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As in topic, I'm advanced in English, I'm looking for simple tricks how to smoothly extricate oneself from situations like awkward silence, when starting conversation with a stranger fails or being misunderstood etc. and I plan to use humor/wit.

I'm already learning idioms and I use them daily, some local(Glasgow/scottish) slang(it's probably interesting to hear a foreign using local slang), watching comedy movies and listen to some comedy podcasts from bbc, but I’m still looking for new ideas.

Thanks in advance.

Nathan Tuggy
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    I'd say you are on the right track with idioms, since you need extensive vocabulary, knowledge of usage and idioms to make a good pun/word play. Such as this one. As for the sense of humour that's more an inherent individual characteristic, IMO – Lucky Apr 26 '15 at 20:18
  • You could also consider miming. https://www.google.com/search?q=miming&num=20&newwindow=1&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=gSE-VeShD4nksAS2qICoAQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=1357&bih=900 – TimR Apr 27 '15 at 11:46
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    Native speakers pick such idioms and humor as they grow up. You can also do so by exposing yourself to comic media in English: movies, series, and books. You will find some of them so amusing that your humor inventory will grow steadily. Personally, I enjoy the witty, sharp, well-built humor of Game of Thrones books. I think that those books are a banquet for highly advanced or nearly native level English speakers. – Josh Apr 27 '15 at 14:23
  • What exactly are you looking for in an answer here? I definitely agree that watching English-language media intended to be humorous is probably your best bet. I would suggest stand-up comedy. – DCShannon Jun 05 '15 at 19:34
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    Laughing slightly yourself will cue the listener even if they don't quite understand or appreciate the joke. – Dylan Cross Jun 12 '15 at 13:10
  • @Dylan Cross + for pointing out the nonverbal aspects of humor. – Will Jun 12 '15 at 17:14
  • This doesn't seem to be a question about learning the English language, but rather about being socially confident. – brendan Jun 29 '15 at 10:03
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's a question about social graces, not language. – StoneyB on hiatus Jul 08 '15 at 21:53

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