It has long been known that comedic writers will agonize for hours, nay days, seeking just the write turn of phrase. How many of us have found ourselves thinking, “I need to mention a mechanical device here, but which one will get big laffs?” A week goes by before we finally come up with “Wankle Rotary Engine”.
This thread, then, shall serve as a handy reference work, featuring time-tested terms for every situation, saving funny folks countless hours of research.
Funniest US President’s name: Millard Fillmore
Funniest US Vice President’s name: Schuyler Colfax/ Hannibal Hamlin (tie)
Funniest Country Name: Djibouti (close runner-up: Turkey)
Funniest World Capital: Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
Funniest Chemical Element: Bismuth
Funniest Fruit: Kumquat
Funniest Vegetable: Parsnip
Funniest Mammal: Warthog
Funniest Bird: Booby
Funniest Dog Breed Shihtzu
Funniest Massachusetts town name (I’m a native, what can I say?): Athol/Belchertown (tie)
Another nominee for funniest world capital: Ulan Bator, and the country it capitalizes: Outer Mongolia. Great for implying remoteness (i.e., “the sticks”) as in, “So I was so successful I was on this fabulous two week engagement in Ulan Bator, Outer Mongolia.”
Funniest animal: yak (“I got paid in yak butter.”)
