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#1 |
Long lost mooter
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,342
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Knee-slappers
I'm rereading The Hobbit for the umpteenth time (last time was in 2001), but this time it is for a special reason: my husband has never read any Tolkien! I thought he had read The Hobbit, so was going to make him read LotR, but then found out he had only ever seen the movie!
![]() Anyway, my point in creating this thread, aside from being able to relay my little personal story, was to ask what parts you think are hilarious -- I think Tolkien included some great humourous moments, some of which are so understated, but make one laugh out loud. For instance, my husband (who doesn't like fantasy, which is why he's never read the ME novels) at one point looked at me as if I had gone crazy, because I couldn't stop laughing after I read (from An Unexpected Party): "'And more cakes -- and ale -- and coffee, if you don't mind,' called the other dwarves through the door. 'Put on a few eggs, there's a good fellow!' Gandalf called after him, as the hobbit stumped off to the pantries. 'And just bring out the cold chicken and pickles!' 'Seems to know as much about the inside of my larders as I do myself!' thought Mr. Baggins..." That line that Bilbo says made me laugh so hard (in fact, I laughed as I typed it) that I had to stop reading for a minute. It's not that funny in itself necessarily, but within the context of the scene it is perfect. (Incidentally, what is Gandalf pregnant, or something? Eggs, chicken and PICKLES?! ![]() So what lines or scenes do you think are funny, or even make you laugh out loud when you read them? (BTW, the above incident was of course early in the story. My husband ended up laughing aloud a few times himself as I read Roast Mutton -- and it wasn't just because of my cockney accent for the trolls, either [which is quite fun to do -- try reading that scene aloud next time you read it]!) |
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#2 |
"The Bomb"
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: all over the place
Posts: 1,601
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"What have I got in my pocket?"-- Bilbo
FOr some reason, that single line makes me crack up. To the point where I find a $5 bill in my back pocket and just burst out laughing. I forget a lot of the Hobbit. ![]() ![]() ![]()
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Could it be that one path to enlightenment leads through insanity? |
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#3 |
Mirthful Maiden
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rivendell
Posts: 1,252
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![]() ![]() Here's one during the unexpected party: Poor Bilbo couldn't bear it any longer. At may never return he began to feel a shriek coming up inside and very soon it burst out of him like a whistle of an engine coming out of a tunnel. All the dwarves sprang up, knocking over the table. Gandalf struck a blue light at the end of his magic staff, and in its firework glare the poor little hobbit could be seen kneeling on the hearth rug, shaking like a jelly that was melting. Then he fell flat on the floor, and kept on calling out "struck buy lightning, struck by lightning!" over and over again. Gandalf replys "Excitable little fellow. Gets funny queer fits, but he is one of the best, one of the best - as fierce as a dragon in a pinch." This always sends be into hysterics ![]() ![]()
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The Elves represent, as it were, the artistic, aesthetic, and purely scientific aspects of the Humane nature raised to a higher level than is actually seen in Men.~ J.R.R. Tolkien Wanna play? www.thievesguild.com |
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#4 |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 103
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I always laugh when I read this, which confuses my friend who says this is not a comedy moment but a tense situation. I guess I have a different sense of humor than he does.
![]() "Truly songs and tales fall utterly short of the reality, O Smaug the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities," replied Bilbo. "You have nice manners for a thief and a liar," said the dragon. |
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#5 | |
Long lost mooter
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,342
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Quote:
![]() I agree with you, Silpion, Smaug was funny for a dragon -- he has a few humorous lines, as I recall. |
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#6 |
The Fleet-Footed
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 913
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I always laugh out loud (really loud
![]() '"Time's up!" he said. "String, or nothing!" shrieked Gollum, which was not quite fair - working in two guesses at once.' It's the "String or nothing!" that cracks me up every time! ![]() ![]()
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Jesus saved me "To remain ignorant of things that happened before you were born is to remain a child" (Cicero, 106-43 B.C.) "Art is a lie which makes us realize the truth" (Picasso) Last edited by Shadowfax : 07-11-2003 at 08:05 PM. |
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#7 |
The Fleet-Footed
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 913
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*Oh, and I just thought of another one...the origin of GOLF!
"[Old Took's great-grand-uncle Bullroarer] charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the Green Fields, and knocking their king Golfimbul's head clean off with a wooden club. It sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit-hole, and in this way the battle was won and the game of Golf invented at the same moment." *And this phrase from when Gandalf first comes: "...Bilbo Baggins was standing at his door after breakfast smoking an enormous long wooden pipe that reached nearly down to his toes (neatly brushed)..." Ah, neatly brushed toes! What a funny! *And the whole dialogue between the Trolls is also quite funny. ![]()
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Jesus saved me "To remain ignorant of things that happened before you were born is to remain a child" (Cicero, 106-43 B.C.) "Art is a lie which makes us realize the truth" (Picasso) |
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#8 | |
Warrior of the House of Hador
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,651
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Quote:
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Then Huor spoke and said: "Yet if it stands but a little while, then out of your house shall come the hope of Elves and Men. This I say to you, lord, with the eyes of death: though we part here for ever, and I shall not look on your white walls again, from you and me a new star shall arise. Farewell!" The Silmarillion, Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Page 230 |
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#9 |
The Official Court Jester of the Entmoot
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Far Harad
Posts: 1,006
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I love how a lot of TOlkiens funniest lines from the Hobbit are totally out of context to whats going on. It sjust these little tidbits which are very funny. Man that guy was a genius.
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A Bit More Grown Up This Time... |
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#10 |
Warrior of the House of Hador
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,651
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I like when the dwarfs escape Mirkwood out of the barrels. I can just get apicture in my head of 13 dwarfs stuffed in to 13 barrels hehehehe.
