Editing Pun

{{Short description|Form of word play}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Redirect|Puns|the former Sahrawi political party|Partido de Unión Nacional Saharaui}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
[[File:Jamaica her own idea.png|thumb|upright=1.25|''[[Punch (magazine)|Punch]]'', 25 February 1914.  The cartoon is a pun on the word "Jamaica", which pronunciation [dʒəˈmeɪkə] is a homonym to the clipped form of "Did you make her?".<ref>[[Ben Zimmer]]. "[https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=591 Jottings on the 'Jamaica' joke]", ''Language Log'', 14 September 2008.</ref><ref>Although Zimmer was not able to trace it to its source, the Jamaica joke originated in American college boy humour: {{cite magazine|magazine=The Yale Record|volume=XL|date=2 June 1912|issue=15|title=(No headline)|page=447|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yul.yg15_r_245_v40_i15&view=1up&seq=51|access-date=23 April 2023}}; {{cite magazine|title=In Lighter Vein|magazine=The Brown Alumni Monthly|date=November 1912|volume=XIII|issue=4|page=111|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiuo.ark:/13960/t9184h46r&view=1up&seq=159|access-date=28 April 2023}}; {{cite magazine|magazine=The Graduate/University of California Medical Center|title=Commuting|year=1914|page=88|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31378008244504&view=1up&seq=98|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref>
]]

A '''pun''', also known as a '''paronomasia''' in the context of [[linguistics]], is a form of [[word play]] that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended [[humor]]ous or [[rhetoric]]al effect.<ref>{{Cite web|title=paronomasia|url=http://rhetoric.byu.edu/Figures/P/paronomasia.htm|access-date=2 June 2021|website=rhetoric.byu.edu}}</ref> These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of [[Homophone|homophonic]], [[homograph]]ic, [[metonym]]ic, or [[figurative language]]. A pun differs from a [[malapropism]] in that a malapropism is an incorrect variation on a correct expression, while a pun involves expressions with multiple (correct or fairly reasonable) interpretations. Puns may be regarded as [[in-joke]]s or [[idiom]]atic constructions, especially as their usage and meaning are usually specific to a particular language or its [[culture]].

Puns have a long history in writing. For example, the Roman playwright [[Plautus]] was famous for his puns and word games.<ref name="Pollack2011">{{cite book|first=John |last=Pollack|title=The Pun Also Rises|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XwMoG3zlYVwC|date=14 April 2011|publisher=Penguin Publishing Group|isbn=978-1-101-51386-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Fontaine |first=Michael |title=Funny Words in Plautine Comedy |year=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref>

== Types of puns ==

===Homophonic===
{{See also|Homophonic puns in Standard Chinese}}
[[File:BAABAAA black Jeep in Oakland, April 2021.jpg|thumb|right|A black Jeep with license plate BAABAAA – a pun on "[[Baa, Baa, Black Sheep]]"]]
A homophonic pun is one that uses word pairs which sound alike ([[homophones]]) but are not synonymous.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.elc.edu/how-very-pun-ny-of-you/|title=English Grammar Lesson – How very pun-ny of you! – ELC|date=2 August 2016|work=ELC – English Language Center|access-date=31 August 2017}}</ref> Walter Redfern summarized this type with his statement, "To pun is to treat homonyms as [[synonyms]]."<ref>''Puns'', Blackwell, London, 1984</ref> For example, in [[George Carlin]]'s phrase "atheism is a non-prophet institution", the word ''[[prophet]]'' is put in place of its homophone ''[[wikt:profit|profit]]'', altering the common phrase "[[non-profit organization|non-profit institution]]". Similarly, the joke "Question: Why do we still [[United States Army Europe#Cold War|have troops in Germany]]? Answer: To keep the [[Warsaw Pact|Russians]] in [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|Czech]]" relies on the aural ambiguity of the homophones ''[[wikt:check|check]]'' and ''[[wikt:Czech|Czech]]''. Often, puns are not strictly homophonic, but play on words of similar, not identical, sound as in the example from the ''[[Pinky and the Brain]]'' cartoon film series: "I think so, Brain, but if we give peas a chance, won't the lima beans feel left out?" which plays with the similar—but not identical—sound of ''peas'' and ''peace'' in the anti-war slogan "[[Give Peace a Chance]]".<ref>[[q:Pinky and the Brain|''See the citation on Wikiquote'']]</ref>

===Homographic===
A ''homographic'' pun exploits words that are spelled the same ([[homograph]]s) but possess different meanings and sounds. Because of their origin, they rely on sight more than hearing, contrary to homophonic puns. They are also known as ''heteronymic puns''. Examples in which the punned words typically exist in two different [[parts of speech]] often rely on unusual sentence construction, as in the anecdote: "When asked to explain his large number of children, the pig answered simply: 'The wild oats of my sow gave us many piglets.{{'"}} An example that combines homophonic and homographic punning is [[Douglas Adams]]'s line "You can tune a guitar, but you can't [[tuna]] fish. Unless of course, you play [[bass (fish)|bass]]." The phrase uses the homophonic qualities of ''tune a'' and ''tuna'', as well as the homographic pun on ''bass'', in which ambiguity is reached through the identical spellings of {{IPAc-en|b|eɪ|s}} (a [[Bass guitar|string instrument]]), and {{IPAc-en|b|æ|s}} (a [[Bass (fish)|kind of fish]]). Homographic puns do not necessarily need to follow grammatical rules and often do not make sense when interpreted outside the context of the pun.

