3/18/11
3rd hour
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T HE A RT OF THE P UN
TABLE
OF
C ONTENTS
Slide 1 .........................................................The Pun-Humor for Idiots?
Slide 2……………………………....……………………………………….The Tom Swifty
Slide 3………..………………………………The Homographic and Homophonic
Slide 4……………………………………….......…………………………..The Oxymoron
Slide 5………………………………….……………..……………………The Spoonerism
Slide 6………………………………….......……………………………….The Daffynition
Slides 7 & 8…….……………….…………………………………….Shakespeare Puns
Slides 9 & 10……………………………………....…………………….…..Bibliography
T HE P UN -H UMOR FOR
I DIOTS ?
[puhn] noun, verb, punned, pun·ning.
–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.
–verb (used without object)
3. to make puns.
Puns began in the late 17th century and
early 18th century England. Originally, it
was called a pundigrion. At the time,
monosyllables were popular, so they
shortened the word to what we now
know as a pun. Some people see it as
the cheapest form of humor, designed to
entertain idiots. My views are
completely opposite. Those who hate
the pun probably just don’t get them.
You have to be endlessly clever to even
come up with some of that stuff. It’s a
form of art that only true geniuses can
create, and understand. As Edgar Allen
Poe said, “Of puns, it has been said that
those who most dislike them are those
who are least able to utter them.”
T HE TOM S WIFTY
Tom Swift was a made-up character, found in a series of children’s
books. The writer of these books was Edward L. Stratemeyer. The
series started in 1910, and ended in 1993. The pun is made by
forming a relationship between what one is doing, and how they do
or say it.
Examples
“Pass me the shellfish,” said Tom crabbily.
“Don’t you fire that gun at me!” Tom shot back.
“The robber went down the stairs,” said Tom condescendingly.
“Baa," said Tom sheepishly.
“Who discovered radium?” asked Marie curiously.
T HE H OMOGRAPHIC AND
H OMOPHONIC
Homographic puns play on the multiple meanings a single word may
have. On the other hand, homophonic puns play on words that
sound alike, but are spelled differently. These are relatively common
types of puns.
Examples
Homographic
“My brother criticized my apartment, so I knocked him flat.”
Homophonic
Seven days without a pun makes one weak.
T HE O XYMORON
An oxymoron is basically a working contradiction. (That’s an
oxymoron in itself) It’s a pair of words that are opposites, but still
make sense together. Some are based strictly on opinion.
Examples
Act naturally
Black light
Bigger half
Civil War
Original copy
Found missing
Small crowd
Random order
Opinionated Examples
Microsoft Works
Adult male
Military Intelligence
Common sense
Good God
T HE S POONERISM
Spoonerisms are typically caused when one mixes up the beginning
letters in one word with the beginning of another word when they
are speaking. Though often funny, some can be taken offensively. I
think they’re quite humorous, though.
Examples
"Three cheers for our queer old dean!" (dear old queen, referring to Queen
Victoria)
"The Lord is a shoving leopard." (a loving shepherd)
"A blushing crow." (crushing blow)
"Is the bean dizzy?" (dean busy)
T HE D AFFYNITION
Daffynitions are when you redefine a word. Redefining a word can
be considered a pun, if the new definition is humorous or clever. The
pronunciation of the word can be changed to fit the definition.
Examples
Alarms: What an octopus is.
Dockyard: A physician's garden.
Incongruous: Where bills are passed.
Khakis: What you need to start the car in Boston.
Pasteurize: Too far to see.
Propaganda: A gentlemanly goose.
Toboggan: Why we go to an auction.
S HAKESPEARE P UNS
Shakespeare used tons of puns in his writing. The puns he used
weren’t funny, though. Most of them were either sarcastic or kind
of morbid. The characters say them in ways that are hard to catch,
so you have to read through the text a couple times before you get
them. That’s how it was for me, at least, and I still don’t get them.
Examples
Much Ado About Nothing (Act II scene I)
Beatrice: “The count is neither sad, nor sick, nor merry, nor well: but civil,
count; civil as an
orange, and something of that jealous complexion.”
Context: Beatrice is referring to the character Claudio. Hint: There is a type
of bitter orange that
comes from Seville, Spain.
S HAKESPEARE P UNS
C ONTINUED
Richard III (Act I scene 1)
“Now is the winter or our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York…”
Context: These are the opening lines of Richard III. King Richard III was the
son of the Duke of
York.
3. Romeo and Juliet (Act I scene IV)
Mercutio: “Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.”
Romeo: “Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes
With nimble soles; I have a soul of lead
So stakes me to the ground I cannot move.”
Context: Romeo is reluctant to attend a party because he is suffering from a
broken heart.
B IBLIOGRAPHY
"BBC - H2g2 - Puns and Other Word Play." BBC - Homepage. Web. 15
Mar. 2011.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A592643#homographic>.
"Pun | Define Pun at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Free Online
Dictionary for English Definitions. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.
<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pun>.
"Spoonerism." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoonerism>.
"Tom Swifty." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swifty>.
B IBLIOGRAPHY C ONTINUED
"Who Was the Person That Created the Pun? - Yahoo! Answers."
Yahoo! Answers - Home. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.
<http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101007144336
AAjtGtm>.
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