PUNS, EUPHEMISMS,
AND IDIOMS
Have you ever thought that translations from one language to another are very
literal? Does anything ever get “lost in translation”? Probably. Does some
interpretation of language rely on knowledge of the culture of the mainstream
users of the language? Possibly. Do you know people who do not “Get” your
jokes? Understanding puns, euphemisms, and idioms may help them to “Get the
joke.”
JOKE WITH PUN IN
SPANISH
 Doctor, doctor, ¿qué tal ha ido el parto?
 "Doctor, doctor, how did the birth go?"
 - Bueno, todo muy bien, pero a su hijo le hemos tenido que poner oxígeno.
 "Well, everything very well, but we have had to put on your son [put your son on] oxygen." [ponerle = "put
on him, to administer oxygen to the child “ in this case]
 - ¿¿Oxígeno?? Con la ilusión que a mí me hacía ponerle Federico...
 "Oxygen?? And after my heart was so set on calling him Federico . . . " [ponerle = “to name him"]

Do you get this pun in Spanish? Maybe. Maybe not. Do you see that someone learning English is
going to have difficulty with puns in English jokes too?
DEFINITIONS OF PUN AND
EUPHEMISM
 PUN = noun
1.the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or
suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of
words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in
meaning; a play on words.2.the word or phrase used in this way.
Ex: An elevator makes ghosts happy because it lifts their spirits.
 EUPHEMISM = noun 1.the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for
one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.
2.the expression so substituted: “To pass away” is a euphemism for “to die.”
IDIOM DEFINITION
 IDIOM =noun 1.an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the
usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket (which is also a euphemism – are
you confused yet?) or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical
rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a
larger expression of like characteristics.
 2.a language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people.
 3.a construction or expression of one language whose parts
correspond to elements in another language but whose total
structure or meaning is not matched in the same way in the second language.
 4.the peculiar character or genius of a language.
BRITISH IDIOMS
 “Bob’s your uncle.” It happened in an instant
 “Gordon Bennet!” An exclamation of surprise.
 "I say, old chap, that's just not cricket." This relies on
understanding that cricket has strict rules, and the “old chap”
obviously does not play by acceptable standard rules.
 Do you see you might not “get” some of the jokes even in an
English speaking country?
PUN-EXPLAIN IT

EUPHEMISM-EXPLAIN IT
IDIOM- EXPLAIN THE
C A RT O O N
EXTRA CREDIT!
 Do you begin to see that you cannot simply translate words and
understand what is meant on every occasion? There are double
meanings, hidden meanings, subtle meanings, and then there are puns,
euphemisms, and idioms. As an extra credit opportunity during this
semester, you may bring an illustrated pun, euphemism, or idiom to
share with the class. You must explain the wording and what it means.
(Ten points of credit). This is a ONE time deal!