You’ll never believe what day it is. It’s Abet and Aid Punsters Day. No kidding. 🙂
When I discovered this holiday dates back to the 1970’s, I just knew I had to delve deeper. Believe it or not there are shades and nuance to puns. Who knew? What’s more, there’s enough info for another exposé!
Wordies like me live for stuff like this. lol 😀
What are these groan-inducing quips exactly? A pun is a use of words or phrases to exploit ambiguities and innuendos in their meaning, usually for humorous effect. In other words, a play on words. American satirist Ambrose Bierce said a pun is “A form of wit, to which wise men stoop and fools aspire”.
In the 18th century, puns were considered high humor and the people who told them were praised for their great wit. Literary figures flexed their wit through the centuries — Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Oscar Wilde, and comedians such as George Carlin were famous for their pun work. Once the stuff of genius, today’s the pun is considered lowbrow humor that simply relies upon double entendre. There’s no doubt some puns are real groaners.
For today, I’m examining the One-Word Pun. One-word puns all need some kind of context to create the play on words. Usually one simple word that sounds like a different word or has another meaning does the trick (deer vs. dear or reign vs. rain). These are called homophonic or homographic puns. Here are two homophonic puns for the day.
“Why is it so wet in England? Because many kings and queens have reigned there.”
“I bet the butcher the other day that he couldn’t reach the meat that was on the top shelf. He refused to take the bet, saying that the steaks were too high.”
Feel free to toss them out at home or in your workplace, it is Abet and Aid Punsters Day after all!
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The Exquisite Quills Holiday Anthology Vol.1 is out and is full of lovely wintery stories of all kinds
Come get your copy and please spread the word!
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/374815
Last night I released LOVE WAITS in UNEXPECTED PLACES – Scorching Samplings of Unusual Love Stories. This is a first chapter sampling of all seven Rose Anderson novels on Smashwords. People like free samples and this compilation offers an opportunity to discover the writer I am. You just might like me!
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/333971
Read my Enchanted Skye excerpt in The Romance Reviews Year-End Splash Party
http://calliopeswritingtablet.blogspot.com/
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100 Things Blogging Challenge!
For 100 days, I’m posting a little something from my 
chosen topic of Words & Quotes of Love. There are 32 entries to come. Here’s one for today:
“Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence.”
~ Vincent Van Gogh
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our interview of Author/Reviewer, Andrew Shaffer
http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/
We have new author pages up and a new November contest with one-winner-takes-all prizes. Read the pages and find the turkeys.
http://www.romancebooks4us.com/
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>>>Romance Author Promo Op!<<<
Every Wednesday is First Kiss Wednesday on my Exquisite Quills group blog. All authors are welcome to share a 300 word kiss.
http://exquisitequills.blogspot.com/
Then come back Sunday for Set the Scene in Six!
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In formal linguistics , puns can often be found embedded within the etymological meaning or usage of words, which in turn may be buried over time and unknown to native speakers. Puns may also be found in syntax , where morphological constructions have derived from what may have originally been humorous word play, slang, or otherwise idiosyncratic word usage.