LAUGH and the world laughs with you - unless you happen to be a man. For when it comes to laughter a new study has revealed men chuckle like grunting hogs. While women's laughter sounds like trilling songbirds, men tend to grunt and snort when amused.

US scientists analysed more than 1,000 "laughter bursts" from 97 volunteers and sorted them in to different types to find the different ways people laugh.

The guinea-pigs were shown classic comedy clips, including clips from Monty Python and the Holy Grail and When Harry Met Sally.

Jo-Anne Bachorowski, of Vanderbilt Unversity, Nash-ville, said volunteers produced a wide range of sounds, but women were more likely to laugh in song-like bursts, while men produced grunts and snorts.

It's no laughing matter for actors, who have to stage their emotions. Ruth Ferguson, vice-president of Newport Playgoers Society, said: "It's certainly more difficult to laugh onstage than cry, because laughter can sound insincere.

"When you're all worked up on stage it's easy to get emotional and distraught, but you have to be relaxed enough to laugh properly, and obviously you're not." The Argus asked shoppers what they thought.

David Lloyd, 62, of Abercarn, said: "I think I have got a snorty laugh, but I don't laugh often." Wife Joyce, 59, said: "Everybody tells me I've got a dirty laugh. "If someone's shopping burst open now, that would make me laugh."

Chris Coleman, 52, of Machan, said: "A good comedian makes me laugh - good but clean, I don't like swearing, I find rude comedy offensive." Husband Clive, 76, said: "Nothing much makes me laugh. A Carry On film maybe, but I don't think I've seen more than one of those all the way through."

Joan Winser, 47, of Caldicot, said: "I probably bark, or something, but I'm no songbird, that's for sure."

Husband Des, 50: "I don't grunt. The silliest things make us laugh - we've got a talking toilet-roll holder at home, and a coughing ashtray. We're the kind who buy those singing fish. In fact, there's a singing antelope I've got my eye on for Christmas."

Kelly Thomas, 16, of Duffryn, said of boyfriend James Biggs: "He grunts like a pig, mainly when his friends do funny things."

James agreed: "When my friend ripped his brother's £70 designer jeans out last night and his brother doesn't know he borrowed them, that made me laugh. "Kelly giggles a lot - normally when she shouldn't ."

Marion Clayton, 49, of Rogerstone, and son Simon Waters, 23, from Bracknell. She said: "Simon and his brother make me laugh with their stories when they come back from work. He doesn't grunt when he laughs - I've brought him up better than that. He has a nice chuckle." Her son said: "I don't have a dirty laugh - I wish I did."

Catherine Franklin, 37, of Rogerstone, said: "I don't think it's true that women sound like birds. I laugh like a drain."

Husband Robert, 43, said: "Laughing's a better option than crying. If I saw someone walk into a lamppost I'd burst out laughing."