Talk:Pun

message: Some of the examples in this section are rather dubious. E.g.: 
1 'Czech' and 'Check' sound pretty much identical to me, which rather contradicts the definition of an imperfect pun.
No, I am a Czech from my birth in Prague being baptized with Moldau - Vltava in Check Water and it may be Pretty Udderly Amoosing sorrrry to disagreeee --Capekm (talk) 23:09, 12 January 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: first point, agreed. and the examples overall are pretty poor and non-encyclopedic; a major overhaul is needed. second point, "putt" is a homograph; same form but 2 different meanings, namely a golfing-related "putt" = roll the ball into the hole on a golf green; and the driving-related "putt" (or "putt putt") = the rapid intermittent sound of a small gasoline engine. so i have to argue that there are two puns there, regardless of whether or not it's a good representative example for the article :) peace Warchef (talk) 20:24, 22 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Typology

message: Q: When is a door not a door?A: When it's (ajar/a jar)!
Once my brother and I went camping and he tried to scare me by pretending he was a bear, but I was barely scared. --Gimli 00:21, 3 April 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: One day, I told my friend a pun, it took 18 years for him to make an-otter pun. Cometkeiko (talk) 16:36, 4 May 2024 (UTC)
thread_title: Ajoke

message: --Capekm (talk) 23:09, 12 January 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: And a fart is a wind of shit. --TiagoTiago (talk) 09:56, 31 January 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: You mean 'whift', and you don't have to spell out the joke, Tiago. That tends to ruin the fun.148.64.29.61 (talk) 13:01, 13 May 2019 (UTC)
thread_title:  LOL 

message: I added the following example 'pun':
"Many puns are created without the knowledge of the speaker, For example: A TV show once depicted a man who had been impaled by an anchor. When interviewed the surgeon who performed the operation stated the common phrase "He sailed through it". With the pun being that an anchor is used during sailing."
Although, this doesn't seem to match the definition of pun at the top of the page. But i am sure this is labelled a pun. Can someone give me a heads up on this, i expect either i've confused this with another word, or the definition of 'pun' needs some additions to it..? Any ideas, anyone? ---Benbread 18:08, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: I have to disagree. Only one meaning of "to sail" is used, but one of the instances is a metaphor. No homonyms are involved, as required by the definition. This is a very common misuse of the term "pun", not an example of its use. Shantavira 13:35, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

text: Orbis is correct.  Using a metaphor with a connection in its literal sense is a legitimate type of pun.  A wonderful example was a dialogue between two inveterate celebrity punsters, Gordon Jump and William Shatner, where Jump remarked that "I have three daughters and a shotgun," to the last part of which Shatner replied (among other things), "It must have been a breech birth." BobGreenwade 18:35, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Unsure of 'pun' definition 

message: Jesus told me he was making a pun by changing Simon's name to represent his importance to the church.  The sequence is clear in the Bible:
:17 	And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar–jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.'
:18 	And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Pretty clear to me: Simon=flesh and blood >> Peter=rock
It's the most famous pun in history.  Ortolan88 21:53, 7 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: It's that way in the Bible

message: The article dajare is big enough and distinct enough to be left separate. Anthony Appleyard 06:43, 19 April 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree. Bibliomaniac15 23:56, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

text: Logically, dajare is large enough to be seen as a sub-page spun off of pun, with a summary on the main page prefixed by a reference to the full article. --Kaz 18:53, 26 May 2006 (UTC)

text: What is distinct about it besides it having different examples because of the language?  Is it not just a Japanese pun? In Defense of the Artist 16:24, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  dajare 

message: No page about puns is complete without a mention of the king of them all!Martyn Smith 21:36, 8 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Richard Whiteley

message: How is Pun a neologism?  I'm taking it out of that category.  --Xyzzyplugh 14:58, 18 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Neologism?

message: *Oppose.Both articles would lose their focus.  Dajare is really culturally Japanese (I realise that the concept of ethnic culture is out of favour at the moment).  It is part of the category of "Japanese word games" - what would happen to that if it were merged?  It is strongly focused enough to stand alone.
Perhaps a disambiguation page or cross-reference is called for. -- FClef  (talk) 23:48, 16 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Proposed merge

message: "Pre-owned game." this is because own has two meanings, the original "own" and the leetspeak own or pwn, the latter meaning that the game was previously pwned "beaten". --211.28.237.112 15:52, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I don't think "pwned" is commonly understood yet to become a pun except between those already familiar with "pwn". Still, few years later, I think it will be. --Revth 08:47, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Is this a pun? 

