CastAssist - Glossary of Comedy Terms

1st Story -the scenario imagined in the mind of the audience based on the setup of a joke.

2nd Story - the scenario imagined in the mind of the audience based on the punch of a joke.

Ad-Lib - to make up a joke within a scripted show.

Alternative Possibilities - a list of meanings or functions of the connector that are not the same as that of the decoy assumption, one of which will become a reinterpretation.

Assumption - 1.) the audience's expectation that the 1st story will continue along the predicted line of though. 2.) everything one is not experiencing with one's senses in the present.

Beat - a pause; to take a break for the purposes of comic timing.

Behavioral Jokes - jokes constructed with the nonverbal connectors of character, emotions/state of mind, body language/actions, and sound effects.

Bit - a section of a stand-up comedy show or routine, also a short routine or a section of a routine.

Blue Material - jokes using graphic sexual overtones, scatological (toilet) references, and swear words.

Bomb - to perform a comedy show which gets no or few laughs.

Callback - a joke that refers back to another joke performed earlier in the show; often presented in a different context.

Capper - an antiquated term for the final in a series of jokes on the same subject matter which ends the routine with the biggest laugh.

Catch Phrase - a common phrase said in a extraordinary manner which becomes the trade make of a particular comedian. For instance Steve Martin's "Excuse me." or Billy Crystal's "You look marvelous."

Character POV - the perceptual position achieved when pretending to be someone or something else.

Closing Line - the final joke of a stand-up comedy show which should get a huge laugh.

Comedian - someone who makes his or her living being funny by means of an amusing character.

Comic - someone who makes his or her living being funny by telling jokes.

Connector - at the center of a joke, the one thing perceived in at least two ways. One way of perceiving it constitutes the decoy assumption; the second way of perceiving it reveals the reinterpretation.

Critic Spot - a location designated for evaluating one's show; separate from the Rehearsal Space.

Decoy - a shorter term for decoy assumption.

Decoy Assumption - the misdirecting assumption in a joke's setup which creates the 1st story and is shattered by the reinterpretation.

Flop Sweat - the over abundance of perspiration one experiences from a panic reaction to bombing.

Flopping - bombing; not getting laughs.

Gag File - a joke file.

Gag - a joke.

Gig - a show business job.

Graphing - a scaling device with dots on paper for evaluating the effectiveness of jokes to determine their proper placement within a routine or show.

Hack - from the British word hack-neyed. Over used and thus cheapened, trite.

Hammocking - a technique for placing weaker material or improvisation between two strong comedy bits.

Headliner - the third and last comedian considered the star of a standard stand-up comedy show.

Heckler - an audience member who talks and interrupts a show, usually by exchanging insults with the comedian.

Impressionists - Comedians who do immitations of other people for the majority of their act.

Improvisation - akin to ad-lib, but usually refers to the spontaneous making up an entire bit or the continual comedic conversing with audience members.

Improvisationalists - Comedians who spontaneously make up the majority of their act on stage or do continual comedic conversing with audience members.

Inside Joke - a joke referring to information only a select group of people have.

Joke - a device for expressing humor that employs a setup which contains a decoy assumption to misdirect the audience into accepting a bogus 1st story; and a punch which contains a reinterpretation which creates a 2nd story that shatters the decoy assumption.

Joke Diagram - a visual aid for illustrating the structure of a joke.

Joke File - jokes organized and stored on index cards or in a computer.

Joke Map - the first part of the Joke Prospector Writing System starts with a topic, creates a punch-premise, forms a setup-premise, and concludes with writing setups.

Joke Mine - the second part of the Joke Prospector Writing System begins with a setup and explains the process of using the joke mechanisms of decoy assumption, connector, and reinterpretation, to write a punch.

Joke Prospector Writing System - a joke writing system consisting of the two part of the Joke Map and the Joke Mine.

Jokey - 1. a term used to describe such obvious jokes that one would expect to hear a rim shot following them. 2. a comic's groupie.

Kill, to - to give an excellent comedy performance.

Laughs Per Minute - a measurement for counting the number of laughs in a show.

Line-Up - a list of the comics slated to perform.

