• Homographic Puns
• Homophonic Puns
• Double-Sound Puns
• Ambigrams
• Palindromes
• Tom Swifty Puns
• Spoonerisms
• Oxymorons
• Anagrams
• Pangrams
• Chiasmus
• Tounge Twisters
• Portmanteau Words
• Redefintion Wordplay
• Extended Puns
• The Art of Humorous Puns
• The Punishment of it All

A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words¹.

Many see puns as cheap humor, one-liners, or groaners, despite its prevelence in our culture. It is most often seen in the names of businesses, or advertising. Others, like Jonathon Swift, see it as a challenging artform, 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."

In Italian, puntiglio means "a fine point," hence a verbal quibble, and is most likely the source of the English "punctilious". There developed in late 17th- and early 18th-century England a short-lived, fanciful word "pundigrion", which indeed was a term for what we now know as a pun. Since snappy monosyllables produced by breaking off pieces of longer words were all the rage back then, it is widely thought that this is how and where the word "pun" was created.

Words that have stemmed from pun include punning, and punny, which is a pun in and of itself. Also, paronomasia is the act or practice of punning.

Puns are not always humorous, and sometimes not even intended to be humorous. Much like popular fads that no one will admit to supporting, puns are looked down upon and criticized. However, paronomasia is an active, and timeless craft.

Types of Puns

Homographic, or antanaclasis puns play on the multiple meanings one word may have. This is one of the more common form of puns. Example: My girlfriend criticized my apartment, so I knocked her flat. In the preceeding example, the pun was created by alluding to the fact the word flat could have meant an apartment, or alluded to my girlfriend being knocked flat on her back.

Homophonic, or polyptoton puns play on words that sound alike, but are spelled differently, and mean different things. Seven days without laughter makes one weak.

Double-sound puns refer to a word sounding similar to another word, however not identical to the sound of a word, such as homographic puns. A music teacher not at home may leave a note on their door saying Gone Chopin, Bach in a Minuet.

Ambigrams are a word or words that can be read in more than one way or from more than a single vantage point, such as both right side up and upside down. (from Latin: ambi meaning both + gram meaning letter) Ambigrams are purely a visual play on words, but for they are included in this article for the sake of being thorough. This is an ambigram of Scott Adams*

Palindromes are spelled the same, backwards or forwards, such as mom, racecar, or deified. Entire phrases can be palindromes. Punctuation does not prevent a sentence or phrase from being considered a palidrome, e.g. Dogma: I am God. counts as a palindrome. Here are some more examples.

• A Santa pets rats, as Pat taps a star step at NASA.
• Anne, I vote more cars race Rome to Vienna.
• Deirdre wets altar of St. Simon's; no mists, for at last ewer dried.
• E. Borgnine drags Dad's gardening robe.
• Ed, I saw Harpo Marx ram Oprah W. aside.
• Embargos are macabre. Sad Nell, listen O! not to no nets -- I'll lend a Serb a camera, so grab me!
• Golf? No sir, prefer prison-flog.

Scarily enough, I found a 306 word palindrome.

Tom Swifty puns play on a relationship between an adverb, and an action spoken in dialogue. The original Tom Swift was a fictional title character in a series of childrens books written by Edward L. Stratemeyer (1862-1930). Tom Swifty puns satirize the writing of these books, and their simple "Tom said, Tom did, Tom said" writing."

• "I've lost my trousers," Tom said expansively.
• "I've returned from the labotomy," Tom said absentmindedly.
• "Let's dig up the bodies," Tom said gravely.
• "I don't like hot dogs," Tom said frankly.
• "No, you can't have any of my oysters," said Tom shellfishly.
• "I'd love some Chinese food," said Tom wantonly.
• "I want to date around," said Tom unsteadily.

"Is this sodomy?" Tom asked, half in Ernest.

• "Take the prisoner downstairs," Tom said condescendingly.
• "Drop the gun," Tom said with a disarming smile.
• "I lost my hair," Tom bawled.
• "I returned from Japan," Tom said disorientedly.
• "Is this sodomy?" Tom asked, half in Ernest.

Spoonerisms have an entry in the guide, so I won't go into incredibly much detail here either. Spoonerisms are result of changing around, especially accidentally, the initial sounds of two or more words when speaking, e.g. well-boiled icicle for well-oiled bicycle. Others include: sky as a height, nark staked, and dain brammage.

Oxymorons are rhetorical figures in which an epigrammatic effect is created by the conjunction of incongruous or contradictory terms. Basically, they are a working contradiction (which is an oxymoron unto itself). Some oxymorons are obvious, being simple opposites, e.g. jumbo shrimp. However, many other oxymorons are subjective to opinion, e.g. military intelligence or Microsoft Works. Other examples include: minor miracle, clearly confused, safe sex, original copies, found missing and friendly fire.

I have never been good at anagrams, but they do constitute as word play. Anagrams are words, or phrases formed from rearranging the letters of other words and phrases. What kind of mind is it that can notice that "two plus eleven" and "one plus twelve" not only give the same result but use the same letters? Not me, however I have been told they are much more popular in England than the states. Some notable anagrams include:

• Western Union = no wire unsent
• circumstantial evidence = can ruin a selected victim
• a stitch in time saves nine = this is meant as incentive
• funeral = real fun
• The Morse Code = Here come dots
• Victoria, England's Queen = governs a nice quiet land
• intoxicate = excitation
• schoolmaster = the classroom
• mother-in-law = woman Hitler
• Ronald Wilson Reagan = Insane Anglo Warlord

Pangrams are a special form of poetry that include every letter of the alphabet, with as little repetition as possible. I have only seen one perfect pangram before. Mr. Jock, T.V. Quiz Ph.D., bags few lynx.

