British English · B2 · Unit 19
Humour
Humour
By the end you can
- Tell a funny story well
- Explain why something is funny
- Understand irony
Words and phrases
| British English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| get the joke | understand why it's funny | I didn't get the joke at first. |
| the punchline | the last, funny part of a joke | I always forget the punchline. |
| sarcastic | saying the opposite of what you mean, to criticise or joke | Don't worry, he's being sarcastic. |
| ironic | the opposite of what you would expect | It's ironic that the fire station burnt down. |
| dry sense of humour | humour told with a serious face (British) | He's got a very dry sense of humour. |
| a play on words | a joke that uses two meanings of a word | It's a play on words, you see. |
| take the mickey | tease, make fun of (informal British) | My brother loves to take the mickey out of my accent. |
| I was only joking | I didn't mean it seriously | Relax, I was only joking! |
| laugh at yourself | find your own mistakes funny | It's important to be able to laugh at yourself. |
| fell flat | made nobody laugh | I told my best joke and it fell flat. |
| it cracks me up | it makes me laugh a lot (informal) | Every time I see it, it cracks me up. |
| tongue in cheek | not meant seriously | The review was tongue in cheek. |
Then talk it through
Explaining a joke that a friend from the UK didn't get. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.