===Homonymic===

[[File:Evolution of a pitcher LCCN2008677254.jpg|thumb|400px|This cartoon makes fun of how the word "pitcher" means both a vessel and a baseball player by [[morphing]] one into the other.]]
''Homonymic'' puns, another common type, arise from the exploitation of words that are both homographs and homophones. The statement "Being in [[politics]] is just like playing [[golf]]: you are trapped in one bad lie after another" puns on the two meanings of the word ''lie'' as "a deliberate untruth" and as "the position in which something rests". An adaptation of a joke repeated by [[Isaac Asimov]] gives us "Did you hear about the little moron who strained himself while running into the screen door?" playing on ''strained'' as "to give much effort" and "to filter".<ref>Asimov, Isaac. [https://archive.org/details/isaacasimovstrea00asim/page/174 <!-- quote=little moron. --> ''Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor''], p. 175, § 252. 1971. Houghton Mifflin. New York.</ref> A homonymic pun may also be [[polysemic]], in which the words must be homonymic and also possess related meanings, a condition that is often subjective. However, lexicographers define [[polysemes]] as listed under a single dictionary [[Lemma (morphology)|lemma]] (a unique numbered meaning) while homonyms are treated in separate lemmata.

===Compounded===
A compound pun is a statement that contains two or more puns. In this case, the wordplay cannot go into effect by utilizing the separate words or phrases of the puns that make up the entire statement. For example, a complex statement by [[Richard Whately]] includes four puns: "Why can a man never starve in the [[Sahara|Great Desert]]? Because he can eat the sand which is there. But what brought the sandwiches there? Why, [[Noah]] sent Ham, and his descendants mustered and bred."<ref name="ages">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/opinion/28Tartakovsky.html | work=The New York Times | title=Pun for the Ages | first=Joseph | last=Tartakovsky | date=28 March 2009}}</ref> This pun uses ''sand which is there/sandwiches there'', ''[[Ham (son of Noah)|Ham]]/ham'', ''mustered/mustard'', and ''bred/bread''. Similarly, the phrase "piano is not my forte" links two meanings of the words ''forte'' and ''piano'', one for the dynamic markings in music and the second for the literal meaning of the sentence, as well as alluding to "pianoforte", the older name of the instrument. Compound puns may also combine two phrases that share a word. For example, "Where do [[mathematician]]s go on weekends? To a Möbius strip club!" puns on the terms ''[[Möbius strip]]'' and ''[[strip club]]''.

===Recursive===
A recursive pun is one in which the second aspect of a pun relies on the understanding of an element in the first. For example, the statement "[[Pi|π]] is only half a pie" (π [[radian]]s is 180 [[degree (angle)|degrees]], or half a circle, and a [[pie]] is a complete circle). Another example is "[[Infinity]] is not in finity", which means infinity is not in [[Finite set|finite]] range. Another example is "a [[Freudian slip]] is when you say one thing but mean [[Oedipus complex|your mother]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/puns.html |title=PUNS |website=Tnellen.com |access-date=20 December 2011}}</ref> The recursive pun "Immanuel doesn't pun, he [[Immanuel Kant|Kant]]" is attributed to [[Oscar Wilde]].<ref name="Pollack2011"/>

===Visual===
[[File:148FS USAF emblem.png|thumb|[[148th Fighter Squadron]] emblem, a [[visual pun]] in which the squadron's motto, "Kickin' Ass", is depicted literally as an [[Donkey|ass]] in the act of kicking even though "kicking ass" is a colloquial expression for winning decisively or being impressive.|alt=]]

[[Visual pun]]s are sometimes used in logos, emblems, insignia, and other graphic symbols, in which one or more of the pun aspects is replaced by a picture. In European [[heraldry]], this technique is called [[canting arms]]. Visual and other puns<ref name="Puns">{{cite web |last1=Zack |first1=Hart |title=Best Puns So Far |url=http://punsclick.com/ |website=Punsclick |access-date=7 May 2025}}</ref> and word games are also common in Dutch [[gable stone]]s as well as in some [[cartoon]]s, such as ''[[Lost Consonants]]'' and ''[[The Far Side]]''. Another type of visual pun exists in languages that use non-phonetic writing. For example, in Chinese, a pun may be based on a similarity in shape of the written character, despite a complete lack of phonetic similarity in the words punned upon.<ref>Attardo, Salvatore. [https://books.google.com/books?id=hE_ex4MZKIEC&dq=%22Chinese+puns%22&pg=PA109 ''Linguistic Theories of Humor''], p.109. Walter de Gruyter, 1994. Alleton, V.: ''L'écriture chinoise''. Paris, 1970.</ref> [[Mark Elvin]] describes how this "peculiarly Chinese form of visual punning involved comparing written characters to objects."<ref>Elvin, Mark, [https://books.google.com/books?id=o-dQeGeuQNAC&pg=PA113 "The Spectrum of Accessibility: Types of Humor in ''The Destinies of the Flowers in the Mirror''"], p. 113. In: [[Roger T. Ames]] (et al.): ''Interpreting Culture through Translation: a Festschrift for D. C. Lau''. 1991, pp. 101–118.</ref>