Chiasmus is a figure of speech, where wit is conveyed through the reversal of words or phrases in clauses. Often used in verse, it becomes a poem of parallels. The word comes from the Greek letter Chi, which looks like an X. Most chiasmus follow an ABBA method, where word or phrase A is used in the a clause, then B, then B again, and finally A. A good example of this would be Never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you.Some chiasmus can become lengthy to the point they are not obvious in their symmetry.

Tounge Twisters are an audible play on words, where the intent is rarely to convey an unexpected message, rather more often than not to trip up the reader who attempts to speak the twister. Often they are repeatedly rapidly several times. They are both amusing and frustrating at the same time. Much of Dr. Seuss's work can be considered tounge twisters, but especially his book "Fox in Sox" which is one continuing tounge twister.

Once upon a barren moor


There dwelt a bear, also a boar,


The bear could not bear the boar,


The bear thought the boar was a bore.


At last the bear could bear no more


That boar that bored him on the moor.


And so one morn he bored the boar-


That boar will bore no more!

Portmanteau words are words that are formed by telescoping two other words in on themselves. Such as bit (binary unit), avionics (aviation electronics), and motel (motor hotel).

Portmanteau is itself a portmanteau word, originating from the French portemanteau, a compound formed from porter (to carry) and manteau (cloak). While technically, they play on words, they are rare and I won't go into detail on them in this article.

Sometimes, one does not need to play on the pronunciation, or spelling of a pun at all. Sometimes, a clever redefinition of a word can be considered a pun. These are sometimes refered to as Daffynitions. For example, Flashlight: a carrying case for dead batteries or Shin: a device for finding tables in the dark. Lastly: Professor: one who talks in someone else's sleep. The definition was unexpected, and humorous. It played upon connotation rather than actual meaning of the word. Sometimes words that sound like groups of other words can be cleverly redefined as well.

• Alarms: What an octopus is.
• Crick: The sound that a Japanese camera makes.
• Dockyard: A physician's garden.
• Incongruous: Where bills are passed.
• Khakis: What you need to start the car in Boston.
• Oboe: An English tramp.
• Pasteurize: Too far to see.
• Propaganda: A gentlemanly goose.
• Toboggan: Why we go to an auction.

Also, there are extended puns. Much in the same manner as metaphors, a pun can be carried out even after the pun is realized. These puns are seen as the least humorous, but can be both challenging and fun.

Dangling by a thread, some questioned whether or not the tattered and frayed prosecution could patch up their case so close to clothesing arguments. But when pressed, the material witness in the suit came apart at the seams. "Do not pull the wool over my eyes! Sew, ith was you!" The tailor's lawyer had cotton on to her tapestry, woven together by lies, coated in tails. Some of us were on pins and needles, and one loony onlooker was in stitches. Leather or not the jury was suede was left to be steamed.

The Art of Humorous Puns

Many puns hardly ever illict 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 Frued 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 setup (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

The Punishment of it All!

• If pros and cons are opposite, is progress the opposite of congress?
• I would never be caught dead with a necrophyliac!
• Necrophyliacs put the fun back in FUNeral.
• I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
• Diploma: Da' man who fixes da' pipes.

If Satan lost his hair, there would be hell toupe!

• Someone's karma ran over my dogma.
• If Satan lost his hair, there would be hell toupe!
• Demons are a ghoul's best friend.
• Be cowful what you utter about others.
• Someone stole the precint toilet. The cops have nothing to go on.
• Fangs for the Memories: Vampire the Musical
• Gone Chopin. Bach in a minuet.
• Confuscious say: Baseball all wrong. Man with four balls, no walk.
• Confuscious say: Man who spends time at cathouse spends night in dog house.
• Confuscious say: Man who lay down with dogs, wakes up with fleas.
• Confuscious say: Virgin like balloon. One prick, and all gone.
• Confuscious say: Man who stand on toilet, high on pot.
• Confuscious say: Man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day.
• Confuscious say: Man who lives in glass house, change clothes in basement.
• If you throw a cat out a car window does it become kitty litter?
• If corn oil comes from corn, where does baby oil come from?
• Does fuzzy logic tickle?
• Macho: someone who jogs home from a vasectomy
• Better: what we instantly feel when we realize our neighbor's problems are as bad as our own
• Dysentary: what you get when dissent merges with commentary
• Liberal: a church with four commandments and six suggestions
• Resume: the closest any of us will ever come to perfection
• Date: an organized meeting with someone who has yet to realize their intense dislike for you
• Dilemma: trying to believe someone you normally trust when you know you would lie if you were in their place
• Job: a place where you work just hard enought to avoid getting fired while getting paid just enough to avoid quitting
• Sabbatical: a Latin word meaning "I quit but you won't know it for sure for a year"
• Irony: buying a suit with two pair of pants and then burning a hole in the coat
• Insanity: driving forty minutes to a health club, then waiting thirty minutes to get on a treadmill for twenty minutes
• Progress: what you get when each mistake is a new one
• Kids: people to be nice to since they are the ones who will choose our nursing homes
• Marriage: the process of finding out what type of person your spouse would prefer

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