“A pun is a pistol let off at the ear; not a feather to tickle the intellect.” – Charles Lamb

With respect to punning, we respectfully disagree with Mr. Lamb. While many people think that puns are only a cheap way to get laughs (or groans), we think that when you’re able to show your in-depth knowledge of English vocabulary by making subtle plays on words, you’ll get the admiration of your audience, not their jeers. In order to make a good pun, you need to know the definition of all of the words you’re using and exactly how to pronounce them – many puns rely on the similar sounds of two or more words. You also need to know why the substitution of the words is humorous in context, and often you’ll be setting up the pun as the punchline of a joke, so you’ll need to be a skilled storyteller as well, to keep the audience listening to you up until the final bons mots.

Did you know that Dean Martin was a scuba diver? It’s obvious, when you hear this line from his 1953 hit song: “When you swim by a reef/The big eel with the teeth/That’s a moray.”

People have been making puns ever since the invention of languages with enough words in them to allow for substitutions. William Shakespeare, praised for his skill with language and his invention of many of the English words we use today, was fond of including puns in his plays. Here are two from Romeo and Juliet:

Give me a torch: I am not for this ambling; being but heavy, I will bear the light. (Act i, scene 4)

‘Tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door, but ‘tis enough, ‘twill serve: ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man. (Act iii, scene 1)

When you’re studying new vocabulary words, make careful note of the pronunciation as well as the definition, and see if you can come up with any homophones (other words that sound the same). In the examples above, the humor comes from the double meanings of one word in each line (grave = sad, somber / grave = a place to bury the dead; light = illumination / light = not weighing much). Study the examples of puns you come across, practice making your own, and try them out in conversation. You can even include puns and other wordplay in professional presentations, especially if you can find a play on words that involves some aspect of the topic you’re covering.

Learn the tricks of the tongue that will turn you into a real pundit – and have fun with English vocabulary!