message: ====Quotations====
..."Never underestimate someone's last name that is Pun, for in doing so, one is punning. The word joke is allowed, but don't choke yourself when saying 'Pun'." -- Lady Anthia - you know, I know that person...
--74.96.208.20 02:24, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: I really like this one:

message: ..."Never underestimate someone's last name that is Pun, for in doing so, one is punning. The word joke is allowed, but don't choke yourself when saying 'Pun'." -- Lady Anthia - you know, I know that person...
--74.96.208.20 02:24, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Quotations

message: Warner Brothers' show "Animaniacs!" made great use of puns, one episode was even named "This Pun For Hire" and focused on dealing out one pun after the other at an unbelievable rate, you think they should be noted?
Yakko: How're you doing Scratchy?
Dr. Scratchansniff: I take umbrage of that.
Yakko: Oh sure, take all the umbrage, don't leave any for us!
Dr. Scratchansniff: No, I mean, I take offense!
Yakko: And you want our fence too? *hands Scratchansniff 5 planks of fence* Alrigh, take it! But that's all, we're tapped out!
Kloey: Who are you guys? I'm new to this website.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.130.117.109 (talk) 23:23, 18 December 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  WB 

message: I believe the intro would be a lot clearer if there is a simple example with explanation in the intro. If I think of an appropriate one, I shall add it.leontes 02:34, 3 April 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Example in Intro

message: Hey folks.  I added the globalize tag to the article because it describes punning and how it is interpreted primarily from a western, english speaking perspective.  It notes that punning is seen as something of an art form in the UK, for example, whereas US audiences may be less impressed by the skill.  The fact that such distinctions exist between just the US and the UK -- from a global perspective, culturally and linguistically similar places -- should behoove one to ask how other countries and cultures view the practice.  Sadly, no word on how puns are received in France, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, China, Indonesia, or Zimbabwe.
While it is impossible to cover every place, culture, and language, it would be nice if this were fleshed out a little bit more.  Thanks a bunch, 70.132.14.22 07:09, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Globalize 

message: I don't understand why this section exists in this article. A number of these so-called "examples" explain precisely why the phrase used is NOT a pun. I do not understand how this contributes to this article. Specifically, the example of "Curb your dog" to me, does not realise any pun. The example of the GM amphibious truck is silly, as the paragraph states, "Hey, this SEEMS like a pun, but it actually isn't! HA HA!" I would suggest that this section be either cleaned up significantly or removed.
69.121.41.162 03:41, 30 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Official Puns? 

message: Weather can mean to erode or to endure
We can weather the weather while weather weathers witherite wether one wekagram or one wektogram.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Asha'man Nellis, Jearn Rift Sept of the Codarra Aiel (talk • contribs) 19:39, 26 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Fun with Auto-antonyms 

message: I think it should be mentioned that *all* the James Bond films always have puns after the villain dies. It's always like James Bond fries the villian or something and then makes a witty commentary (like the villian being a "hothead" or something...) Dunno, someone ought to collect them James Bond puns.85.0.115.168 (talk) 13:28, 16 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  James Bond movies 

message: Why was the lojban reference removed?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sdeshpa (talk • contribs) 04:52, 29 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Lojban Reference 

message: I think that the list should be either A) removed or B) cut. RockRichard (talk) 04:20, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Do we really need a big, huge list of puns? 

message: The etymology section contained a statement There is no creditable documentation for the notion that the word is a backronym for "play upon names". I've removed this particular section . It was tagged with a  flag, which is nonsense. What is the fact flag tagging? That there is no documentation, or that the word is a backronym? If the flag is tagging the lack of documentation, how can one cite something which does not exist? or that the word is a backronym?
The term is attested from the 17th century; acronyms (and backronyms) are constructs of the 20th century, with some very few from the late 19th century, but none so far back (reliable sources can be provided, some of which are already discussed in the acronym article). Claiming that pun is a backronym of play upon names is under the same nonsense as claiming that golf was an acronym for "gentlemen only, ladies forbidden" or shit for "ship high in transport". Yngvarr (c) 14:55, 9 June 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Etymology section 

