Which character frequently uses humorous exaggerations?

• A. Milo
• B. Tock
• C. Rhyme
• D. The Humbug

Answer: (D)

Humor in The Phantom Tollbooth often comes from how characters speak, especially when someone uses humorous exaggeration to sound bigger or wilder than reality. The Humbug is the character who does this most; he loves bragging and inflating ordinary things into grandiose, ridiculous claims, using hyperbole to be funny and to poke fun at vanity. Milo is primarily curious, Tock is steady and literal, and Rhyme speaks in rhyme rather than grand exaggerations, so they don’t rely on exaggeration as a comedic device in the same way. So the character who frequently uses humorous exaggerations is the Humbug.