Visual puns on the bearer's name are used extensively as forms of heraldic expression, they are called [[canting arms]]. They have been used for centuries across Europe and have even been used recently by members of the [[British royal family]], such as on the arms of [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]] and of [[Princess Beatrice of York]]. The arms of U.S. Presidents [[Theodore Roosevelt]] and [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] are also [[Canting arms|canting]].{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} In the context of non-phonetic texts, [[4 Pics 1 Word]], is an example of visual paronomasia where the players are supposed to identify the word in common from the set of four images.<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 March 2014|title=Paronomasia - Definition and Examples of Paronomasia|url=https://literarydevices.net/paronomasia/|access-date=2 June 2021|website=Literary Devices|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Paronomastic===
[[Paronomasia]] is the formal term for [[Pun|punning]], playing with words to create humorous or rhetorical effect. Paronomastic puns often manipulate well-known [[Idiom|idioms]], [[Proverb|proverbs]], or phrases to deliver a punned twist. The classic structure of a joke, with a setup leading to a punchline, is a common format for paronomastic puns, where the punchline alters the expected phrase in a way that plays on multiple meanings of a word. For instance, in the sentence, "I used to be a baker, but I couldn't make enough dough," the word "dough" is used paronomastically to refer both to the substance used to make bread and to slang for money.

This type of pun is frequently used in [[Advertising|advertisements]], [[comedy]], and [[literature]] to provide a clever and memorable message. One notable example comes from an advertising slogan for a moving company: "We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want your tows." Here, the familiar phrase "an arm and a leg" is paronomastically punned upon with "tows," playing on the phonetic similarity to "toes" while referring to the company's service of towing belongings.

===Metonymic===
Metonymic puns exploit the [[Metonymy|metonymic]] relationship between words – where a word or phrase is used to represent something it's closely associated with. In such puns, one term is substituted for another term with which it's closely linked by a concept or idea. The humor or wit of the pun often comes from the unexpected yet apt connection made between the two concepts.

For instance, consider a hypothetical news headline: "The White House loses its balance." In this case, "The White House" is used metonymically to represent the [[Government of the United States|U.S. government]], and "balance" could be interpreted both as physical stability (as if the building itself is tipping over) or fiscal balance (as in the budget), thereby creating a pun.

While metonymic puns may not be as widely recognized as a specific category of pun, they represent a sophisticated linguistic tool that can bring an additional layer of nuance to wordplay.

===Sylleptic/heteronymic===
[[Syllepsis]], or heteronymy, is a form of punning where a single word simultaneously affects the rest of the sentence, while it changes the meaning of the idiom it is used in. This form of punning uses the word in its literal and metaphorical senses at once, creating a surprising and often humorous effect.

An example of a sylleptic pun is in the sentence, "She lowered her standards by raising her glass, her courage, her eyes and his hopes." In this case, "raising" applies in different ways to each of the items listed, creating a series of linked puns. This type of punning can often be seen in literature, particularly in works that play extensively with language. (She razed his self-esteem in how she raised the children.)

Notable practitioners of the sylleptic pun include authors such as [[P. G. Wodehouse]], who once wrote, "If not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled," playing on the [[dichotomy]] of "disgruntled" and "gruntled," where the latter is not typically used.

===Antanaclasistic===
[[Antanaclasis]] is a type of pun where a single word or phrase is repeated, but the meaning changes each time. The humor or wit derives from the surprising shift in meaning of a familiar word or phrase. This form of punning often relies on homophones, homonyms, or simply the contextual flexibility of a word or phrase.

A classic example is [[Benjamin Franklin]]'s statement, "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."<ref>Reportedly said on the eve of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the exact origins remain uncertain as it was first reported in print in 1840, long after Franklin's death.</ref> In this quote, the word "hang" is first used to mean "stay" or "work together," but then, it is repeated with the meaning "be executed."

This punning style is prevalent in both humorous and serious contexts, adding layers of complexity to the language by highlighting the multifaceted nature of words. Such puns are frequently used in literature, speeches, and advertising to deliver memorable and impactful lines.

===Other===
Richard J. Alexander notes two additional forms that puns may take: graphological (sometimes called visual) puns, such as [[concrete poetry]]; and [[Morphology (linguistics)|morphological]] puns, such as [[portmanteau]]x.<ref name = Alexander>{{cite book |last=Alexander |first=Richard J. |url=https://archive.org/details/aspectsofverbalh00alex |url-access=registration |title=Aspects of Verbal Humour in English |publisher=Gunter Narr Verlag |year=1997 |location=Narr, Tübingen |isbn=978-3-823-34936-5|pages=21–41}}</ref> Morphological puns may make use of [[rebracketing]], where for instance ''distressed'' is parsed as ''dis-tressed'' (having hair cut off), <ref name = Alexander/> or in the [[self-reference|self-referential]] pun "I entered ten puns in a pun competition hoping one would win, but no pun in ten did" (parsed as "no pun intended").

