounds/716163>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 27, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-sounds/716163 "2015-03-27T23:28:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pianodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e79b87/32.png) [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-sounds/716163/1 "2015-03-27T23:28:13Z")

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Hi Straight Dope,

What makes sounds funny? I mean technically. If you hear a spring sound (boing) or the tom-tom sound from cartoons that indicates a character running, it triggers a humorous response. On a more immature note, that scene from Blazing Saddles around the campfire is funny, but what about the sound of breaking wind is humorous? In general, is there a humor to be found in tambre? Unpredictability of sound? A certain range or pitch or instrumentation? Or is all the humor gleaned from context?

Thanks,

Dave

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-sounds/716163/2 "2015-03-27T23:33:37Z")

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Since whether or not something is funny is a matter of opinion, let’s move this to IMHO.

Colibri  
General Questions Moderator

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-sounds/716163/3 "2015-03-27T23:33:22Z")

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Since whether or not something is funny is a matter of opinion, let’s move this to IMHO.

Colibri  
General Questions Moderator

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**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-sounds/716163/4 "2015-03-27T23:54:35Z")

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Highly artificial sounds can be funny: springs, slide-whistles, trombone wah-wah sounds, etc.

But…perfectly natural sounds (FAARRRRTT!) can also be funny.

An unexpected context can add humor. You’re looking at a lion in the zoo…and a raven makes a loud “Caw” at exactly the moment the lion yawns widely. Now that’s funny!

Anyway, I vote for artificiality coupled with unexpected context.

Quack! (…quack…)