ABSTRACT
The origins of the cognitive linguistics of humor are examined, with a particular emphasis on the connections with and differences from the General Theory of Verbal Humor and specifically frame and script semantics. Various cognitive mechanisms are then examined, including frame shifting, blending, trumping, and metaphors. It is concluded that there are no humor-specific mechanisms: humor “recycles” cognitive mechanisms that appear in serious communication. Promising areas of research are examined, such as embodied cognition, stylistics and construction grammar, and the connections between humorous metaphors and humor research.
