ABSTRACT
Joke comprehension can be seen as a sequential process which operates on an input sequence of textual elements and gives rise to two distinct outcomes: joke recognition (the realisation that a text is a viable joke) and joke appreciation (the experience of being amused by a joke). All of this depends on the joke being encountered within a suitable setting, where the audience does not feel threatened and is open to a playful experience. It is not always obvious which of the many different devices used in a joke are essential for joke recognition and which have the function of enhancing joke appreciation. The outcomes of joke comprehension are completely dependent on the audience’s personal beliefs, attitudes, and mood. Hence, any account of the comprehension of a specific joke implicitly gives a sketch of the kind of audience who would understand that joke.
