****The Official Wednesday before Thanksgiving since most don't work on Friday Silliness Thread****

Puns & Other Word Play ^

[Lucky9teen]

Puns & Other Word Play

Many see puns as cheap humor, one-liners, or groaners, despite their prevalence in our culture. They are most often seen in the names of businesses, or advertising. Others, like the writer Jonathan Swift, see them as a challenging art form, where one shapes words like a cobbler bends leather. 'Punning is an art of harmonious jingling upon words,' said Swift, 'which, passing in at the ears, excites a titillary motion in those parts; and this, being conveyed by the animal spirits into the muscles of the face, raises the cockles of the heart.

However the dictionary describes a pun as:

pun
n.
A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words.

Egg Plant
The Art of Humorous Puns

Humorous Puns
Many puns hardly ever illicit more than groans from those subjected to their obvious humor. There are many theories as to why this is. One such theory put forth by Freud states those who do not laugh at puns have punus envitas.

What is it that makes a good pun? Here are a few pointers.

Quick set-up (brevity is important)
No proper names (listener might not recognize the name)
Familiar references
A pointed revelation (you should see the spark in the listeners' eyes as they 'get it')
Maximum wordplay throughout

Tap Dancers

[Lucky9teen]

[girlscout]

The longer version ...

WKRP Turkey Drop

[Doogle]

....years ago John a photographer was on vacation in Africa. One day while out on Safari the group came upon a huge bull elephant, John noticed that the elephant was in pain and notice a slight limp. He stepped away from the group, and against the guides advice approached the elephant to try to see if he could help.
He bent down and with a little encouragement, the huge beast lifted it's foot and John dislodged a splinter he found right in the middle of the sole of the foot. The group was amazed at the gentle touch both John and the beast displayed while each backed cautiously away from each other....

Years go by.....

John has since married and had a little boy and they were now visiting a zoo in the big city, a big treat for them.
As they worked their way from attraction to attraction they came upon the elephant exhibit. Sure enough, this huge male elephant came forward and stood within ten feet of them, looking down with what seem like a smile, the huge elephant, playfully tossed it's trunk back and forth as though waving to John.
John, now overcome with emotions is positive the huge beast is the very same he encounter years ago, and as fate would have it, brought both of them together again.
John tells his son that's the same elephant I told you.. the story, so so many times, and once again, against his better judgment, climbs the fence and slowly approaches the beast, the elephant takes notice and slowly approaches, almost child like, wraps his trunk around Johns legs, picks him up and slams John to the ground, stomps his head like a grape, and throws the now lifeless body through the bars of the cage. It must have been a different elephant.

[weegee]

Happy Holidays

[llevrok]

Is this a statement or question?

How Long is a China man's name

Discuss.

[weegee]

Hu Tol Yu?

[Twinkie]

“HA! SARAH PARDONED ME!”

[r-q-tek86]

Happy Thinksgiving Lucky... Here are my contributions:

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[norton]

Ain’t that the tooth!

[weegee]

[Egon]

Yes We Can!

[Daffynition]

LOLZ

[rockabyebaby]

LOL! Smart a$$!!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and all on FR!

[r-q-tek86]

Oh careful - you might not live this one down! :-D

I don't understand... did someone post the OFST on the wrong day or something?

[TheJollyRoger]

The old fur traider came down from the mountains to sell his hides. He stopped in the indian village to visit his friend, the chief.

Sitting in front of the chief’s teepee were three indian squaws. Two were sitting on deer hides, grinding corn for the next meal. These two were dressed in simple hides with no adornment.

The third squaw sat on a beautiful bleached white hippopotamus hide, and her garments were adorned with lovely beadwork and silver jewelry.

The fur traider asked his friend about the difference in the attire of the squaws...why was one so splended and the other two so plain?

The chief replied...(get ready)...

The value of the squaw of the hippopotamus is equal to the sum of the values of the squaws of the other two hides!

(running and hiding)

Enjoy the Pathagorean Pun!

[norton]

And just how long have you had this invisible girlfriend?

[IrishPennant]

Teh rest of the poem indeed - thanks much!!!