== Use ==

===Comedy and jokes===
Puns are a common source of humour in jokes and [[Stand-up comedy|comedy shows]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2008/may/15/gluttonsforpunishment|title= Gluttons for pun-ishment|first=Dan|last=Worth|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=15 May 2008}}</ref> They are often used in the [[punch line]] of a joke, where they typically give a humorous meaning to a rather perplexing story. These are also known as [[feghoot]]s. The following example comes from the movie ''[[Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World]]'', though the punchline stems from far older [[Vaudeville]] roots.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BoT1Cc1Ecb8C&q=lesser%20of%20two%20weevils%20joke&pg=PA20 | title=Vaudeville Humor: The Collected Jokes, Routines, and Skits of Ed Lowry | author=Levitt, Paul M. | year=2002 | publisher=Southern Illinois University Press | isbn=978-0-8093-2720-1}}</ref> The final line puns on the stock phrase "[[lesser of two evils principle|the lesser of two evils]]". After Aubrey offers his pun (to the enjoyment of many), Dr. Maturin shows a disdain for the craft with his reply, "One who would pun would pick-a-pocket."

{{Blockquote|
Captain Aubrey: "Do you see those two [[weevil]]s, Doctor?...Which would you choose?"
Dr. Maturin: "Neither. There's not a scrap of difference between them. They're the same species of ''[[Curculio]]''."
Captain Aubrey: "If you had to choose. If you were forced to make a choice. If there were no other option."
Dr. Maturin: "Well, then, if you're going to push me. I would choose the right-hand weevil. It has significant advantage in both length and breadth."
Captain Aubrey: "There, I have you!...Do you not know that in [[Royal Navy|the Service]], one must always choose ''the lesser of the two weevils.''"
}}

Not infrequently, puns are used in the titles of comedic [[Parody|parodies]]{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}. A parody of a popular song, movie, etc., may be given a title that hints at the title of the work being parodied, replacing some of the words with ones that sound or look similar. For example, [[collegiate a cappella]] groups are often named after musical puns to attract fans through attempts at humor.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How Many A Cappella Group Names are Puns? {{!}} The A Cappella Blog|url=http://acappellablog.com/statistical-findings/how-many-a-cappella-group-names-are-puns/|first=Mike|last= Chin|date=18 May 2011|access-date=5 January 2022|website=acappellablog.com}}</ref> Such a title can immediately communicate both that what follows is a parody and also that work is about to be parodied, making any further "setup" (introductory explanation) unnecessary.

====Books never written====
{{See also|Aptronym}}
Sometimes called "books never written" or "world's greatest books", these are jokes that consist of fictitious book titles with authors' names that contain a pun relating to the title.<ref name ="Partington2006">{{cite book |last=Partington |first=Alan |date=2006 |title=The Linguistics of Laughter: A Corpus-Assisted Study of Laughter-Talk |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kpz5OjqpwYUC&q=book+puns+eileen+dover&pg=PA127 |publisher=Routledge |page=127 |isbn=978-0-41538166-6 }}</ref> Perhaps the best-known example is: "''Tragedy on the Cliff'' by Eileen Dover", which according to one source was devised by humourist [[Peter De Vries]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Booth |first=David |date=1990 |title=Writers on Writing: Guide to Writing and Illustrating Children's Books |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L8gJTvJMbYQC&q=%22Peter+DeVries%22+%22Eileen+Dover%22 |publisher=Grolier Limited |page=83 |isbn=978-0717223930 }}</ref> It is common for these puns to refer to taboo subject matter, such as "''What Boys Love'' by E. Norma Stitts".<ref name ="Partington2006"/>

'''Pun competitions'''

