The Philosophy of Puns
Jul 28, 2016A Philosophy Talk show on puns can’t just consist of making puns, even if they are good ones. We need to show what’s philosophically interesting about them.
First a couple of definitions.
As a noun, a pun a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings: the pigs were a squeal (if you'll forgive the pun).
Comments (2)
Rob Allen
Thursday, April 11, 2019 -- 11:06 PM
I once had a conversationI once had a conversation with cartoonist Sergio Aragones. He told me that native Spanish speakers like himself did not tend to engage in punning because the Spanish language leaves little room for ambiguity. Has anyone else found this to be true? Can languages be evaluated for their punning potential or lack thereof?
Harold G. Neuman
Friday, April 12, 2019 -- 10:19 AM
I think that must be right. II think that must be right. I have some understanding of Spanish, though I am not a fluent speaker. There is room for slang in the language, but, otherwise, literality leaves not so much wiggle room. Spanish speaking people do like their 'idiomas', which give a richness to everyday conversation. I cannot say about other non-English traditions, knowing nothing of their structures or cultural nuances. I do suspect there are some who engage in verbal exchange which approximates something like puns---folks generally find ways to have fun with their native tongue, though we probably would not "get it".