by Kali' February 2, 2006
A pun is, quite simply, a play on words. There are many types, but in general, they all utilize one word that is relevant to the subject matter at hand, but is impractical in context. If formed correctly, a pun can be humorous, and can sometimes derail any given conversation in itself.
Puns are common comedic tools in literature, conversation, blogging, and all other sorts of digital and interpersonal communication. However, they are surprisingly complicated, and the concept of what comprises a pun can be confusing. Simple puns, such as humorous rhymes (i.e., *guy sees a woman get decapitated in a movie* "Geez, she didn't need to lose her head over that."), are not unfamiliar to the average speaker, and most of us have used them since our earliest years. Complex puns, such as the use of words in actual sentence structure (for example, *daughter gets her father an Icee slushie* "Icee what you did there!") require some degree of verbal and dictional proficiency.
Some guidelines:
1. It should be clearly relevant to the topic of discussion at hand, while being unnecessary (i.e, it certainly would not be the first thing you would use).
2. It should be fairly easy to recognize; puns often use elements of cliche and popular phrasing.
3. It should be timely. The goal is to be clever, not predictable.
A good way to understand how puns work is to ponder the place of irony in humorous context.
Puns are common comedic tools in literature, conversation, blogging, and all other sorts of digital and interpersonal communication. However, they are surprisingly complicated, and the concept of what comprises a pun can be confusing. Simple puns, such as humorous rhymes (i.e., *guy sees a woman get decapitated in a movie* "Geez, she didn't need to lose her head over that."), are not unfamiliar to the average speaker, and most of us have used them since our earliest years. Complex puns, such as the use of words in actual sentence structure (for example, *daughter gets her father an Icee slushie* "Icee what you did there!") require some degree of verbal and dictional proficiency.
Some guidelines:
1. It should be clearly relevant to the topic of discussion at hand, while being unnecessary (i.e, it certainly would not be the first thing you would use).
2. It should be fairly easy to recognize; puns often use elements of cliche and popular phrasing.
3. It should be timely. The goal is to be clever, not predictable.
A good way to understand how puns work is to ponder the place of irony in humorous context.
Brock (Pokemon): "It's raining! I guess I'll use my frying pan...as a drying pan!" *holds it over head to catch the rain*
Frank: "Hey Bob, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Bob: "Oh...hey, Frank. My dog passed away a little while ago. I found him lying under the table, struggling to breathe. The vet said he had a cardiac arrest."
Frank: "Oh, I'm sorry, man. It sounds like his last few minutes were a *heart ache*."
Bob: "God damnit, Frank, you're such an ass! Fuck you and your damn puns!"
Frank: "Hey Bob, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Bob: "Oh...hey, Frank. My dog passed away a little while ago. I found him lying under the table, struggling to breathe. The vet said he had a cardiac arrest."
Frank: "Oh, I'm sorry, man. It sounds like his last few minutes were a *heart ache*."
Bob: "God damnit, Frank, you're such an ass! Fuck you and your damn puns!"
by Dr. Dick Delaware December 24, 2011
Witticism at its whittiest.
Pun:
There was a marine biologist, named Dr. Panglos, who loved dolphins. (When I say he loved dolphins though, I’m not talking about in any kind of “sick” way; he just loved to study them). He spent his time trying to feed and protect his beloved creatures of the sea. One day, in a fit of inventive genius, he came up with a serum that would make dolphins live forever!
Of course he was ecstatic. But he soon realised that, in order to mass produce this serum, he would need large amounts of a certain compound that was only found in nature in the metabolism of a rare South American myna bird. Carried away by his love for dolphins, however, he decided that he would go to the zoo and steal one of these birds.
As he was arriving at the zoo an elderly lion was escaping from its cage. The Lion’s name was Leo, which wasn’t too original of a name for a lion if you ask me, but it’s probably not important to the story. Anyway, the zoo keepers were alarmed and immediately began combing the zoo for the escaped animal, unaware that it had simply lain down on the sidewalk and had gone to sleep since it was the Lion’s regular naptime anyway.