2014 saw the inaugural [[United Kingdom|UK]] Pun Championships, at the [[Leicester Comedy Festival]], hosted by [[Simon Brodkin|Lee Nelson]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Collins |first=Gemma |date=14 February 2014 |title=Comedy Festival Review: The UK Pun Championships at Just The Tonic |url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Comedy-Festival-Review-UK-Pun-Championships-Just/story-20629488-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150829022032/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Comedy-Festival-Review-UK-Pun-Championships-Just/story-20629488-detail/story.html |archive-date=29 August 2015 |access-date=1 June 2015 |newspaper=Leicester Mercury}}</ref> The winner was Darren Walsh. Walsh went on to take part in the [[O. Henry Pun-Off|O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships]] in [[Austin, Texas]].<ref>{{cite web |date=9 January 2015 |title=Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival |url=http://www.comedy-festival.co.uk/newact/index.phpnewact.php?nav_id=96&level=1 |access-date=1 June 2015 |website=Comedy-festival.co.uk}}</ref> In 2015 the UK Pun Champion was Leo Kearse.<ref>{{cite web |title=Leo Kearse: Comedian and Writer |url=http://www.leokearse.co.uk/ |access-date=1 June 2015 |website=leokearse.co.uk |publisher=Leo Kearse}}</ref>  Other pun competitions include Minnesota’s Pundamonium, Orlando Punslingers, the Almost Annual Pun-Off in Eureka, and Brooklyn’s Punderdome,<ref name="s730">{{cite web |date=2011-10-27 |title=Welcome to the Punderdome |url=https://www.columbiaspectator.com/eye/2011/10/27/welcome-punderdome/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Columbia Daily Spectator}}</ref><ref name="b516">{{cite web |last=Cutler |first=Sarah |date=2023-06-08 |title=Brooklyn's Pun Contest is Known for Silliness. But Competition Prep is No Joke. |url=https://columbianewsservice.com/2023/06/08/dispatch-from-the-punderdome-brooklyns-pun-contest-is-known-for-silliness-but-competition-prep-is-no-joke/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Columbia News Service}}</ref><ref name="r336">{{cite magazine |last=Reynolds |first=Eileen |date=2011-05-11 |title=Battle of Wits: A Report From the Punderdome |url=https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/battle-of-wits-a-report-from-the-punderdome |access-date=2024-11-15 |magazine=The New Yorker}}</ref> led by [[Jo Firestone]] and her father, Fred Firestone.<ref name="Away with Words">{{cite book |last=Berkowitz |first=Joe |title=Away with Words: An Irreverent Tour Through the World of Pun Competitions |date=2017-06-13 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-249562-4 |page=}}</ref><ref name="WSJ">{{cite news |last1=Akst |first1=Daniel |title=Low Wit in Its Highest Form |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/low-wit-in-its-highest-form-1498171136 |access-date=15 November 2024 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=June 22, 2017}}</ref> In ''Away with Words: An Irreverent Tour Through the World of Pun Competitions,''<ref name="Away with Words" /> Joe Berkowitz deems Austin's [[O. Henry Pun-Off]] the "Olympics" of pun competitions, and Brooklyn's Punderdome the "X Games".<ref name="WSJ" /> [[GQ]] described the crowd at Brooklyn's Punderdome as "passionate, to a level that feels dangerous".<ref name="b963">{{cite web |last=Campion |first=Freddie |date=2015-07-23 |title=The 5 Funniest Comedy Nights in America |url=https://www.gq.com/story/funniest-comedy-nights-in-america |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=GQ}}</ref>

===Literature===
Non-humorous puns were and are a standard poetic device in [[English literature]]. Puns and other forms of wordplay have been used by many famous writers, such as [[Alexander Pope]],<ref name="Nichol2015">{{cite book|editor1-last=Nichol|editor1-first=Donald W|title=Anniversary Essays on Alexander Pope's 'The Rape of the Lock'|date=30 November 2015|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=9781442647961|pages=21, 41, 81, 102, 136, 141, 245|url=http://www.utppublishing.com/Anniversary-Essays-on-Alexander-Pope-s-The-Rape-of-the-Lock.html|access-date=13 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910094259/http://www.utppublishing.com/Anniversary-Essays-on-Alexander-Pope-s-The-Rape-of-the-Lock.html|archive-date=10 September 2015}}</ref> [[James Joyce]],<ref name="MenandNewYorker2012">{{cite magazine|last1=Menand|first1=Louis|title=Silence, Exile, Punning: James Joyce's chance encounters|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/07/02/silence-exile-punning|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=13 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031125748/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/07/02/silence-exile-punning|archive-date=31 October 2015|date=2 July 2012}}</ref> [[Vladimir Nabokov]],<ref name="HitchensAtlantic2005">{{cite web|last1=Hitchens|first1=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Hitchens|title=Hurricane Lolita|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/12/hurricane-lolita/304386/|website=The Atlantic|access-date=13 August 2016|date=1 December 2005}}</ref> [[Robert Bloch]],<ref name="ZinnaCasebook">{{cite web|last1=Zinna|first1=Eduardo|title=Yours Truly, Robert Bloch|url=http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/dst-bloch.html|website=Casebook.org|access-date=13 August 2016|date=2013}}</ref> [[Lewis Carroll]],<ref name="AppletonSmithsonian2015">{{cite web|last1=Appleton|first1=Andrea|title=The Mad Challenge of Translating "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/mad-challenge-translating-alices-adventures-wonderland-180956017/?no-ist|website=Smithsonian|access-date=13 August 2016|date=23 July 2015}}</ref> [[John Donne]],<ref name="KaveneyGuardian2012">{{cite news|last1=Kaveney|first1=Roz|title=John Donne, priest and poet, part 7: puns in defiance of reason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/02/john-donne-in-defiance-of-reason|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=13 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502205902/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/02/john-donne-in-defiance-of-reason |archive-date=2 May 2015|date=2 July 2012}}</ref> and [[William Shakespeare]].

In the poem ''A Hymn to God the Father'', [[John Donne]], whose wife's name was Anne More, puns repeatedly: "Son/sun" in the second quoted line, and two compound puns on "Done/done" and "More/more". All three are homophonic, with the puns on "more" being both homographic and [[capitonym]]ic. The ambiguities introduce several possible meanings into the verses.

