This is an All Ears English podcast episode 2094.
What's so funny?
How to connect over laughter in English.
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When someone is laughing, but you don't know why, what can you say?
Today.
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B-L-A-C-K-F-R-I-D-A-Y.
Hey, Lindsay, how are you?
Michelle.
Wait, wait, what's so funny?
Well, I'm not sure, but I just felt like laughing, Michelle.
I just felt like laughing.
Well, it's funny because when you were laughing, you made me laugh.
So now I'm in a giggly mood.
But it's good because today we have a listener question about laughter.
Laughter.
Who doesn't love laughter?
Oh, my gosh.
Just total transformation of the mind and heart when you have a good laughing session, don't you think?
Oh, yeah.
Absolutely.
You know, my mom has my mom is famous for getting in these laughing fits like where she can't stop.
The other day I told her something.
It's a really long story.
But and she said she was with her friends and she couldn't stop laughing and she had mascara going all down her face.
That's so funny.
But there have been specific times in my life where my mom we can we know, we can count them on our hand that when she could not stop laughing and then everybody around her just start.
It'll go on for like half an hour.
Oh my god, that's hilarious.
I feel like that happened to me a lot when i was a kid in school.
Oh yeah yes, i feel like i'm gonna get to that in that this episode.
So um guys, we are gonna talk about laughter today, but before we do, we have uh, something exciting coming up at the end of the episode.
We have been doing these really fun spotify polls.
So guys, If you listen to this episode through Spotify, you will be able to participate in a poll at the end of the episode.
So we'll give you the poll at the end.
So wait, wait for it.
Don't jump off the episode before you hear the poll.
Share your answer and then we will share the results in an upcoming episode.
And we actually have some results to share from a previous episode.
That episode was 2063.
Create a big artsy comparison in English.
If you haven't listened to that one, definitely go ahead and do that.
And Lindsay, what was the poll question?
Oh, good question, Michelle.
What was the poll question?
It was, has anyone ever told you you look like a celebrity?
Ooh, and we actually had...
180 people participate.
190 people participate, which we love that you guys are really getting in there to those polls, so keep participating.
Drum roll, michelle.
What were the results?
Okay yes, uh.
So yes, half was 497, so those people have been told they look like celebrity.
But no, was 503, which is amazing.
They were almost exactly tied, So it's like one in two, right.
One in two, every other person has been told that's interesting.
I always think about that.
I think I said that in that episode.
I always think about who would play whom in a movie.
Right.
So that's so fun.
Good to know that our listeners you know half of you guys have also gotten.
You know, someone has said to you that you look like a celebrity.
Wow.
We must have good looking listeners.
Oh, I bet we do.
So, guys, we will do another poll at the end of this episode toward the end.
So, Lindsay, could you read the listener question for us?
Yes.
So this comes from a listener, I believe in maybe Korea.
If someone is laughing, is it polite to ask them what's so funny?
And this was a question in Spotify.
So two fun things happening in Spotify these days.
You can participate in these awesome polls and you can ask your episode question over there.
And we read them every week and we collect your questions, guys.
So give us high quality questions and we will make an episode about it.
All right.
For sure.
I love it.
OK, so this is a fun question.
Lindsay, what do you what do you think?
What's your first thought?
Is it OK if someone's laughing?
Can you say what's so funny?
Yeah, I think it depends on how you say it.
I think it really depends on how you say it, especially if it seems like they're laughing at you.
Saying what's so funny might come off as defensive.
What's so funny?
Right.
It just it depends on the vibe.
Yes.
Okay.
We're going to get more to that in a second.
But maybe, guys, you've been enjoying reading a funny book recently.
And if you want to learn how to talk about reading, listen to our All Ears English episode 2088.
Are You a Bookworm?
How to Talk About Your Reading Habits in English.
Yeah.
So it really depends on your tone of voice.
Right, Michelle?
And also, I think, your relationship with the person.
So, like you said, your tone of voice.
It can sound like it's accusatory right, like you're accusing someone of something like.
Like, for example, let's say a group of kids are laughing and their teacher comes in, she or he might say what's so funny?
Yeah, for sure.
That sounds kind of yeah, that's not the most positive vibe to let off right, it sounds defensive or rude or that kind of thing.
So what kind of tone do we want to have?
Is it going to be neutral?
Is it going to be playful?
It should match the situation, right?
Right, right.
It has to, you have to really think about what's the context, right?
Are you, is it okay that someone's laughing?
Do you feel like they're laughing at you, right?
That's what you have to think about.
So let's do a little role play here and see what we think in this situation.
All right, here we go.
Michelle, what's so funny, Lindsay?
Oh, no, nothing.
I was just thinking about last week's recording when I kept calling you Aubrey.
Oh, that was so funny.
Did that happen with us, too?
No, it didn't.
Okay, well, it actually happened with Aubrey last week.
It's funny that you say this.
I kept calling her Michelle.
Really?
I don't know what was wrong with me last week.
I must have been really tired.
That's so funny.
It happened like five times in one day.
It was so bad.
Oh, my gosh.
I wonder why.
That's really funny.
So, okay.
What a coincidence.
So, yeah.
