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Words or phrases with multiple meanings are used ambiguously with a humorous or sexual (or both) result. For example, Mae West's "Marriage is a fine institution, but I'm not ready for an institution." and the
Groucho Marx line "If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against
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Altering a word's regular part of speech. This can occur naturally with the evolution of a language, but can also be done for emphasis or comedic effect. For example, saying "The thunder would not peace at my bidding." using the noun
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series is known for its mini-game titles that usually are puns and various plays on words; for example: "Shock, Drop, and Roll", "Gimme a Brake", and "Right Oar Left". These mini-game titles are also different depending on
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Joyce's phrase "they were yung and easily freudened" clearly implies the more conventional "they were young and easily frightened"; however, the former also makes an apt pun on the names of two famous
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This business's sign is written in both
English and Hebrew. The large character is used to make the âNâ in Emanuel and the âŚâ in ŚąŚŚ ŚŚŚ. This is an example of orthographic word play.
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A farmer says, "I got soaked for nothing, stood out there in the rain bang in the middle of my land, a complete waste of time. I'll like to kill the swine who said you can win the
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Replacing a word with a different word that sounds similar, either unintentionally or for comedic effect. For example, saying "He is the very pineapple of politeness." instead of
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An accidental and often humorous transposition of initial letters or sounds, such as "a flock of bats" instead of "a block of flats" or "a bunny phone" instead of "a funny bone".
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Most writers engage in word play to some extent, but certain writers are particularly committed to, or adept at, word play as a major feature of their work .
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Many businesses use word play to their advantage by making their business names more memorable. This business is located near the
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as a "comic genius recognized in his lifetime as a classic and an old master of farce" for his own acclaimed wordplay.
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in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or
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192:. Example: "We'll have to rehearse that," said the undertaker as the coffin fell out of the car.
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A form of humorous writing where adverbs are chosen to reflect the nature of the situation in a
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A categorized taxonomy of word play composed of record-holding words
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Form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work
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Artist Tavar
Zawacki painted a site-specific wordplay painting in
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Word play can cause problems for translators: e.g., in the book
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as a verb, or "The little old lady turtled across the street."
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as a method of reinforcing meaning. Examples of text-based (
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An example of modern word play can be found on line 103 of
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way. "Hurry up and get to the back of the ship," Tom said
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a character mistakes the word "issue" for the noise of a
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602:. Created by John Guedel. John Guedel Productions, 1950.
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Your man's caught the chill and it ain't even winter yet
300:'s "quibbles" have made him a noted punster. Similarly,
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especially are based on elaborate systems of wordplay.
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and take into account that specific region's culture.
320:, is another noted word-player. For example, in his
86:, and telling character names (such as in the play
251:Combining two words to create a new word, such as
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387:H2O plus my D, that's my hood, I'm living in it
19:"Wordplay" redirects here. For other uses, see
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536:. Oxford Dictionaries Online. Archived from
372:often employ wordplay to challenge solvers.
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403:Keep any heat by the fine China dinner set
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414:for being out standing in your field!".
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588:The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said
100:that sounds exactly like the adjective
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395:uses a play on words in his verse on "
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78:, obscure words and meanings, clever
436:Word play can enter common usage as
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82:excursions, oddly formed sentences,
362:But 'Wood' would not rhyme with gun
117:homophonic puns in Mandarin Chinese
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383:'s "III. Life: The Biggest Troll".
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359:His name was not 'Bun' but 'Wood'
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443:Word play is closely related to
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70:. Examples of word play include
353:Here lie the bones of one 'Bun'
89:The Importance of Being Earnest
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494:List of taxa named by anagrams
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349:, demonstrates use in rhyme.
345:, probably unassigned to any
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107:Word play is quite common in
451:for a linguist's variation.
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278:United Nations Headquarters
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74:, phonetic mix-ups such as
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559:Sheriden, Richard (1998).
489:List of forms of word play
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356:He was killed with a gun.
21:Wordplay (disambiguation)
534:"definition of wordplay"
962:Theatre of ancient Rome
504:Phono-semantic matching
573:Shakespeare, William.
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280:and plays on the term
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41:crisis and exportation
1169:Theatre of the Absurd
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1144:Shakespearean comedy
942:Ancient Greek comedy
426:regional differences
36:, commenting on the
590:. Touchstone, 2003.
202:from "disheveled").