{{poemquote|
"When Thou hast ''done'', Thou hast not ''done'' / For I have ''more''.
that at my death Thy ''Son'' / Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore
And having ''done'' that, Thou hast ''done''; / I fear no ''more''."
}}

[[Alfred Hitchcock]] stated, "Puns are the highest form of literature."<ref>{{cite AV media | title = The Dick Cavett Show | medium = Television production | time = 8 June 1972 | publisher = American Broadcasting Company | location = United States }}</ref>

==== Shakespeare ====
[[Shakespeare]] is estimated to have used over 3,000 puns in [[Shakespeare's plays|his plays]].<ref name="ColbyryEG">{{cite web|last1=Colbyry|first1=Thomas|title=Examples of Puns in Shakespeare's Writings|url=http://entertainmentguide.local.com/examples-puns-shakespeares-writings-5643.html|website=Entertainment Guide|publisher=Demand Media|access-date=13 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150902223314/http://entertainmentguide.local.com/examples-puns-shakespeares-writings-5643.html |archive-date=2 September 2015}}</ref> Even though many of the puns were bawdy, [[Elizabethan literature]] considered puns and wordplay to be a "sign of literary refinement" more so than humor. This is evidenced by the deployment of puns in serious or "seemingly inappropriate" scenes, like when a dying [[Mercutio]] quips "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man" in ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |last1=Tartakovsky |first1=Joseph |title=Pun for the Ages |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/opinion/28Tartakovsky.html |access-date=31 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=28 March 2009}}</ref>

Shakespeare was also noted for his frequent play with less serious puns, the "quibbles" of the sort that made [[Samuel Johnson]] complain, "A quibble is to Shakespeare what luminous vapours are to the traveller! He follows it to all adventures; it is sure to lead him out of his way, sure to engulf him in the mire. It has some malignant power over his mind, and its fascinations are irresistible."<ref>Samuel Johnson, ''Preface to Shakespeare''.</ref> Elsewhere, Johnson disparagingly referred to punning as the lowest form of humour.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mf-miymm-i8C | title=You Can Say That Again! | publisher=Dundurn | author=Rogers, Bruce | year=1999 | pages=95| isbn=9781554880386 }}</ref>

===Rhetoric===

Puns can function as a [[rhetorical device]], where the pun serves as a persuasive instrument for an author or speaker. Although puns are sometimes perceived as trite or silly, if used responsibly a pun "can be an effective communication tool in a variety of situations and forms".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Junker|first=Dave|title=In Defense of Puns: How to Use them Effectively|journal=Public Relations Tactics|date=Feb 2013|volume=20|issue=2|page=18}}</ref> A major difficulty in using puns in this manner is that the meaning of a pun can be interpreted very differently according to the audience's background with the possibility of detracting from the intended message.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Djafarova|first=Elmira|title=Why Do Advertisers Use Puns? A Linguistic Perspective|journal=Journal of Advertising Research|date=Jun 2008|volume=48|issue=2|pages=267–275|doi=10.2501/s0021849908080306|s2cid=167457581}}</ref>

===Design===

Like other forms of wordplay, paronomasia is occasionally used for its attention-getting or [[mnemonic]] qualities, making it common in titles and the names of places, characters, and organizations, and in advertising and slogans.<ref name=Adslogans>{{cite web|url=http://www.adslogans.co.uk/ans/creslo01.html |title=The Art and Science of the Advertising Slogan |website=Adslogans.co.uk |access-date=20 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://leo.aichi-u.ac.jp/~goken/bulletin/pdfs/No16/03AbassF.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=1 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722071237/http://leo.aichi-u.ac.jp/~goken/bulletin/pdfs/No16/03AbassF.pdf |archive-date=22 July 2011  }}</ref>
[[file:Tiecoon Tie Shop in Penn Station NY during COVID 19 Pandemic.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|The Tiecoon Tie shop, in Penn Station NY, an example of a pun in a shop name]]
Many restaurant and shop names use puns: [[Cain and Abel|Cane & Able]] mobility healthcare, [[Salmonella|Sam & Ella]]'s Chicken Palace, [[Tycoon|Tiecoon]] tie shop, [[Planet of the Apes (novel)|Planet of the Grapes]] wine and spirits,<ref name = "best">{{cite web
| url = http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008-06-06/the-50-best-pun-stores/
| title = The 50 Best Pun Stores
| website = BestWeekEver.tv
| author-link = Michelle Collins (comedian)
| last = Collins
| first = Michelle
| date = 6 June 2008
| access-date = 2 December 2012
| archive-date = 21 June 2012
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120621141847/http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008-06-06/the-50-best-pun-stores
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> Curl Up and Dye hair salon, as do books such as ''[[Stuart Maconie|Pies and Prejudice]]'', [[webcomics]] like (''[[YU+ME: dream]]'') and feature films such as (''[[Good Will Hunting]]''). The Japanese [[anime]] ''[[Speed Racer]]'s'' original Japanese title, ''Mach GoGoGo!'' refers to the English word itself, the Japanese word for five (the [[Mach Five]]'s car number), and the name of the show's main character, Go Mifune. This is also an example of a multilingual pun, full understanding of which requires knowledge of more than one language on the part of the listener.

