JFR Blog

guffaw

Everybody—or, almost everybody—laughs.  Laughter is a fine thing, usually a bit contagious, and sometimes a little derisive.  That being said, there is a particular sort of laughter which one is wise to encounter as often in life as possible.  It is the elusive and highly satisfying guffaw (guf’AW).

Good old guffaw can be either a noun (as in: “have a guffaw”) or a verb (as in: “that was a little funny, but nothing to guffaw at!”  In most instances, guffaw is used as a noun.

But… what is this mysterious high-grade form of laughter?  A guffaw is a boisterous, hearty, and loud laugh, a trumpeting declaration of amusement.  While this is usually a good thing, such as the reaction one might have to the routine of a hysterical stand-up comedian, it can—as with ordinary, run-of-the-mill laughter—be used mockingly.  Consider, “Before the peasant had even finished his plea for mercy, the king guffawed uproariously and sent the bedraggled citizen to the gallows as though the echoes of his royal laughter alone were enough to sweep the man away.”

In daily life, a guffaw can be identified as the kind of laughter which is heard from quite a ways away, perhaps through a closed door or even a wall.  Guffawing is generally not appropriate to the classroom, boardroom, or fine dining establishments.  That said, it is also not usually the sort of thing one has a whole lot of control over.  After all, when something is that funny, you just have to guffaw!

Editor’s Note: This post was written by Mark Jacobs.  Mark is an editor for The Jet Fuel Review and Blog.  He is an Aviation major, but the left side of his brain is an avid writer.  Mark is a sophomore and works a few hours a week as a tutor in the Writing Center in this school year.