message: The example in the lead paragraph used to be "there is nothing punny about bad puns".  While it is a cute example, its self-reference make it confusing.  I have replaced it by a less funny but hopefuly more understandable example, "Do you want some cheese to go with your whine?".  If you have an even better but simple example, please go ahead. (The "nothing punny" example is now in the "puns about puns" section.) Jorge Stolfi (talk) 02:20, 24 October 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I believe the "there is nothing punny" is a better example: the other one is complicated by sarcasm, which is another form of humor and I think confuses the issue.  Also, the wine line has been exploited in film and television, and I think having a popular pun in the lede feels somehow off for a encylopedic article, and may confuse people to think that puns need be familiar.  Although it may be self-referential, I do not find it confusing.  However, some other simple ideas for sample puns:  "Wikipedia is a free insightlowpedia." "Savour the article after editing it."  "The encyclopedia that everyone can edict!"  I do think "there is nothing punny" is the best example and is more appropriate, however.  Additionally, the way that the lede has been edited in the third paragraph "A pun may also exploit confusion" is confusing, as it restates the content of the first sentence using more precise language, which is appropriate, so "in other words" would be a better way to start the sentence.  leontes (talk) 03:02, 24 October 2008 (UTC)
replies: text:  I am not happy with the "whine"/"wine" example either, but I still think that the self-reference in "nothing punny" is not didactical.  The Wikipedia examples above are cute; however, I feel that referring to Wikipedia in Wikipedia articles kinda inappropriate (like a movie character saying "this is not a movie, you know".  It breaks the spell...).  All the best, --Jorge Stolfi (talk) 03:20, 24 October 2008 (UTC)
replies: text:  "A linguist sword is always sharp."  "When it comes to choosing vowels, I'm pick e." "Meat packers are not only smart, they are cleaver." "Lunch thyme, Dinner parsley." leontes (talk) 06:56, 25 October 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Example in intro, revised 

message: Unfortunately this edit was reverted, but IMHO it is the best example of a self-referential pun. 
:* "Pun indented" (An edit on Wikipedia by User:Punainen Nörtti)
:: (Play on "pun intended")
Joepnl (talk) 18:59, 23 March 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: If we were not an encyclopedia and were instead Joke-of-the-day, sure. But we are not and we do not include self referential "examples". -- The Red Pen of Doom 19:04, 23 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  "Pun indented"  

message: Congratulations on about the lamest collection of puns I've ever seen.  I mean, they are BAD.  Was this intentional?  99.231.223.132 (talk) 05:27, 9 June 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Examples are bad 

message: Shouldn't the statement:
Walter Redfern exemplified this type with his statement "To pun is to treat homonyms as synonyms"
be in the section on Homonym puns, rather than in the section on Homophone puns?70.179.92.117 (talk) 04:15, 1 December 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Misplaced Statement? 

message: In the section on Double/Multiple puns, what is meant by "first aspect" and "second aspect"?  Is the example Tom Swiftly a good illustration of the two aspects?  It looks to me like a garden-variety compound pun -- two puns ("con" and "descending") in one statement.70.179.92.117 (talk) 04:39, 1 December 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Aspect ? 

message: Why can a man never starve in the Great Desert?
Fifth not explained pun?
Isn't dessert something to eat too?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.230.54.20 (talk) 16:02, 28 January 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Great Dessert 

message: Are these already covered in the typology? "paradigmatic puns (which depend on outside context, such as the multiple plays on “crossing state lines for immoral purposes”), and syntagmatic puns (where two related words are both found in the same pun, such as “You can tune a guitar, but you can’t tuna fish. Unless of course, you play bass”)." from this Boston.com review of "The Pun Also Rises". Jodi.a.schneider (talk) 12:06, 11 May 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Additions to the typology? 

