27 Furthermore, a speaker violates maxim of quantity to limit the exposure of
a truth:
16 A: Where have you been? I called you thirty times.
B: I wasn’t around. What’s the big deal?
Or, the speaker violates maxim of relevance to evade current situation or topic being discussed:
17 A: Why did you not come to class today?
B: pointing away Is that Mr. Carla?
3 Opting out Maxims
Thomas 1995, p. 73, defines opting out as a situation when a speaker “chooses not to observe a maxim and states an unwillingness to do so”. For
example, a new friend asks about personal life:
18 A: I heard your boyfriend ran away and dumped you, is it true?
B: I’m sorry I can’t say it to you. Privacy area.
There are some conversations in How I Met Your Mother season 2 which the speakers opted out certain maxim and stated her unwillingness to do so clearly.
19 Robin was hiding the reason why she does not go to the Mall.
Robin: Sorry, I just don’t like Malls. Barney: Why not?
Robin: I’d rather not say.
However, the above example in the situated condition does not appear to be humorous. Rather it appeared to be a disappointment or curiosity for the hearer.
4 Suspending Maxims
This condition occurs when there is a certain circumstances or as part of certain event which does not expect the participant or any participant to observe
one or several maxim and no fulfillment does not generate any implicatures Thomas, 1995, p. 76. For example:
A: Yo mama is so dumb, when she wear a yellow raincoat everyone will yell, Taxi
28 Discovered data has the suspension of maxim within a joke uttered by Ted
in the following excerpt:
S0208SP01
20 Barney: A cougar. An older woman, usually in her 40s or fifties, single and on the
prowl for a younger man, Ted: What’s a women in her sixties or 70s—a turtle?
5 Infringing Maxims
Infringement occurs when a speaker fails to observe the maxim, although the speaker has no intention of generating an implicature and deceiving the hearer.
Thomas 1995, p. 74 explains that generally infringing rooted from imperfect linguistic performance in the case of a young child or foreigner or from impaired
linguistic performance triggered by nervousness, drunkenness, excitement, disability. The following excerpt exemplifies an account of infringement triggered
by nervousness:
21 A: Do you have any difficulties in conducting the research?
B: Emm… a little. But there is a when understand, I mean when I try understand the meaning of words.
Moreover, drunkenness infringes maxim of manner as appeared in the following humorous conversation:
22
Robin talking to the waiter: I’d take you with gravy. If my boyfriend wasn’t sitting right here. – Just kidding. I’m good.
Lily: What are you so chirpy about? Ted: She’s still drunk from last night.
Robin: I don’t think so. Whoo
B. Theoretical Framework
The research lays the emphasis on the contribution of the non-observances maxim in connection with humor -- fashioning the humorous situation as seemed
in TV-series How I Met Your Mother Season 2. Although, not all humorous
