VERBAL MEANS OF HUMOUR IN AMERICAN ECONOMIC DISCOURSE

The article summarises the development and main approaches to comic theory in linguistics, as well as scientific findings that help to reveal the rules of producing and perceiving comic information. Based on the presented theoretical information, the article examines verbal means of achieving humorous effect in American economic discourse at different levels of language system, as well as determines the most frequently used stylistic devices of humour production. It also analyses linguopragmatic peculiarities of American economic discourse and communicative purposes of using the above-mentioned means. The examples presented the article are taken from American quality newspapers, such as Bloomberg, Forbes, Financial Times, InvestorPlace, National Review, Newsweek, etc. 

After analzsing the above-mentioned practical material, the author comes to the conclusion that verbal means of humour in American economic discourse are used at all levels of  the language system: phonetic, semantic and syntactic.

Verbal means also include stylistic devices of achieving humorous effect. The most popular of them in American economic discourse is using allusions to well-known works of popular culture.  

American humour in economic discourse is also characterised by the lack of subtlety and wide use of slang and low register words, as well as elements of personal (everyday) discourse and colloquial style.