Attempt at Humor — Tag Meaning
A self-deprecating variant of the Humor tag, used by authors hedging their comedic bets — 'I tried to be funny, results not guaranteed.' Its sheepish charm has made it a beloved tag in its own right, and the fics underneath are often funnier than their authors give themselves credit for.
What to Expect From "Attempt at Humor" Fics
Comedy with a disclaimer. Usually lands fine; the modesty is part of fandom's culture of low-pressure creativity.
How to find Attempt at Humor fics on AO3
On AO3, click any tag to see every work that uses it, then refine with the "Filters" sidebar — combine it with your fandom or ship, set a rating, or exclude tags you don't want. See our AO3 filtering guide for the full walkthrough.
Browse "Attempt at Humor" works on AO3Popular Fics Tagged "Attempt at Humor"
Real examples from AO3's most-kudosed works:
hiding in plain sight
by saturnsorbit
Fool Me Once
by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle
Who Did What Now?
by dancing_homestuck
All will be well, as long as you stay by my side
by ThornedRose44
alexa, define sanity?
by Kazuko (LIXXEN)
Well...Time for Act Two...
by EmpressGeek
Related Tags
Humor
The umbrella tag for fic that wants to make you laugh, spanning witty banter, situational comedy, farce, and gentle absurdity. Unlike Crack, Humor implies the story still operates within recognizable canon logic — it's funny, not unhinged.
Tag guide →
Crack
Fic powered by an absurd premise embraced without apology — characters turned into cats, gods forced to share an apartment, a sentient toaster's perspective on the plot. The name comes from the old joke that the author must have been on something. Logic is optional; commitment to the bit is mandatory.
Tag guide →
Fluff and Humor
A combo tag for fics that are both sweet and funny — think banter-heavy romances, comedic misunderstandings that resolve in affection, or ensemble pieces where everyone is ridiculous and happy. It tells readers the comedy won't curdle into mean-spiritedness and the sweetness won't get heavy.
Tag guide →
Banter
Celebrates rapid-fire, affectionate verbal sparring as a feature worth tagging. Fics under this tag lead with dialogue — teasing, wit, comebacks — and it is a signature tag for ships whose canon chemistry runs on quips. For many readers, good banter is the entire reason to open a fic.
Tag guide →
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