  What is a pun? How would you recognize one when you saw one? We're going to tell you all about puns, and we hope you won't be sorry. Puns are considered by some to be the 'lowest form of humour'. Other people, however, consider the pun to be an art form, and believe it to be a highly intelligent form of humour, because it relies on word play. You can decide. The pun is a very old form of humour, and there are many kinds of puns. New kinds of puns are still being invented. You could invent your own. A pun is defined by Webster's dictionary as:
Paronomasia is the act or practice of punning, and there's no better way to explain what a pun is than to show you some. Remember, we warned you! And there are three kinds of pun. Let's get the information part over with as quickly as possible. Are you ready? Here goes ...
The use of multiple meanings from a single spelling. For example, 'pickle' could be something you eat, or a nasty situation. The use of similar sounds with different spellings. For example, 'idle' and 'idol' Double-sound: As used in the typical "knock-knock" joke, when you substitute one sound for another. Knock knock. "Who's there?" "Orange." "Orange who?" "Orange you going to open the door?"  Variations on these three types have been around for a long time, and new variations are always being invented. Below we've tried to illustrate some of the most common variations on a pun, with some examples. These are not official, just typical forms of humour that have been given names by the people who collect them. See what you think. 'A pun is the lowest form of humor - when you don't think of it first.' Oscar Levant 'A form of wit, to which wise men stoop and fools aspire.' Ambrose Bierce But it was Edgar Allen Poe who said: "Of puns it has been said that those who most dislike them are those who are least able to utter them."  Daffynitions are words that sound like groups of other words. Here are a few:
Pasteurize: Too far to see. Propaganda: A gentlemanly goose. Toboggan: Why we go to an auction.  'Tom Swift was a fictional character in books written for children by the author E. L. Stratemeyer in the early 1900's. (We read every one of them!) These stories depicted Tom as a young genius, whose amazing inventions took him to places all around the world. In these books, the author always avoided using the word 'said' whenever Tom spoke. Tom asserted, averred, chortled, declared, expostulated, grimaced, grinned, groaned, quipped, smiled, ... or if he ever actually 'said' something, he did it colourfully, as in 'Tom said, laughingly'. Eventually, someone decided to satirize this form of writing by using punning adverbs, and the Tom Swifty was invented!' An example: "Take the prisoner downstairs," Tom said condescendingly." The adverb 'condescendingly' makes a double pun on the related words 'con' (prisoner) and 'descending' (downstairs). Here are some more:
"I know who turned off the lights," Tom hinted darkly. "You're a real zero," said Tom naughtily.  Named after the Reverend W.A. Spooner (1844-1930), an Anglican clergyman, a 'spoonerism' is an unintential interchange of sounds in two or more words, with a humourous result. Here are some examples:
"A troop of boy scouts" becomes "A scoop of boy trouts" It is possible that the name 'flutterby', which is an apt description of that insect, became the spoonerism 'butterfly'. Here are a few more:
"Three cheers for our queer old dean Victoria!"  This is a more modern type of pun, and you've probably seen them before. They explain themselves. Here are some examples:
On a diaper service truck: "Rock a dry baby." On a divorce lawyer's wall: "Satisfaction guaranteed or your honey back." At a lumberyard: "Come see, come saw." On a plumber's truck: "A flush beats a full house." At the tire store: "We skid you not!"  Definitions as puns are clever transpositions of real words. Some examples:
Diplomat: One who is disarming, even if his country isn't. Egotist: One who is me-deep in conversation. Hangover: The wrath of grapes. Middle Age: When actions creak louder than words. Psychologist: A person that pulls habits out of rats.  Palindromes are words or phrases which read the same backwards as forwards. Probably the most famous example is one desribing the engineer who built the Panama Canal: 'A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!' There are also the first words ever spoken: 'Madam, I'm Adam' Here are some more: 'If I had a HiFi' 'Lisa Bonet ate no basil' 'Senile Felines'  These need no explanation.
I used to be a butler, but found the work wasn't my cup of tea. I used to be a carpenter, but then I got bored. I used to work for H&R Block, but it was just too taxing. I used to be a part-time hairdresser, but I wanted something more permanent. I used to be a lumberjack, but then I got the axe. I used to be a tennis instructor, but it just wasn't my racket. I used to be a transplant surgeon, but my heart just wasn't in it. I used to work for Victoria's Secret, but then I got a pink slip. O.K., so now you've seen a few of the most common forms of puns. There are of course many more. We particularly like the 'surprise ending story' type of pun, which may just in fact be a single sentence. As in: 'In Star Wars, Chewbacca was raised on Earth by human parents. He was an excellent athlete and played baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers. His first year in the big leagues he batted .300 and was named WOOKIE of the year.' |