Lexical Ambiguity in Dad Jokes: A Cognitive Linguistic Analysis

Abstract

This research aims to use cognitive linguistics to identify the lexical ambiguity found in dad jokes. The main focus of the investigation will be the mechanisms that produce humor in these kinds of jokes, such as homophony, polysemy, and double entendres. The research analyzes data from thirty dad jokes by lexical semantics theories, categorizing the information according to multiple meanings, sound similarities, and dual interpretations. The data was examined qualitatively to pinpoint how wordplay and frameshifts contribute to humor and to show how the jokes' ambiguous language surprises and amuses the audience. The findings demonstrate that dad jokes primarily employ homophony, polysemy, and double entendre to make jokes funny; other jokes share this dependence on these mechanisms. According to the results, the frameshift also happens based on how the audience understands and interprets the jokes. Last, this study argues that the sense of humor in dad jokes stems from the use of lexical ambiguity, and the punchline unexpectedly or humorously resolving and answers the peculiarity of the setups. This study's emphasis on the ambiguity of polysemy, homophony, and double entendre contributes to a more thorough linguistic analysis of dad jokes. It illustrates how individuals perceive humor through frameshift, elucidating humor's mechanics in everyday English.