Alberta scientists identify 10 funny words

EDMONTON — If you’ve ever wondered why the sound of some words can make you snort milk through your nose or why little boys love to run around yelling certain others, wonder no more.

A pair of University of Alberta researchers say they’ve analyzed what it is that make some words intrinsically funny.

Co-author Chris Westbury says his recently published paper in the Journal of Experimental Psychology may be the first to break down what makes us break down and actually determine which words will bring a smile or produce a laugh.

He says funny words combine two things — sound and meaning.

Words associated with bodily functions, good times, animals and insults containing the sounds “oo” or “kay” that end in l-e are most likely to get a laugh, according to their detailed statistics.

It may seem like lightweight research.

But Westbury says humour is intrinsic to being human and may even give us an evolutionary advantage.

The 10 funniest words in a sample of more than 45,000? Sit down:

Upchuck, bubby, boff, wriggly, yaps, giggle, cooch, guffaw, puffball, and jiggly.