Names of fictional characters also often carry puns, such as [[Ash Ketchum]], the protagonist of the anime series ''[[Pokémon]]'', and [[Goku]] ("Kakarrot"), the protagonist of the [[manga]] series ''[[Dragon Ball]]''. Both franchises are known for including second meanings in the names of characters. A recurring motif in the ''[[Austin Powers (film series)|Austin Powers]]'' films repeatedly puns on names that suggest male genitalia. In the [[science fiction]] [[television series]] ''[[Star Trek]]'', "[[B-4 (Star Trek)|B-4]]" is used as the name of one of four [[Android (robot)|androids]] models constructed "before" the android [[Data (Star Trek)|Data]], a main character. A librarian in another ''Star Trek'' episode was named "Mr. Atoz" (A to Z).

The [[Sequel#Paraquel|parallel sequel]] ''[[The Lion King 1½]]'' advertised with the phrase "You haven't seen the 1/2 of it!". [[Wyborowa|Wyborowa Vodka]] employed the slogan "Enjoyed for centuries straight", while [[Northern Telecom]] used "Technology the world calls on."<ref name=Adslogans/>

On 1 June 2015 the [[BBC Radio 4]] ''[[You and Yours]]'' included a feature on "Puntastic Shop Titles". Entries included a Chinese Takeaway in [[Ayr]] town centre called "[[Uluru|Ayr's Wok]]", a kebab shop in Ireland called "[[Abracadabra|Abra Kebabra]]" and a tree-surgeon in Dudley called "[[Special Branch#United Kingdom|Special Branch]]". The winning entry, selected by [[Simon Brodkin|Lee Nelson]], was a dry cleaner's in Fulham and Chelsea called "Starchy and Starchy", a pun on [[Saatchi & Saatchi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05wq1bq|title=Financial Abuse, Ikea Complaints, Damart Marketing, You and Yours|website=BBC Radio 4|publisher=BBC|date=1 June 2015}}</ref>

==In the media==

Paronomasia has found a strong foothold in the media. [[William Safire]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' suggests that "the root of this pace-growing [use of paronomasia] is often a headline-writer's need for quick catchiness, and has resulted in a new tolerance for a long-despised form of humor."<ref>{{cite news|last=Safire|first= W.|title=On Language: A Barrel of Puns|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=SM2|date=1980}}</ref> It can be argued that paronomasia is common in media headlines, to draw the reader's interest. The rhetoric is important because it connects people with the topic. A notable example is the ''[[New York Post]]'' headline "Headless Body in Topless Bar".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vincent|first1=Musetto|title=Vincent Musetto, 74, dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/business/media/vincent-musetto-74-author-of-headless-headline-of-ageless-fame.html |work=The New York Times|date=9 June 2015|access-date=27 August 2015}}</ref> ''[[New York Post]]'' headlines for sex scandal articles have included "Cloak and Shag Her" (General Petraeus), "Obama Beats Weiner" (Congressman Weiner),<ref name="Away with Words" /> and "[[Jeff Bezos|Bezos]] Exposes [[David Pecker|Pecker]]".<ref name="w579">{{cite web |last=Swisher |first=Kara |date=2019-02-08 |title=Jeff Bezos Isn't Afraid of Total Exposure |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/08/opinion/bezos-national-enquirer-blackmail.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

Paronomasia is prevalent orally as well. [[Salvatore Attardo]] believes that puns are verbal humor. He talks about Pepicello and Weisberg's linguistic theory of humor and believes the only form of linguistic humor is limited to puns.<ref name="journal">{{cite journal |first=Margot |last=van Mulken |author2=Renske van Enschot-van Dijk |author3=Hans Hoeken |title=Puns, relevance and appreciation in advertisements |journal=Journal of Pragmatics |date=May 2005 |volume=37 |issue=5 |pages=707–721 |doi=10.1016/j.pragma.2004.09.008 |citeseerx=10.1.1.946.7625 }}</ref> This is because a pun is a play on the word itself. Attardo believes that only puns are able to maintain humor and this humor has significance. It is able to help soften a situation and make it less serious, it can help make something more memorable, and using a pun can make the speaker seem witty.

Paronomasia is strong in print media and oral conversation so it can be assumed that paronomasia is strong in broadcast media as well. Examples of paronomasia in media are sound bites. They could be memorable because of the humor and rhetoric associated with paronomasia, thus making the significance of the [[soundbite]] stronger.

