In a lighthearted yet serious look at academic deanship, stories are recounted regarding the dean's role in such matters as tenure decisions, budgeting, affirmative action, and coping with demands of faculty, department chairs, vice-presidents, parents, and students. Current practices in academic administration are described in a humorous manner.…

Expanded version of a paper presented at the Northeast Modern Language Association meeting, Philadelphia, Pa., April 2, 1971. (RL)

In this book the author discusses items and anecdotes accumulated during many years of studying, teaching, and examining geography at all levels. Most of the existing literature concerned with the teaching of geography deals only with fundamental problems and often addresses them in a grave and forbidding manner. The approach here is practical,…

Ambiguity can be enjoyed in statements without context, in unclear comparisons, in words often confused, and in casual disorders. In spite of the grammarians' efforts to "disambiguate," it is doubtful that any willful act or combination of acts can eliminate ambiguity, since language is a system of symbols which can stand for one thing or another.…

Humor displayed during the administration of a work association test containing a gradually increasing number of sexual double entendres was observed in college students through remote control TV facilities. Persons who hold an internal locus of control smiled and laughed more than externals. Humor was differentiated in three ways: superiority,…

A common misconception, f(x+y) = f(x)+f(y), is used to prove theorems such as: 2=1; n=o for all positive integers n; and tan x=1 for all x. (MP)

A humorous account is given of an encounter with a talking computer in the form of a superintelligent robot. Several mathematical problems are posed. (MP)

A lighthearted expose of non-typical patrons and their use and abuse of the reference librarian. (JAB)

Outlines an interview with Robert Orben, head of Gerald Ford's speechwriting staff, concerning uses of humor in political speeches. (MH)

Explores children's sense of humor and the various kinds of humor to which they respond. (JM)

Presents 25 poems written by junior high school students in imitation of seven poems by Ogden Nash. (DD)

Tested 40 male and 40 female college students for level of relaxation and mood state following exposure to three types of humor content or a nonhumorous control. Humor appreciation was found to be effective in aiding relaxation while promoting positive affective mood state in subjects. Humor appreciation may be possible adjunct to biofeedback…

The study examined the cartoon humor comprehension of 30 learning disabled and 30 non-handicapped boys in two age groups, eight- and twelve-year-olds. Significant main effects were found indicating a developmental lag in the cognitive structure necessary for understanding humor in the learning disabled subjects. (Author/DB)

Presents a taxonomy of jokes and wit as a useful, descriptive tool. Argues that humor processing may occur in a parallel rather than serial fashion by contrasting a serial-processing, incongruity-resolution model with an alternative dual-processing model. Also presents a taxonomy of the social functions of wit. (JK)

This analysis of the U.S. Department of Labor's "Dictionary of Occupational Titles" as a literary and cultural document, looks at its (1) history; (2) job classification scheme; (3) egalitarianism; (4) cultural and literary value; and (5) humor. Five references are listed. (MES)