Mr. Stannard, wisely, makes no attempt to analyze Waugh's achingly funny humor.

In shows like "101 Humiliating Stories" she transformed painful personal moments into achingly funny comedy.

However, most were keen to assert the fun and humor of the novel, including Ben Arnold of the BBC who defined it as "Wildly camp and achingly funny...the best teen movie never made."

Playing the fearful but sometimes maddeningly commonsensical Gogo is Johnny Murphy, who's somewhat shorter than Mr. McGovern, which gives substance to their achingly funny debate when they contemplate suicide by hanging.

By taking these sentiments seriously, Ms. Dessay makes Zerbinetta humane and achingly funny.

Indeed, Mr. Koch's poetry is at once lyrical and humorous, aching with emotion and achingly funny.

Newbery judges called the book "achingly funny" and one British reviewer called it "rib-splitting".

"Bad Santa" takes all of the Christmas season's bad vibes and converts them into an achingly funny and corrupt dark comedy.

It's an old vaudeville routine that can be achingly funny in the way of sleight-of-hand.

Yet he endowed them with authentic, achingly funny vitality and, in the person of their director, Mrs. J. Duro Pampinelli (Ms. Seldes), he created a monster for all seasons.