This book investigates... forms of humor that enliven everyday conversation, examining the
ways humor helps us break the ice, fill awkward silences, smooth the way for requests, and
build group solidarity.... Norrick's close study of joking provides new insights into both verbal
humor and the nature of conversation.

In this article, I explore the main theoretical issues facing researchers in conversational
humor today. In particular, I address (1) the structure of humorous discourse;(2) the forms of
conversational humor: jokes, anecdotes, wordplay, irony;(3) the interpersonal functions of
conversational humor: aggression versus rapport;(4) single-stage versus multi-stage
processing of humor; and (5) the description of timing in word play and narrative jokes.