LPM - laughs per minute.

M.C. - Master or Mistress of Ceremonies; the person who introduces the performers.

Middle - the second comedian in the standard three comedian stand-up comedy show line-up.

Mic or Mike - abbreviation for microphone.

Monologue - a speech for one person; in comedy, a stand-up comedy script for a solo comedian.

Narrator POV - the perceptual position achieved when being an observer or non-participant of an experience.

Neuro-linguistic Programming - a behavioral model and set of explicit skills and techniques founded by John Grinder and Richard Bandler. Defined as the study and mapping of the structure of the mind.

NLP - Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a behavioral model and set of explicit skills and techniques founded by John Grinder and Richard Bandler. Defined as the study and mapping of the structure of the mind.

Observational Comics - Comics whose material is based on various life obvervations.

On The Road - continually working outside of one's city of residence.

One-Liner - a joke made up of only one or two sentences.

One-Nighter - a job which only lasts one night.

Open-Mike - a policy to allow anyone to get on stage and try to be funny.

Opener - the first of three comedians in a standard comedy club line-up.

Opening Line - the first joke of a stand-up comedy routine.

Pause - to stop talking in a show to enhance the timing of a joke.

POV - point of view.

Premise - the central concept from which a series of jokes or a routine is written.

Prop Comics - Comedians who use props throughout the majority of their act.

Punch - the second part of a joke that contains a reinterpretation that creates a 2nd story that shatters the setup's decoy assumption.

Punch Line - the second part of a joke that contains a reinterpretation that creates a 2nd story that shatters the setup's decoy assumption.

Punch-Premise - a step in the Joke Map stating a negative opinion about a smaller aspect of the topic.

Physical Comics - Comedians who use physical movements (slapstick) throughout their act.

Regulars - comedians who appears frequently at a particular nightclub.

Rehearsal Space - a location designated for practicing one's show; separate from the Critic Spot.

Reinterpretation - an unexpected meaning or function of the connector that shatters the decoy assumption.

Reveal - within the punch, the pivotal word, phrase, or action that exposes or presents the 2nd story's reinterpretation.

Riffing - verbally bantering with the audience.

Rip Into or Ripping - to attack, insult, or verbally tear into an audience member or comic who has heckled or otherwise deserves the abuse.

Roll, On a - delivering a string of jokes so that the audience continues laughing for an extended period without interruption.

Routine - jokes all on the same subject or story that can be repeated on a regular basis.

Running Gag - multiple callbacks; a recurring joke within the same show.

Schtick - a Yiddish word meaning a comic scene or piece of business; often implying physical comedy.

Segue - a transitional sentence for purposes of leading from one joke or routine to another.

Self POV - the perceptual position achieved when performing as one's self while participating in an experience.

Set - a stand-up comedy show of any length.

Setup - the first part of a joke that contains a decoy assumption to misdirect the audience into accepting a bogus 1st story.

Setup-Premise - a step in the Joke Map stating the opposite opinion to that of the punch-premise from which setups are written.

Shatter - with reference to joke structure, the point at which the audience realized that their assumption is incorrect.

Showcase - to perform a stand-up comedy show for little or no compensation for the purposes of getting experience or being seen by a potential employer.

Showcase Club - a comedy club using a line-up of ten or more comics in a row.

Sight Gag - a physical joke meant to be watched.

Stage Time - the duration, in minutes, a comedian spends in front of an audience making them laugh.

Tag or Tag Line - an additional punch immediately following a punch that does not require a new setup.

Take - a comedic facial reaction. Like the long Jack Benny take to the audience.

Throw Away - to put little emphasis on a point usually considered important. time slot the specific spot a comedian occupies within a showcase club line-up.

Time Slot - the specific spot a comedian occupies within a showcase club line-up.

Timing - the use of tempo, rhythm, pause, etc. to enhance a joke, or tailor it to an individual performing situation; African Dancing and Drumming.

Topic - the single and overall subject of a routine based on a problem.

Topical Comics - Comedians whose material is based on current events.

Topical Jokes - about current events.

Topper - an antiquated term referring to a joke playing off a previous joke; same as tag.

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