So, here...
You were laughing and I kind of said it like this.
What's so funny, Lindsay?
And in my head, it's almost I was saying it in a tone of I might be like a little worried.
Are you laughing at me?
Right.
Yeah.
OK.
Yeah, for sure.
So we can pick up a lot from the tone.
And then I felt like I had to compensate.
Oh, no, no, no, nothing.
Right.
You don't need to worry.
I had to do some damage control there to make sure you didn't feel like you were being made fun of.
Right.
So then you told me and then I was like, oh, that was so funny.
So, yeah, you let me in on it.
So was that OK that I asked you there, do you think?
I think so.
Yeah.
If you have a prior relationship with a person, you've built a rapport with a colleague, like we have, or a friend.
It's OK.
You know, it's just it's all about the relationship and the tone.
Yeah.
And I think if I had said it in a different way, like oh, it's so funny Lindsay, you know just, I'm curious.
I think you wouldn't even need to say something like, oh, no, nothing.
You could just say what it was.
Yeah, it's really important to listen closely to people's tone, because we could tell so much about feelings.
Right.
And empathy is a key piece of like.
I don't think there's anyone in the world who's truly successful who doesn't have empathy.
You know, it's so important.
So we got to listen in there.
That's what we do for that connection in English, the human connection.
Exactly.
Exactly.
So let's talk about the relationship.
I mean, yeah.
Do you have a relationship with that person where it's comfortable to ask?
I mean, if it's your boss and she's laughing privately in a meeting with someone else, it might not be a appropriate.
It's because it can be personal, something that somebody doesn't want to share.
And however, it can be also rude to be laughing like secretly with someone.
Totally, totally, totally think so.
Yeah, it can be rude.
Yeah.
What else?
What else, Michelle?
It depends on why are they laughing?
Do you think it's malicious?
Or do you think that, you know, it's just a good hearted laugh at something?
So lots of, you know, things that you have to consider when you wanna ask what's funny.
Lindsay, what does malicious mean?
Malicious means rude or mean, bad intent, right?
Exactly, exactly.
So we have a lot of things to think about.
Overall, I don't think there's anything wrong with asking this question.
It's just really, do you have that comfortable relationship with someone where you, if you ask, it might not be about a personal thing?
Um right.
And just does it seem like something they might want to share.
Yeah and, and if you emphasize you, it could sound really accusatory like what are you laughing at?
Let's say, other people are laughing, but that person feels that you have no right to laugh, or that could sound accusatory.
What are you laughing at?
Yes yes, and that's another way that you could say what's so funny actually.
So you could just say what are you laughing at?
Or you could say what are you laughing at right right oh, my god, that completely changes what you're saying right, based on what words you're emphasizing.
Yeah.
Okay.
Here we go.
Are we ready for another role play, Michelle?
Yes.
Let's do another one.
There's a lot of fake laughing.
Okay.
Okay.
Now I have to do it.
Oh God.
Okay.
Here we go.
What are you laughing at?
Oh, I just watched the funniest movie and there was a great line.
I just remembered it.
Nice.
So in that one, I felt like, what was my tone?
Like, what are you laughing at?
You're just curious right yeah, and there i could use it as an opportunity to connect.
I could share what i'm laughing about, like what?
What am i?
What did i watch?
Have you seen that movie?
Yes yeah yeah yeah, it's.
You know, the more that we can share what we're laughing at, you can laugh with the person.
It's kind of weird when like, if the person ha, like it'd be weird if i hadn't seen that movie, and i'm totally out of the joke right right yeah well, do you ever just get like that?
Do you ever just think of something funny and then you just start laughing?
Yeah yeah, it happens when I'm walking on the street sometimes and people must think I don't know what they think.
Yeah, my sister-in-law started doing the just like a funny thing recently.
No no no well, she would.
But like she, she just started doing a certain funny thing, like something funny that she says, and It was to the point where I would just think about it and just start laughing.
Yeah, it happens.
Yeah, it's just one of those things that can get you anytime.
Those are, to me, the best kinds of laughs when it's just something that when you think about it even later on, it makes you laugh.
Yeah, it's not like a pre-rehearsed joke.
It's not planned.
No.
It's just the quirks of people, you know?
Yeah.
Quirks of people are funny, I think.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Any other expressions?
So expressions about laughter.
We have a few for you guys today.
Okay right, i love this one.
This one is, you know, close to all of our hearts laughter is the best medicine.
Because it's true right, laughter is the best medicine is the phrase for you guys.
So write that one down today.
Yes, for sure, and then a giggle fit, or you could say a laughing fit yeah, like i talked about my mom um yeah, like you can't stop laughing, you have the one of those.
It just goes on and on and on and it's that that feels so good.
That's when you feel the biggest release at the end, don't you think, Lindsay?
Yeah totally, I think, like a dry out, different hormones definitely move throughout the body right, as we laugh.
I mean, it's so good for us.
Yeah yeah yeah, I remember this.
Oh, my gosh, it was the worst.
I wasn't um, one of my best friends.
I've known him since preschool actually, and we're still friends to this day.
