I make use of two approaches in cognitive linguistics: Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Blending Theory. My main objectives in using these two models are three. Firstly, I explore the close relation between metaphor and humour, which becomes evident when a metaphor blends together two distant concepts, resulting in an emerging structure whose scenario is absurd, ridiculous or incongruous. Secondly, by referring to Kövecses's (2002: 194) claim according to which individuals are likely to create novel metaphors based upon what they have previously experienced in their lives (the individual's 'personal history'), I attempt to demonstrate how the scriptwriters of 'Friends' exploit this device for humorous purposes. Indeed, among others, it contributes to construct characters that can be defined as distorted (or exaggerated) prototypes (Culpeper 2001). These characters are crucial for humour in general and the success of 'Friends' in particular. Finally, these non-idiomatic humorous metaphorical expressions seem to prepare the ground for the punch line at the end of the conversational exchange, thus resembling a self-standing joke. (Margherita Dore)