Tag Archives: Humour

Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 279) – Dave Barry

Posted on 27/02/2018 by

“All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears—of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark, of speaking before a Rotary Club, and of the words ‘Some Assembly Required’.” — Dave Barry Photo … Continue reading →

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12 ways to piss off your audience

Posted on 20/02/2018 by

Why make an effort for your audience when you can just piss them off? Too difficult, you say? Not at all! There are so many things you can do to anger, frustrate and confuse an audience. If you’re struggling for … Continue reading →

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The benefits of humour and 10 tips for using it in a speech

Posted on 03/01/2018 by

I am one of the co-founders of Presentation Guru, a digital magazine for public speaking professionals. This post is part of a series designed to share the great content on Presentation Guru with the Manner of Speaking community. ——— French author Victor Hugo said, “Laughter … Continue reading →

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Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 247) – Mark Twain

Posted on 06/12/2016 by

“Don’t use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do.” — Mark Twain

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Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 235) – Garry Trudeau

Posted on 30/05/2016 by

“Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated.” — Garry Trudeau Photo courtesy of Linda A. Cicero / Stanford University News Service

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Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 227) – Boris Johnson

Posted on 13/03/2016 by

“My speaking style was criticised by no less an authority than Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was a low moment, my friends, to have my rhetorical skills denounced by a monosyllabic Austrian cyborg.” — Boris Johnson

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Analysis of a speech by Dan Gilbert

Posted on 07/10/2015 by

Dan Gilbert is a Harvard psychologist who has spent a lot of time thinking about and studying happiness. He is the author of Stumbling on Happiness. The New York Times Book Review wrote, “Gilbert’s elbow-in-the-ribs social-science humor is actually funny. … But underneath the … Continue reading →

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Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 195) – Georges Wolinski

Posted on 07/01/2015 by

“L’humour est le plus court chemin d’un homme à un autre.” (“Humour is the shortest road from one person to another.”) — Georges Wolinski

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Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 192) – Mark Twain

Posted on 29/12/2014 by

“I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said, ‘I don’t know.’” — Mark Twain

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Five Speaking Lessons from TEDx Place des Nations

Posted on 13/12/2014 by

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of speaking at TEDx Lausanne. It was a wonderful experience. Two days ago, I had the privilege of attending TEDx Place des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. It was held in the impressive Assembly Hall of the … Continue reading →

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Analysis of a Speech by Ed Gavagan

Posted on 25/01/2014 by

Ed Gavagan is an architect who lives in New York City. He is the owner of a design firm specializing in boutique residences. In this talk at The Moth, Gavagan tells a very personal story about an incident that almost … Continue reading →

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Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 161) – Tina Fey

Posted on 26/03/2013 by

“The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30. “This is something Lorne [Michaels] has said often about Saturday Night Live, but I think it’s a great lesson about not being too precious about your … Continue reading →

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