lampoon

This word has been on my mind recently, as I have been preparing a speech on the Church of the Subgenius, so I decided to check up on its etymology.

A lampoon, according to the AHD, is "A written attack ridiculing a person, group, or institution.", or "light, good humored satire." It fills a special niche of being a form of parody which attempts to be less abrasive or pugilistic than other forms.

According again to the AHD, it comes from the French word lampons, which means "let us drink." A common refrain in drinking songs, it was the imperative form of lamper, a word of Germanic origin meaning "to gulp down".

Following the story of this one requires a very minor leap of logic: after all, drunk people are not only more prone to insulting eachother, as alcohol dissolves inhibitions, but on the whole it is likely to be taken in good sport if the butt of the joke can keep his temper. Its easy how it could make the jump from barroom bad-mouthing to an established word for good hearted ridicule.