This is no laughing matter.

Your characters like to laugh, right?

So they laugh. They laugh again. And again. And again.

But we have to mix this up.

So maybe they should chuckle. And snort once or twice. Maybe even guffaw.

But then what?

Are they supposed to do... cachinnate?

Jon and Juliet first talk about Roget's Thesaurus, more modern, electronic versions… and then they discuss the sad collection of synonyms for laugh.

Jon then breaks down two novels and the laugh synonyms in each.

Finally, they debate word counting, comparisons, and the uses and possible disadvantages of doing so.

Books mentioned in this show:

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

When she is caught in the backseat of a car with her older brother's best friend--Deanna Lambert's teenage life is changed forever. Struggling to overcome the lasting repercussions and the stifling role of "school slut," she longs to escape a life defined by her past. With subtle grace, complicated wisdom and striking emotion, Story of a Girlreminds us of our human capacity for resilience, epiphany and redemption.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

 Four mysterious letters change Miranda’s world forever.

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds the mysterious notes scrawled on a tiny slips of paper.

image credit: wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AOnly_the_serious_know_how_to_truly_laugh.jpg