gallows humour



gallows humour

  (British & Australian) also gallows humor (American & Australian)
humour that makes unpleasant things, such as death, seem funny
Usage notes: The gallows are a wooden frame used in the past for killing criminals by hanging them from a rope tied around their neck.
Many of the patients I worked with knew they were dying. There was a lot of gallows humour.
See also: humour

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Asco-Ancient Germanic
Kenna-Scottish
HrÓ&Eth;Valdr-Ancient Scandinavian
Muhsin-Arabic
Luizaluw-EE-zah (Polish)Polish, Portuguese, Romanian
Torvald-Swedish, Norwegian, Danish