Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-01-07
PINS AND PUNsTERs.
A DEFINITION OF THE FORMER AND
EXAMPLES or tn LATTER.

4 few specimens os the Better Glass Of
Ne Lowest Form VI wit Tom Hood the
Hincs OF f,ritish Punsters Puns -
naturally ~ He Laughs.
h the pun legitimate form OF WITT
Soibe people think not, and d.. johnson
said that a man who would make a pun
wohld pick pocket. But the fact IL
THAI the general objection to puns Is be-
caukc Of their frequent lack Of wit
thai is to say, it is directed TO bad puns.
Weldo not want to discuss bad puns--
or |even to hear them. Tho point ID,
VIII ther good puns are admissible rs
legitimate aud cemmendable express
siois Of humor. 1t il of no use 10 say,
likI Sydney Smith, that puns ought to
be lin bad repute. and, although one
finjs m incorrigible punster-often' 1t
is rue, an incorrigible bore-in every
little circlet Of social life, one does not
find the race Of pickpockets to be in
creksing alarmingly in numbers. Nor
do The statistics Of crime seem to bear
anJ relation to the productions OF
Plabchet or Brough or Of Gilbert to the
sprI bad Of burlesque and the cultivation
Of bah balladist opera.
y is probable that there are a few.
eyeh in these days Of culture, capable OF
apIheciating the profound witticism
Will h DE Quincey discovered in the
lesJs for which poor Elius Lamia was
put to death by Dumitian.
cicero had the name Of being a great
pujster, although not many Of his wit
ticil Fms have come down to us There is
on,I no sever. that may be appreciated
eyeb without knowledge OF Latin.
OmEe jew attempted TO get the cause
Of terres into his own hands, and Cice-
10. |who believed the Jew 10 be mere
tool Of the culprits, opposed him by ask
i'm, What hath Jew TO do with
sw1ne's fieshy' The Romans called
boak "yerres," so that the point was
ned and appropriate.
4 we want to argue the legitimacy CT
pubs we are obliged to fall back on the
oldldiscussion as to the difference be-
tw,kn wit and humor. The definitions
arellegimal Of course. but not one OF
them is wholly satisfactory. "Knowl-
eds comes and wisdom fingers, Ten
nyIbn says. and perhaps we might found
upu this parody, with some approach
10 tuth-that wit sparkles and humor
perIneates. But there is little profit To
BE- bot in analysis Of this kind. What Is
'unby isn't necessarily witty. but what
is funny must have in il or suggested
by IL some Of the essence OF humor.
This Charles Lamb was not so far
wnIng when be said that the most far
fetched and startling puns are the best.
The familiar inquiry, lis IL true that
the first apple was eaten by the first
pait!" Is farfctched, but one cannot
denk the bumor Of it. Again. in the
cOnhndrum, why is blind mans buff
Xix, sympaihy?"-"B Because it is fell
low feeling FOR fellow creature,
the h is direct application which is
alsJ unquestionably humorous. Then.
rs jnother example Of pun which IL
absbrdiy apparent, there was Douglas
Jertold's remark about man to whom
he had repeatedly written in vain for
son Q money.
i have written him." said Jerrold
10 Jn acquaintance. "but got nothing.
jStrange, said the other. "for he Is
a pau full Of kindness. "
'Yes," rejoined Jerrold, "unrcmit-
tint kindness
a pun which requires explanation III
bra lkets is indeed simply intolerable.
ThJ oxford scholar who, meeting a
porIer carrying hare through the
strekts, asked. "Prithee. friend. is that
thy Town hare or a wig?" required no
coul mentator This same story Is some
tiuts attributed TO Charles Lamb. Nor
didlTom Hood, who. when all is said
and done. remains the prince OF British
pun sters He puns as naturally as he
lat ths. A babe can zee the point OF his
jokls, and the crustiest dry -asdust can
! notjresist them.
Theodore Hook is thought by many
to be equal TO Hood rs punster, but
Hojk was labored and slow in COMPARE
sor! There is an impromptu air about
HO Ms puns which is Incompatible, and
an |unexpectedness, even when you are
loolting for them. that is delicious.
Frederick Locker once or twice seemed
10 hive Hood 3 unconscious ease, as thus
he cannot bo complete In aught
Who u not humorously prone.
A man without merry thought
Can hardly have funny bone.
Jbhp Hill Burton relates legal joke
WI th. 10 tie legal mind, has all the
chain Of "a pun. One day bailitf, serv-
ing writ. had been compelled by the
deflndan, To swallow the document In
u i.,e Of great agitation and anger the
offitl er rushed into the court. over which
Lori Norbury was presiding. to COM
plain Of the indignity. He was met by
the expression Of his lordship's hope
thai the writ was mot returnable III
thiJcourt.
n re, Harte. by the way, is not usual
" RI garded as a professional wit. and
yet ;,mong the good things which cling
TO Ine's memory is the couplet in the
III }athen Chinee:"
CInocaled ia his nails, which were taper.
wbat Il common In tapers-that's wax.
Sbmebody has written parody IN
whith candidate for examination even
bealb the record Of the Monaghan:
Contl,alrd In his palms, which were spacious.
whaj In common in palms-and that's dates
speaking Of palms recalls the famous
punlof the bishop Of Oxford, who, when
ask n by lady why he was nicknamed
Soaby Sam, replied, Because, madam,
l arp always getting into hot water and
always coming out with clean hands. !"
Perhaps il may be said that some OF
thest examples are not true puns But
a pr|n is not necessarily twisting OF
spelling and a contortion Of syllablcs,
as the writers o. burlesque and comic"
paplrs seem to think 1t is play upon
works, and to be really entitled to be
consk dered witty should play both upon
the Bound and the sense, if possible
Phi hdelphia Press.