Bob Nicholson
Lecturer in 19th-century history at Edge Hill University, specialising in Victorian culture and humour; featured guest discussing Victorian jokes, puns and comic culture in this episode.
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Feb 13, 2026 • 45min
Terrible puns and filthy limericks: the Victorian sense of humour
Bob Nicholson, a lecturer in 19th-century history who studies Victorian culture and humour, explores the era’s love of puns, conundrum contests and punny prestige. He delves into censored bodily jokes, private risqué limericks like those in The Pearl, early comic performances and how jokes spread across the Atlantic. Short, surprising stories reveal how Victorians laughed in public and behind closed doors.