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Then Huor spoke and said: "Yet if it stands but a little while, then out of your house shall come the hope of Elves and Men. This I say to you, lord, with the eyes of death: though we part here for ever, and I shall not look on your white walls again, from you and me a new star shall arise. Farewell!" The Silmarillion, Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Page 230 |
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#11 |
The Official Court Jester of the Entmoot
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Far Harad
Posts: 1,006
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That has the makings of a funny song......
thirteen dwarves in thirteen barrels riding down the river to get to Dale They were captured by the elves and now their running thirteen dwarves in thirteen barrels...... ![]()
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A Bit More Grown Up This Time... |
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#12 |
Domesticated Swing Babe
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Reality
Posts: 5,340
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They (Bifur, Bofur, and big old fat Bombur) all fall in, and "enormously important" Thorin gets smooshed at the bottom, ....then.....Thorin is "haughty" and does not give the standard "at your service" to Bilbo, that the other dwarves respond with (because he is a p*ssed off Mr Snooty pants)...which causes the pitiful wuss Baggins to apologize profusely (even though *he* really should be mad because they are all imposing on him and he has no idea why). I think it's hilarious that Thorin can make Bilbo apologize and grovel, when he (Bilbo) is actually mad and wants the dwarves and Gandalf to apologize to him! It's all in the attitude!
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Happy Atheist Go Democrats! |
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#13 |
Long lost mooter
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,342
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String or nothing
I love that, and I can hear Gollum shrieking it when I read it.
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#14 |
Dread Mothy Lord and Halfwitted Apprentice Loremaster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, CA
Posts: 10,820
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The tale of Bullroarer and Golfimbul always made me really crack up.
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Crux fidelis, inter omnes arbor una nobilis. Nulla talem silva profert, fronde, flore, germine. Dulce lignum, dulce clavo, dulce pondus sustinens. 'With a melon?' - Eric Idle |
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#15 |
Sapling
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 6
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"A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say." ~ Italo Calvino The Dusty Shelf |
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#16 |
Lady of Legends
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Missing. Reward if found.
Posts: 1,083
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The whole "Good Morning" scene at the beggining.
" Good Morning!" said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat. "What do you mean?" he said. " Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good on this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?" Its the What do you mean? that makes me burst out laughing every time. I also do the same when Bilbo says "Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!" about adventures. and after the scene with the trolls when Gandalf appears from behind the trees and all he says is: "Excellent" ![]()
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The end justifies the means, thought Aziraphale. And the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.* *This is not actually true. The road to Hell is paved with frozen door to door salesmen. On weekends many of the younger demons go ice-skating down it. ~Good Omens |
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#17 |
Elven Maiden
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,309
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i've forgotten a lot, but I remember liking how Bilbo was asked what exactly a "Burrahobbit" was. That was funny. And this is funny in the book, but even better in the BBC radio dramatisation (how do you spell that anyway?), is when Bilbo was told to hoot when he was in trouble. I can still hear him in my head practicing that...
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#18 |
The Lovely Hobbit-Lass
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Bounded in a nut-shell
Posts: 1,593
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I like the part when they are in Mirkwood, and Bilbo climbs the tree and is feeling the wind and the sun on his face, and the poor dwarves are sitting down below in the dark.
The part when Bilbo tries to steal food in Laketown, and people get freaked out by the wet footprints and his sneezing is funny. Whenever I think about Gollum paddling his little boat up to eat Bilbo, and Bilbo shouts "Time! Time!" always brings a smile to my face. And when Bombur falls asleep in Mirkwood, cuz he fell in the water that they weren't supposed to touch. I also like the part where all the dwarves are telling Gandalf that they shouldn't have brought Bilbo, because he's usless, and Gandalf gets all ruffled up and says "I never bring things that are of no use." Also, when they're in Mirkwood trying to get to the wood-elves's feast, and the elves keep running away from them (isn't it interesting to think that Legolas probably would have been at that feast?). I like when Bilbo shouts at the spiders "Attercrop! Attercrop!" and they get totally P.O.ed. ![]() And the argument between the three trolls and a certain fourth party (Gandalf) always makes me laugh. When Bilbo is in the wood-elves's castle, and he doesn't free the dwarves. When they ride down the river in the empty barrels (the whole thing with the two drunk elves is funny. Hard to imagine a drunk elf, though). Bilbo forgetting that there was no one to pack him into a barrel, and now he has to hang onto one of them. "Thag you very buch." ![]() Ohhhh, there's a lot of good stuff in there. I just can't remember it all. ![]()
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It's New Years Day, just like the day before; Same old skies of grey, same empty bottles on the floor. Another year's gone by, and I was thinking once again, How can I take this losing hand and somehow win? Just give me One Good Year To get my feet back on the ground. I've been chasing grace; Grace ain't so easily found One bad hand can devil a man, chase him and carry him down. I've got to get out of here, just give me One Good Year! |
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#19 |
Mirthful Maiden
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rivendell
Posts: 1,252
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I think my all time favorite chapter is Flies and Spiders. It's not exactly humorous, but it always brings a smile to my face. I can just picture fat little Bilbo dashing around, waving his newly named little dagger, killing giant spiders, calling out rhymes, slashing at webs. It's the first time Bilbo really has some action and he turns into this tough, brave, little guy. I thought it was awesome.
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The Elves represent, as it were, the artistic, aesthetic, and purely scientific aspects of the Humane nature raised to a higher level than is actually seen in Men.~ J.R.R. Tolkien Wanna play? www.thievesguild.com |
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#20 |
Fowl Administrator
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Calgary or Edmonton, Canada
Posts: 53,420
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Ah, the invention of Golf. I love that passage... the Middle-Earth of The Hobbit definitely has a lightness of its own that never really appeared to the same extent afterwards.
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Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
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