Meanwhile, the marine biologist arrived at the zoo and stole his bird. He was so excited by the prospect of helping his dolphins that he stepped absent mindedly over the sleeping lion on his way back to his car. Immediately, 15 policemen converged on him and arrested him for the crime of transporting a myna across a staid lion for immortal porpoises
There was a marine biologist, named Dr. Panglos, who loved dolphins. (When I say he loved dolphins though, I’m not talking about in any kind of “sick” way; he just loved to study them). He spent his time trying to feed and protect his beloved creatures of the sea. One day, in a fit of inventive genius, he came up with a serum that would make dolphins live forever!
Of course he was ecstatic. But he soon realised that, in order to mass produce this serum, he would need large amounts of a certain compound that was only found in nature in the metabolism of a rare South American myna bird. Carried away by his love for dolphins, however, he decided that he would go to the zoo and steal one of these birds.
As he was arriving at the zoo an elderly lion was escaping from its cage. The Lion’s name was Leo, which wasn’t too original of a name for a lion if you ask me, but it’s probably not important to the story. Anyway, the zoo keepers were alarmed and immediately began combing the zoo for the escaped animal, unaware that it had simply lain down on the sidewalk and had gone to sleep since it was the Lion’s regular naptime anyway.
Meanwhile, the marine biologist arrived at the zoo and stole his bird. He was so excited by the prospect of helping his dolphins that he stepped absent mindedly over the sleeping lion on his way back to his car. Immediately, 15 policemen converged on him and arrested him for the crime of transporting a myna across a staid lion for immortal porpoises
by WhatWhereVagina October 19, 2017
Person 1: How come I only have $20 in my wallet?
Person 2: Probably because you spent it on useless crap.
Person 1: Now that makes 'CENTS'
Person 2 : That was terrible! You need a PUNishment for that
Person 2: Probably because you spent it on useless crap.
Person 1: Now that makes 'CENTS'
Person 2 : That was terrible! You need a PUNishment for that
by chicken pen15 March 25, 2016
A noun used to represent a form of play-on-word that dwells on taking advantage of similar sounding words or different definitions/implications of a certain word or phrase, generally used for comic relief, or to express your own cleverness and distaste of others' sanity. Not to be confused with double entendre. A well crafted pun requires both flow of pronunciation and well-layered meanings.
by Robophant October 14, 2015
Really Clever Kid:"Hey, you wanna hear a pun?"
Really Hot Girl:"Yeah, sure!"
Really Clever Kid: "What do you call a girl living in the Playboy Mansion of Czechoslovakia?"
Really Hot Girl: "I.D.K. What?!??!!?"
Really Clever Kid: "A checkmate!"
Really Hot Girl: "LOL!!!!!! Lets have sex..."
Really Hot Girl:"Yeah, sure!"
Really Clever Kid: "What do you call a girl living in the Playboy Mansion of Czechoslovakia?"
Really Hot Girl: "I.D.K. What?!??!!?"
Really Clever Kid: "A checkmate!"
Really Hot Girl: "LOL!!!!!! Lets have sex..."
by Forty Two January 17, 2008
A play on words. Generally a pun takes a word that is quite understandable in context and replaces it with a homonym (same-sounding word) to create an entirely new meaning, or replaces a word with a similar-sounding one to the same effect.
.
.
A pun involving a word with two possible meanings --
Nurse, to young woman about to receive a vaccination:
"You're going to feel a little prick."
Woman: "It wouldn't be the first time."
* * *
A pun that uses a similar-sounding term to the expected one, to humorous effect --
A one-liner: "JFK's private life was so sexy they should have called his administration Cum-A-Lot."
.
Nurse, to young woman about to receive a vaccination:
"You're going to feel a little prick."
Woman: "It wouldn't be the first time."
* * *
A pun that uses a similar-sounding term to the expected one, to humorous effect --
A one-liner: "JFK's private life was so sexy they should have called his administration Cum-A-Lot."
.
by al-in-chgo March 13, 2010