a guffaw


a loud laugh

TRANSLATION

guffaw = Gelächter, Gewieher, Lachen, schallendes Gelächter

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

“A good GUFFAW goes a long way to relieve stress by increasing feel-good endorphins, easing your stress response and promoting circulation.”

U.S. News & World Report

Did you
know?

guffaw (GUF-FAW)
noun, verb

- to laugh loudly, especially at something stupid that someone has said or done.

Cambridge Dictionary


ORIGIN

1720, from the Scottish “gawf,” which is onomatopoetic, meaning that it’s spelled the way it sounds and is probably imitative of the sound of coarse laughter.


For some deep thinkers, laughing is no laughing matter, and there’s been some rather serious research on the topic.

Greek philosopher Herodotus categorised people who laugh into three groups:

- those who are overconfident
- those who are innocent
- those who are mad

Darwin believed laughter to be the release of excess nervous energy, whereas Schopenhauer, Kant, Bergson, Hegel, and Koestler associated laughter with the resolution of incongruity* or paradox.

*Nichtübereinstimmung


SYNONYMS

belly laugh, cackle, chortle, chuckle, giggle, hee-haw, horselaugh, laugh, laughter, shriek/hoot/peal/roar/snort of laughter, snicker, snigger, titter



Practice OWAD in an English conversation, say something like:

“Did you hear those GUFFAWS coming from the breakout room? They must be having a lot of fun!”


VIELEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-3

Paul Smith

More Word Quizzes:

he was nonplussed

2 years ago

he was surprised and confused

Congrats Your Answer is Correct.

he was out of money and assets

SORRY,
please try again...

he was removed from power

SORRY,
please try again...

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

2 years ago

Fear of being very far from home

SORRY,
please try again...

Fear of very long words

Congrats Your Answer is Correct.

Fear of very large animals

SORRY,
please try again...

a nutcase

2 years ago

a strong container

SORRY,
please try again...

a difficult problem

SORRY,
please try again...

a crazy person

Congrats Your Answer is Correct.

a walled garden

2 years ago

a digital prison

Congrats Your Answer is Correct.

a fantasy world

SORRY,
please try again...

a boarding school

SORRY,
please try again...

on the fly

2 years ago

without planning

Congrats Your Answer is Correct.

in the bathroom

SORRY,
please try again...

in the air

SORRY,
please try again...

Copyright © 2000-2023 PSA - All Rights Reserved