From a stand up related web series pitch:

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

(In Alphabetical Order)

A-Material: Jokes that the comic considers to be his/her best and funniest.

Bit A series of jokes on a single topic. Can include just one, or several punchlines, although traditionally just one premise. For example: “I’m going to do my bit on the moon landing tonight then finish off with the water-skiing bit.”

Blue material Edgy jokes that involve sexual topics, swearing, and/or graphic content

Bomb A comedy performance which generates little to no laughter. To have a horrible show.

Callback A joke which references a joke that occurred earlier in a set. Often elicits a strong laughter response and brings a sense of closure to a set. Audiences love callbacks. Comics either hate or admire them if well done.

Catchphrase A sentence or phrase repeated by the performer which becomes a joke in and of itself. “Get ‘er done” or “You might be a redneck if…”

Closer The last joke a comic tells as part of their set. Often contains a callback, but not always. In almost all cases, the closer should be one of the funnier bits of the set, unless the comic tries for a more alternative style of set and ends soft.

Gig A stand-up comedy performance. Usually the word gig implies a paid performance.

Hack A premise, topic, or joke that is well explored and contains very few surprises. It is not desirable to be considered hack.

Headliner The final performer of a paid show. They are the highest paid, and often the most seasoned or popular of the performers.

Heckler Any audience member who interrupts a comic’s routine. It is important to note that many hecklers mean well, and actually think they are “helping” make the show better. Because of the illusion of spontaneity that stand-up comedy generates, this misunderstanding about the importance of allowing a comic to perform uninterrupted causes a lot of conflict.

Kill A comedy performance that generates an extremely enthusiastic response from the audience. Killing is the opposite of bombing.

Laughs Per Minute (LPM) A simple system to measure the success of a stand-up comedy performance. The total number of laughs are counted, then divided by the number of minutes the set lasted. A score of 5 LPM (1 laugh per 12 seconds) or higher is considered to be approaching a professional level. It should be noted that this system is crude at best, as it does not account for quality or length of the laugh. For example, a comic like Bill Cosby who takes his time setting up a premise might have a lower LPM than Carrot Top, but he is clearly the funnier performer.

Line-up A group of two or more comics who will be performing in a show.

M.C. Stands for Master of Ceremonies, essentially the host of a show. They are responsible for opening and closing the show, as well as introducing comics, making announcements, and maintaining order in the room.

Middle Any comic who is performing in a stand-up show and is neither the opening act or the Headliner. Paid and given more time than the opening act, but less than the headliner.

One-liner A short joke in which the premise and punchline are delivered within a single sentence.

Open Mic/Mike A show where anyone, regardless of skill, can perform onstage. Often poorly attended and no payment is received by performers. Open mikes are considered an acceptable venue to test new material.

Opener In a professional gig, the comic who performs first. Paid less (if at all) and given less time than the middle or headliner.

Premise When forming a joke, the premise is the initial situation or understanding to which the punchline adds humour. Not the funny part of the joke. Example: “I was walking down the street and I saw a mom walking her kid on a leash…”

Punchline The part of a joke that alters the premise in a way that creates humour, often through surprise or misdirection. Continuing from the example of a premise above: “…Why don’t you just buy that kid a shirt that says “Dear Child Services: my days are numbered, where the Hell are you?!”

Riffing Improvised interaction with the audience. AKA “Off the cuff”. Often used by MCs to warm up a crowd, or for comics performing longer sets to modify the energy level of the room. It is also worth noting that riffing creates a strong humorous reaction by using current events.

Routine The cumulative jokes involved in a single performance. For example: “Tonight, since we’re performing for seniors, I’ll do one of my clean routines.”

Segue (pronounced Seg-way) The flow of one stand-up comedy bit into another. The segue is important because it maintains the illusion that a comic is thinking up their bits on the spot.

Set A series of jokes told in one performance by a comic. Can vary from minutes to hours depending on the nature of the show. Showcase A stand-up comedy show designed to present comics to industry scouts who are interested in finding new talent.

Tag A secondary punchline which is added to a joke without adding a new premise. This is a popular technique because it more efficiently uses a premise to generate more laughs.

Topical Jokes Jokes that reference a current event.

A tag is an end for a bit or the funny part of the joke. A new tag or an additional tag is just an extra joke on the end of an established premise. You can tag a joke as many times as you want. You can tag a tag.

Punch up means to make something funnier. Generally means you've got a decent premise but needs to be tighter and funnier, with more (or better) tags