How Humour Makes a Difference

In this article I shall look into how the use of examples in humourresearch has both manifested and controlled the ongoing discussion. I will also briefly ponder, what the often used discussion-raising examples of humour have signified regarding folklore and cultural history.I also intend to comment on Arvo Krikmann’s discussion on the connections and differences between humour and figurative speech. Through examples, attempts will be made to search for the obscure meanings that in jokes are left unsaid, but that are apparently essential for the humorous impact. Producing gaps in the plots can even be considered one of the forms of expression of jokes.In closing, a few words and images on humour in visual contemporary folk art that have attracted a lot of interest in Finland for over the past ten years. With a few examples, I will shed light on the relationship between the target and the source.