Vocabulary/Jargon

asterisk indicates a word I coined, but are generally understood by most working comics
Biting [on someone]- Mimicking another comedian’s style, voice, or mannerisms.. not specifically their material.
Blue Material- Taboo, raunchy, risque, dirty, or vulgar jokes. (This does NOT necessarily include divisive material such as politics).
Bombing- Doing very poorly on stage to the point where no one laughs or laughter is entirely unsupportive (laughing at you, not with you).
Booker- Person in charge of scheduling and hiring the comedians for a particular show, but not necessarily the person running it’s promo or production.
Bringer Show- Show that requires the comedians themselves to bring the audience in order to get time. Some are run ethically, most are essentially a scam.
Callback- Repeating a punchline or tag in reference to an earlier part of the show, or your own set.
*Cannibal- Any person or organization that makes income directly off of comics. (Hostage takers for stage time, submissions, classes, videos, recordings, etc).
Clap-back- Responding to an insult with a better or more cunning retort.
Follow-up: The next joke you setup depending on if the last punchline (or tags) landed well… or didn’t.
*Gatekeeper- A self serving “producer” that books people based on their friends lists and the political clout they can leverage rather than the merit of performers.
Green Comic- Someone that is relatively new to comedy… Probably doesn’t have a tight 5. Unbookable for the most part.
Green Room- Private space where performers gather themselves in relative silence before and after they perform.
Hack- When a performer who tells subjectively original jokes in an objectively unoriginal way. (also used liberally by scene comics as a generic insult).
Lifting Material/STEALING JOKES- Never ever EVER do this. Always tell your material and never someone else’s.
Lineup- The order and position of comedians on a show, usually based on the duration of their set (example: host, opener, guest, feature, headline).
*Nuking the Audience- Bombing hard enough to impact the rest of the show permanently and yet not walking the audience. (headliners hate this)
Open Mic- A place “anyone” can sign up for stage time. Some charge for stage time (cannibals) but typically not unless it’s a large city like NY or LA.
Premise- The setup or context for a punchline. The thing the audience needs to understand to “get” the punchline.
Producer- Showrunner in charge of ensuring the proper execution of the show, financial or otherwise. Often a performer themselves, but not always.
Promoter- Showrunner in charge of creating advertisements. May or may not be the host or part of the lineup.
Punchline- The part of a joke that elicits big, universally appreciated laughs. It is the best “tag”
“Real” Audience- The public… Not comics. Not friends. Not family… Strangers that came to laugh. (aka: civilians)
Road Comic- A comedian that travels town to town writing new material and testing old often regardless of pay or position. (aka: soldiers)
Running The Light- Going past the signal given by the host or producer that you need to get off stage SOON. Watch for a light! Going over it makes you bad, selfish, or both.
*Scene Rat- Local comic that typically never travels outside of the same circle of events in their home city. usually critical of outsiders. Extremely beholden to a status quo.
Show/Showcase- Event featuring a line-up of booked comics that should be paid, especially if charging a cover and/or drink minimum.
Showrunner- Any owner, promoter, producer, host, or booker that holds veto power over how a show is booked, produced, and performed.
Tag- A “piggyback punchline” that either raises the stakes or misdirects after the main punchline. Often utilizes “doubling down”, “double entendre”, or a simple pun.
Takeaway- Underlying thought, belief, or message conveyed by a joke. (Intentional Takeaway = Pandering)
*Tanking- Emotionally giving up on trying to win back an audience after jokes didn’t land. Characterized by disdain for the audience.
Tight 5- A rock solid 5 minutes of jokes that can be told just about anywhere and get a laugh. The gold standard of comedy.
Touring Comic- Someone who travels for paid gigs and makes money doing it.
Walking the Audience- Bombing so hard that the audience leaves or worse… demands a refund and submits a nasty yelp review.