The only talkative one of the party was Mr Bloxam, whose tongue continually tingled with ponderous jocoseness that had a strongly Scriptural flavour.

A reductio ad absurdum which attained serious attention, in spite of its patent jocoseness, appeared in an early number of the Dublin University Kottabos.

"Well," said the widow, more affably, "say you are—" "I are engaged to be married," promptly struck in the major, with untimely jocoseness.