that old adage


Sunday, April 11, 2010

7 comments:

Cicada said...

We have JUST RECENTLY been talking about this. The fact that I never say "That's funny" to my husband makes him feel like he's really, legitimately funny.

becky said...

eff. i do laugh A LOT, but i also say "that's funny" and i have loathed myself for it ever since that Mandy Moore episode of Scrubs.

Emily said...

Hee hee. That's funny.

Reid Brian Hall said...

I mean absolutely no offense to anyone posting comments now or at any time, and I am guilty of the offense described in my own rant, BUT....

The sentiment could easily be revised to read, "Laughing out loud means never having to write 'lol.'"

It's a pet peeve. I read it twenty times a day, and rarely, if ever, is it accompanied by actual laughter. Middle school students feel they must point out any acknowledgment of humor (their own or others) by writing "lol." It has led to variations of the following conversation in my classroom more times than I care to admit:

Me: So, I see you ended your conclusion with a smiley face and 'lol.'
Student: Huh?
Me: 'lol.' You mean that you laughed at loud when you wrote this?
Student: What?
Me: I'm just asking, did you actually laugh out loud when you wrote the conclusion to your speech?
Student: Ummmmmmmm.
Me: I mean, don't you think it's a little disingenuous to claim to have laughed out loud, when in fact you did nothing of the kind?
Student: So.... should I erase it?
Me: Yeah. If you actually laughed out loud at your own conclusion, that's great. I laugh at my own humor all the time. I just don't feel the need to point it out to others in writing that I recognize the humor in my own writing.
Student: [muttered obscenity while walking back to desk]

Anonymous said...

Brilliant... I used to live in LA and I used to find it so strange when people said 'that's funny' instead of laughing! It's not a think we say in the UK thankfully ;)

Anonymous said...

Damn... that was meant to say 'thing' not think!

Must stop being amused while typing!!

Dina said...

Love this saying! We could all use more laughter in the world!