message: The example of Kennedy's speech given in the Rhetoric section was not suitable with regards to the statement it was meant to support. It is not an example of a pun intentionally used as a rhetorical device, that was misinterpreted by the audience - Kennedy did not intend any double meaning or wordplay. Furthermore it is not even an example of an "unintented pun". The entire story hinges on the assertion that the phrase "ein Berliner" does not have a double meaning (required for a pun), but can only refer to "a jelly doughnut". If that were true, it would be a form of malapropism rather than a pun. However, the idea that Kennedy made a "mistake", which the Germans found amusing, has been thoroughly debated and debunked on the Ich bin ein Berliner page.
IamNotU (talk) 22:08, 22 November 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Removed Kennedy example 

message: I wonder if this is truly a pun or a malapropism, and I guess I don't fully understand the difference if the top image and example is "kleptoruomania"... Is there a reason why this is a pun while "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy" is malapropism or a spoonerism? Or the better example of "electric college" instead of electoral is a difference in a syllable or two, much like kleptoruomania, so I don't see how it is truly a pun. And maybe I am not getting the difference between these various terms, is it that "electric" is already a word? So using the wrong existing similar word is the distinction in humor? 
I thought what made a pun a pun was sounding the same or being the same word with different meaning. It seems adding "ruo" as an additional syllable doesn't make this the best example of a pun, because you can add syllables to any word or country to change its meaning entirely, "China up" would be a terrible example of pun for example. The most apt example should be given top billing, or none at all... I actually came to this page for a clearer understanding of what makes something a pun, and the showcased example doesn't really fit the differentiation between some of the similar word plays described.
I'm sure there are plenty of examples of homonyms used without additional syllables, maybe from Groucho Marx or someone that could better exemplify this distinction.
PJV (talk) 09:01, 2 December 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: I think you're right, it's not pun at all. I think it's usually more difficult to imagine images for the puns, where the humour springs not from what it seen but just from what is heard. It is still possible, of course ,  etc. Indeed the Violent Veg series of greetings card has made a big commercial success out of vegetable-related puns: . One of these would be ideal, I guess, but they'll all be copyright protected. Somewhere in between the two, perhaps, is Graham Rawle and his well-known "Lost Consonants" series. Martinevans123 (talk) 10:19, 2 December 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Top image as example, "kleptoruomania" 

message: In Spanish and other languages, puns are only linked to calambur, a joke that consists of uniting word sounds, not paronomasia. 
Calambur is actually a subset of paranomasia, and paranomasia a subset of pun. Seems to be a systematic link in at least 4 languages. So shouldn't there be a more complete original article and derivatives? As it was suggested before? Chibs007 (talk) 15:13, 27 April 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  Links to other languages 

message: In the main Wikipedia article, all of the pun examples in the Recursive Pun section are what I believe to be in an Homophonic Pun format. Can someone provide a pun that isn't in a Homophonic format, preferably ones that don't take any form of the other pun types like Homographic or Compounded?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.66.31.58 (talk) 22:21, 11 August 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pure Recursive Puns 

message: The "Other" section talks of morphological puns like portmanteau. I would like to see more examples of this type other than portmanteaus but I would accept some of those.68.66.31.58 (talk) 03:07, 12 August 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  Morphological Pun Expansion 

message: The opening sentence of this article is rather complex for a first sentence of an article. I am sure that there must be an easier way of defining puns  - such as saying that they are plays on words. Vorbee (talk) 17:47, 3 October 2017 (UTC)
thread_title: Opening sentence

message: Not in the canyon in my book  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.13.254.124 (talk) 22:17, 28 January 2019 (UTC)
thread_title:  Wondering if this is a pun please? we are on the subject of canyons and hiking and books, please see below 

message: Maybe this is just my pea-culi-nary hangup, but I get a lot of cognative dissonance/mental interferance when I contemplate specifically "Give peas a chance": I'm distracted, perhaps bcz my mom during pregnancy viewed a tee-shirt that depicted a guy holding a blender, and the slogan "Visualize whirled peas". I'm a bit more than half-serious, in saying that my aged brain doesn't have room for more than one pun on peas/peace w/o balking, and I'd welcome a different example entailing, say, a longer quasi-spoonerism like "... the squaw on the hippotamus, and the sons of the squaws on the other two hides", which puns on the Pythagorean Theorem.--Jerzy•t 08:58, 12 March 2019 (UTC)
thread_title:  Peace/peas example/egg sample 

message: Imagine if someone's heart was arrested. (a pun on cardiac arrest. 🥁🥁🥁) Elaboratescanner04 (talk) Elaboratescanner04 (talk) 06:30, 26 September 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: Would love to die a purrfect death. 🐱 Cometkeiko (talk) 16:40, 4 May 2024 (UTC)
thread_title:  pun