Professional Joke DJ
“Missed by a Little” Hanover, NH
November 8, 2020
Informant Data:
DJ is a New Hampshire native, born on 14th October 1960 in Exeter. He has one sister who is currently living in New Hampshire. DJ spent his childhood growing up in Exeter, later attending Phillips Exeter Academy for his final year of high school. Before coming to coach at Dartmouth, DJ spent 12 years as a head coach of the USTA New England boys’ Davis Cup team. DJ has now spent a total of 31 years coaching at Dartmouth as an assistant, 23 years with the men’s team and is now in his ninth season for women’s. He has assisted both the men’s and women’s team to two Ivy League victories each.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: Tennis is a sport popular among many different cultures and countries around the world. The game is played on a range of different surfaces, one of which is clay. The surface of a clay court is made entirely from clay (aside from the lines), with a light layering of clay on the top so that the clay is able to move below a player’s feet. This means that when a ball is hit onto the other side, a ball mark is left behind. This is often used to check whether a ball is in or out once a player makes a call.
Social Context: Despite the simple structure of the game and the relatively large court that players have to aim for, occasionally, players go for too much and end up missing by a lot. In this case, it is unnecessary to check the mark on the ball as it is clearly out. The joke is, therefore, said in a sarcastic manner. As college tennis is only played on hardcourt, where a ball does not leave an obvious mark, this comment becomes even more sarcastic as a player is unable to check a mark even if they wanted to.
Item:
“Can I see a mark on that one?”
Tags:
- Verbal folklore
- Jokes
- Referential humor
- Coaching
Nina Paripovic
Dartmouth College
RUSS 13
Fall 2020