==Confusion and alternative uses==

There exist subtle differences between paronomasia and other literary techniques, such as the [[double entendre]]. While puns are often simple wordplay for comedic or rhetorical effect, a double entendre alludes to a second meaning that is not contained within the statement or phrase itself, often one that purposefully disguises the second meaning. As both exploit the use of intentional double meanings, puns can sometimes be double entendres, and vice versa. Puns also bear similarities with [[paraprosdokian]], [[Zuegma#Syllepsis|syllepsis]], and [[eggcorn]]s. In addition, homographic puns are sometimes compared to the [[stylistic device]] [[antanaclasis]], and homophonic puns to [[polyptoton]]. Puns can be used as a type of [[mnemonic]] device to enhance comprehension in an educational setting. Used discreetly, puns can effectively reinforce content and aid in the retention of material. Some linguists have encouraged the creation of [[neologism]]s to decrease the instances of confusion caused by puns.<ref>Shakespeare Survey – Volume 23 – Page 19, Kenneth Muir – 2002</ref>

==History and global usage==
{{See also|Bilingual pun}}
[[File:Rahm Emanuel Hankyu Very Much tweet May 2022.png|thumb|[[Rahm Emanuel]], the [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Japan|ambassador of the United States to Japan]], tweeted a bilingual pun in May 2022, combining the [[Hankyu]] railway company in Japan and the English "[[thank you]]."]]
Puns were found in [[ancient Egypt]], where they were heavily used in the development of myths and interpretation of dreams.<ref>Pinch, Geraldine Pinch (1995), [https://books.google.com/books?id=8Op3RD28z_4C&q=puns&pg=PA68 ''Magic in ancient Egypt''], University of Texas Press, p. 68.</ref>

In [[China]], [[Shen Dao]] (ca. 300 BC) used "shi", meaning "power", and "shi", meaning "position" to say that a king has power because of his position as king.<ref>Waley, Arthur (1982), [https://books.google.com/books?id=zIjGVfU_sAgC&dq=%22ancient+china%22+puns+language&pg=PA181 Three ways of thought in ancient China] Stanford University Press, p. 81.</ref>

In ancient [[Mesopotamia]] around 2500 BC, punning was used by scribes to represent words in [[cuneiform]].<ref>Robson, Eleanor (2008), [https://books.google.com/books?id=w-e6kfvoq5gC&q=punning&pg=PA31 ''Mathematics in ancient Iraq: a social history''], Princeton University Press, p. 31.</ref>

The [[Tanakh]] contains puns.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ThA8AAAAIAAJ&q=%22pun+forms+the+tie%22&pg=PA1|title=The Bible and the Comic Vision|first=J. William|last=Whedbee|date=28 May 1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521495073|access-date=7 February 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref>

The [[Maya people|Maya]] are known for having used puns in their [[hieroglyphic writing]], and for using them in their modern languages.<ref>Danien, Elin C.; Robert J. Sharer (1993), [https://books.google.com/books?id=FyHgy-xw2CgC&dq=maya+puns&pg=PA99 ''New theories on the ancient Maya''], University of Pennsylvania. University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, UPenn Museum of Archaeology, p. 99.</ref>

In Japan, "[[graphomania]]" was one type of pun.<ref>Brown, Delmer M.; John Whitney Hall (eds), [https://books.google.com/books?id=nCJwEDzyxNgC&q=pun&pg=PA463 ''The Cambridge History of Japan: Ancient Japan''], Cambridge University Press, 1993, p. 463.</ref> More commonly, wordplay in modern Japan is known as ''[[dajare]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schreiber |first1=Mark |title='Dajare' 101: Why should Japanese have all the pun? |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2017/10/23/language/dajare-101-japanese-pun/ |access-date=1 May 2023 |work=[[The Japan Times]] |date=23 October 2017}}</ref>

In [[Tamil language|Tamil]], "Sledai" is the word used to mean pun in which a word with two different meanings. This is also classified as a poetry style in ancient [[Tamil literature]]. Similarly, in [[Telugu language|Telugu]], "Slesha" is the equivalent word and is one of several poetry styles in [[Telugu literature]].

==See also==
{{Div col}}
*[[Aesopian language]]
*[[Albur]]
*[[Alliteration]]
*[[Auto-antonym]]
*[[Dad joke]]
*[[Dajare]]
*[[Double entendre]]
*[[False etymology]]
*[[Mondegreen]]
*[[Phono-semantic matching]]
*[[Satiric misspelling]]
*[[Spoonerism]]
*[[Tom Swifty]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book |last=Augarde |first=Tony |title=The Oxford Guide to Word Games |url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordguidetowor00tony |url-access=registration |year=1984 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=London|isbn=978-0-19-214144-6 }}
* {{cite journal|author1-link=Christian F. Hempelmann |last=Hempelmann |first=Christian F. |title=Script opposition and logical mechanism in punning |journal=Humor: International Journal of Humor Research |volume=17 |issue=4 |date=Sep 2004 |pages=381–392 |doi=10.1515/humr.2004.17.4.381|s2cid=144409644 }} (access restricted)
*{{cite book | last=Berkowitz | first=Joe | title=Away with Words: An Irreverent Tour Through the World of Pun Competitions | publisher=Harper Perennial | publication-place=New York | date=2017-06-13 | isbn=978-0-06-249560-0 | page=}}
*{{cite book |last=Pollack |first=John |title=The Pun Also Rises |date=2012-04-03 |publisher=Avery |isbn=978-1-59240-675-3}}

{{Figures of speech}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Puns| ]]
[[Category:Ambiguity]]
[[Category:Etymology]]
[[Category:Humour]]
[[Category:Lexicology]]
[[Category:Satire]]
[[Category:Semantics]]
[[Category:Types of words]]
[[Category:Word play]]
[[Category:Words]]