I've always said that I learned the English I know through two sources -- Marvel Comics and Finnegans Wake.
Umberto EcoSometimes you say things with a smile with the precise intention of making it clear that you are not being serious, and are only kidding. If I salute a friend with a smile and say, "How are you, you old scoundrel!" clearly I don't really mean he's a scoundrel.
Umberto Eco