Um he, we were in like the chamber choir in high school and we would stand in an arch and so i could see him across the way, and there was one time where he was just making me laugh, like during a performance, and it was so mean, but i, i was just losing it and i still remember that to this day.
So yeah, he's my funny friend yeah, so in that case you couldn't really have a belly laugh because you had to kind of hide that you were laughing.
Right, that I was.
Yeah, oh gosh, that can.
That's also the worst.
If it's in an uncomfortable situation, like a performance, you can't, you know when you can't let that laughter out, that's tough.
Yeah, it's true.
So the next phrase guys, is belly laugh.
Right, having a belly laugh, this is a true, a real laugh that really comes from the belly, I guess from your stomach, like a true, genuine laugh yeah, it feels good.
So you could say something like my grandpa let out Such a great belly laugh when I told him my joke.
So and I feel like some people have a style of that, which is so endearing.
I was just going to say that sometimes people you say they have a contagious laugh. yeah um they they just have such a fun sound laugh you know who has a good one is um they always talk about lisa kudrow phoebe from friends oh i love her yeah that she has i remember in bloopers watching bloopers of that show and people saying that when she it's it's just like her true personality yeah and it's somebody who has a laugh that then the laugh makes you laugh Oh for sure for sure do you cry when you laugh do you usually cry when you laugh I always do sometimes sometimes you do yeah it just starts start tearing up every time it's so bad oh my gosh so guys we can do a follow-up on more idioms with the word laugh um but before we get to our role play we want to let you in on that key poll Lindsey what is the key poll for today All right, here it is, guys.
So go right into, you know, go to your app, your Spotify app as you're listening, participate here.
So what makes you laugh the most?
Is it A, a funny show or a movie?
B, Michelle, what's B?
B is your funny friend or B, a funny family member.
So we want to know, yeah, sorry, or what?
Sorry, D or C, a funny family member.
Did I say B again?
B A, B or B.
We just did an episode of Business English on how to do that, how to use 123 ABC.
So go listen to business English guys.
And, oh my gosh, that's hilarious.
Um, we want to know who makes you laugh right, who makes you laugh in your life.
And that's, that's the poll.
So participate to be heard, love it.
Yes well just, I'm curious who makes you laugh the most?
Oh my gosh, I'd say probably funny shows.
Funny shows, especially like Seinfeld.
I just We've talked about that on this show before.
It's just hilarious.
Yeah, absolutely.
And we do have a Seinfeld episode coming up on this show.
So look out for that.
Oh, my gosh.
Look at this role play.
What do you know?
Role play, Michelle.
Let's do this role play.
Let's sneak it in for our listeners.
So look at it.
Look at the topic.
We're talking about an episode of Seinfeld.
Clearly, we love Seinfeld.
Yeah.
OK, here we go.
Here we go.
What are you laughing at?
Well, I watched Seinfeld last night, Michelle, and I'm still laughing.
I love the episode of Seinfeld where Elaine dances.
Oh my gosh, me too.
It's the best.
I went into a giggle fit when I watched the part where George wants to thank the girl to think he's a bad man.
Hysterical.
I got a good belly laugh at that part.
Yeah, I was sick last week and it got me through.
Well, laughter is the best medicine.
That is so true.
And that is true.
I feel like laughter probably also helps your immune system.
I feel like I've seen science I can't quote a study, but I know there's science out there that says it helps your immune system for sure.
Yeah yeah, oh yeah.
So all right, let's go through it.
I said what are you laughing at?
Yeah, and I said it went away.
Right, what right?
This isn't like what are you laughing at or what are you laughing at right?
No, it's just a very genuine, authentic.
There's no threat here.
We're just going to talk about what's funny, right?
Yes, yes.
So then you said I went into a giggle fit when I watched the part where George wants that girl to think he's a bad man.
Yeah.
Do you remember that part?
No, I don't remember.
Oh, OK.
Well, I'll tell you which one and then you can go watch it.
OK.
And then you said hysterical.
I got a good belly laugh at that part.
Yeah.
And then you said I said, well, laughter is the best medicine.
And here what we're doing is we're repeating a known phrase.
And when we do that, we've talked about this in other episodes, guys, for connection.
You kind of have a bit of a sing-songy tone.
You know what they say.
Yeah, like laughter is the best medicine.
It's a bit sing-songy as opposed to what I said earlier.
Like I went into a giggle fit.
There's no singing there.
I'm singing when I'm saying these phrases just a little, just a tiny bit.
Just a little.
Just sing.
Yeah, all right michelle, where should we leave our listeners today when it comes to connection and laughter?
Can't think of anything more important.
Yeah, i mean, i've had so much fun talking about this um, and it's a great connection topic.
It's such a human need to laugh, to release that, that energy um, so we've talked about a lot here today.
We answered the listener question, which was a great specific question.
We love those guys And yeah, just connect with people.
Use these expressions.
Go find something funny and remember to answer our Spotify poll.
Yeah, go answer that poll, guys, so we can see what your life is like, right?
Who are you laughing at?
What's making you laugh in your life?
Good stuff.
All right, Michelle, I'll talk to you very soon.
Have a good day.
You too.
Bye, Lindsay.
Bye, guys.
Bye.
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