The Australian stand-up comedy glossary

Every industry has its jargon. Australian stand-up comedy is no different. For those new to stand-up, or for those visiting Australia, here’s a stand-up comedy glossary that will help you on the stand-up comedy circuit.

A

• Act: The comedian’s performance, which includes their material and stage presence.
• Adelaide: The go to Australian capital city, that is an easy target.

B

• Bit: A short, cohesive piece of material on a specific topic or theme.
• Blue Material: Profane or risqué comedy.
• Bomb: When a comedy set goes poorly, but not so bad that you ‘died’.

C

• Callback: A reference to a joke or line from earlier in the set.
• Chookas: The Aussie way of saying ‘break a leg’. It comes from ‘chook it is’, signalling that the cast would be eating well due to a packed house.
• Clean: Material that isn’t considered crude.
• Closer: Pronounced, ‘clothes-er’. This is the final joke or routine in a set, which is intended to be strong and memorable.
• Crowd Work: Engaging directly with the audience through questions and banter. This is not as common as you’d expect, as most stand-up comedy is highly scripted.

D

• Dark Comedy: Comedy that touches on morbid topics, like death.
• Delivery: The way a comedian presents their material, which includes timing, tone, and body language.
• Die: To perform so poorly that not only do you want to die, but you think the audience would help.
• Double Act: A comedy performance involving two comedians working together. Think Scared Weird Little Guys and the Nelson Twins.

E

• Emcee (MC): The host of the comedy show, who is responsible for introducing performers and maintaining the flow of the show.

F

• Frankston: A Melbourne outer (outer!) suburb that is free game to be joked about.

G

• Gag: A joke or a humorous phrase.
• Gig: A performance slot, ranging from a Tight Five to a Headline spot.
• Gigme: An app to book, pay and promote comedians and other live performers.

H

• Headliner: The last performer on the nigh, who is usually the most experienced and often famous.

I

• Impro or Impro : Short for improvisation, this is a form of comedy where material is made up on the spot.

K

• Keystone: The last word, or words, that reveal the joke. For example, “I am a child of divorce. I was only 6 when I was left by my…wife.”
• Kill: To perform extremely well, receiving strong positive reactions from the audience.

L

• Laughs Per Minute (LPM): A measure of how frequently a comedian gets laughs from the audience.
• Lead Laugher: An audience member who is generous and quick with their laughter and in doing so encourages those around them to also laugh. They appear naturally and are not a stooge.
• Line-up Show: A comedy show featuring multiple comedians, each performing for around 5 to 20 minutes each. Often the comedians are decided on the night, so may be a surprise to the audience.

M

• Material: The written jokes, stories, and routines a comedian performs.
• MC: Also known as a host. This person has the ability to build up a cold room at the beginning of the night, and rebuild up the energy again after a crap comedian.
• Mic (Microphone): Essential equipment for amplifying the comedian’s voice.
• MICF: Stands for Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

N

• Newbie: A comedian who is new to the scene, often performing at open mics and small shows.

O

• On the bill: Having your name on the list of comedians who will be performing.
• Open Mic: A type of show where anyone can sign up to perform, often used by new comedians to practice.
• Open Mic-er: A person who is new on the comedy scene and who isn’t ready to get a paid gig.
• Opener: The first comedian to perform, warming up the audience for the main act.
• Organiser: Someone who organisers a comedy show. If they do it regularly then they are also considered a ‘Room Runner’ or ‘Booker’.

P

• Punchline: The final part of a joke, designed to elicit the laugh.
• Premise: The initial idea or concept of a joke.

R

• Raw Comedy: Australia’s largest amateur stand-up comedy competition, held each year from January to April.
• Room: The venue or space where the comedy show takes place.
• Room Runner: A person who runs a comedy room and selects the comedians. They may or may not own the venue itself. In some countries they are called a ‘Booker’.
• Routine: A sequence of jokes or bits that form a part of the comedian’s set.

S

• Set: The total material a comedian performs in one stint on stage.
• Stage Time: The amount of time a comedian spends performing on stage.
• Setup: The part of the joke that leads up to the punchline.
• Signups: Used to describe a ‘Room’ that allows people to sign up on the night.

T

• Tag: Sometimes called a ‘topper’. An additional joke that is related to the last joke, that keeps the joke going.
• Talking over the laugh: When you don’t pause after your punchline, and therefore continue talking while the audience is beginning to laugh. Consequently, the audience may cut off their laughter, and also may not hear the comedian properly.
• Tasmania: The go to Australian State to take the piss.
• Tight Five: A five-minute set that has a high laughs per minute ratio and is well rehearsed.
• Timing: The rhythm and pace at which jokes and stories are delivered.
• Topper: Sometimes called a ‘tag’. An additional joke that is related to the last joke, that keeps the joke going.

V

• Voice: This is a particular style of performance that becomes characteristic of your set. A voice can be specific side of you, an exaggerated version of you, or a completely different character.

W

• Warm-Up: A brief performance to get the audience ready for the main acts.
• Wit: Clever and quick humor.

Is something missing? Add your Australian stand-up comedy jargon below in the comments.