Introduction : a saucer of vinegar

![CDATA[This book is a collection of essays on some versions of Australian humour. All the essays in this collection address their diverse subject matter under the inclusive and ‘fluid’ rubric of ‘humour’ rather than ‘comedy’, though some focus on modes of local ‘comedy’ in the traditional theatrical/performance sense of the term. Many have a literary focus, exploring the humorous nuances in the work of particular writers or genres of writing. Some are more pointedly interested in the social and/or cultural significance, within a particular historical context, of humorous linguistic practices that involve the characteristically inventive and often mischievous or scurrilous use of Australian English.]]