1132:Comédie larmoyante
1127:Sentimental comedy
1122:Restoration comedy
1085:Commedia dell'arte
957:Corral de comedias
374:Cryptic crosswords
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186:linguistic fossils
142:. You can help by
60:literary technique
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1070:Comedy of humours
1060:Boulevard theatre
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952:Comédie-Italienne
947:Comédie-Française
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600:You Bet Your Life
540:on 11 August 2011
432:Related phenomena
370:Crossword puzzles
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1080:Comedy of menace
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484:Figure of speech
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365:But 'Bun' would.
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84:double entendres
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479:False etymology
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302:P.G. Wodehouse
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62:and a form of
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733:Impressionist
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138:This section
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109:oral cultures
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56:play-on-words
53:
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35:
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26:
22:
1356:Black sitcom
1336:Mockumentary
1244:Opéra bouffe
1212:Café-théùtre
1197:Ballad opera
1115:Harlequinade
1065:Comedy-drama
844:Mockumentary
772:
728:Impersonator
708:Comic timing
618:, retrieved
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542:. Retrieved
538:the original
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314:, author of
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164:Tom Swifties
151:January 2010
148:
144:adding to it
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113:orthographic
106:
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93:
87:
55:
51:
47:
46:
25:
1424:Documentary
1420:(dry humor)
1383:Alternative
1361:Teen sitcom
1254:Opera buffa
1229:Light music
1224:Comedy club
1174:Tragicomedy
1139:Shadow play
420:Mario Party
412:Nobel Prize
312:James Joyce
298:Shakespeare
247:Portmanteau
214:Malapropism
190:set phrases
76:spoonerisms
1559:Word games
1543:Categories
1331:Television
1234:Music hall
1179:Vaudeville
1100:Macchietta
1090:Double act
999:Indonesia
993:Mo lei tau
989:Hong Kong
983:Xiangsheng
854:Remarriage
763:Visual gag
753:Punch line
748:Prank call
620:3 December
561:The Rivals
520:References
445:word games
438:neologisms
225:Anthimeria
206:Spoonerism
180:Wellerisms
123:Techniques
98:given name
80:rhetorical
34:Lima, Peru
1549:Word play
1478:Slapstick
1403:Christian
1398:Character
1375:Subgenres
1190:and dance
1110:Pantomime
896:Slapstick
869:Screwball
773:Word play
575:King Lear
474:Etymology
307:The Times
68:amusement
48:Word play
1564:Rhetoric
1518:Category
1453:Physical
1264:Operetta
1038:Sarugaku
906:Thriller
798:American
718:Humorist
688:Comedian
563:. Dover.
544:6 August
499:Metaphor
468:See also
397:True Nen
268:Examples
259:to make
220:pinnacle
96:being a
52:wordplay
1490:Surreal
1418:Deadpan
1304:Hip hop
1202:Cabaret
928:Country
920:Theatre
884:Mexican
879:Italian
859:Romance
834:Fantasy
813:Italian
803:British
791:Country
391:Rapper
343:epitaph
317:Ulysses
174:sternly
170:punning
102:earnest
58:) is a
54:(also:
38:cocaine
1528:Portal
1500:Zombie
1483:Topics
1443:Insult
1438:Horror
1413:Cringe
1346:Sitcom
1309:Parody
1033:Rakugo
1028:Owarai
1023:Manzai
1018:KyĆgen
1014:Japan
1008:Ludruk
1003:Lenong
935:Europe
901:Stoner
891:Silent
849:Parody
839:Horror
829:Action
808:French
758:Satire
723:Humour
681:Topics
674:Comedy
509:Simile
462:sneeze
184:Using
94:Ernest
1554:Words
1468:Shock
1408:Clown
1388:Black
1341:Roast
1326:Radio
1321:Novel
1294:Album
1289:Music
1282:Media
1269:Revue
1188:Music
1053:Genre
978:China
822:Genre
738:Irony
713:Farce
347:grave
336:Freud
253:smoke
232:peace
1473:Sick
1458:Prop
1429:High
1393:Blue
1299:Rock
1154:Spex
971:Asia
783:Film
743:Joke
622:2021
546:2013
417:The
393:Milo
334:and
332:Jung
261:smog
255:and
243:me?"
188:and
72:puns
1433:low
874:Sex
768:Wit
514:Pun
341:An
257:fog
146:.
104:).
64:wit
50:or
1545::
1431:/
440:.
399:"
338:.
330:,
119:.
92:,
666:e
659:t
652:v
548:.
284:.
263:.
176:.
153:)
149:(
43:.
23:.
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