Transpositional pun
A transpositional pun is a pun format with two aspects. It involves transposing the words in a well-known phrase or saying to get a daffynition-like clever redefinition of a well-known word unrelated to the original phrase. The redefinition is thus the first aspect, and the transposition the second aspect. As a result, transpositional puns are considered among the most difficult to create, and commonly the most challenging to comprehend, particularly for non-native speakers of the language in which they're given (most commonly English).[1]
Examples
| Pun | Original reference |
|---|---|
| Dieting: A waist is a terrible thing to mind. | "A mind is a terrible thing to waste", the motto of the United Negro College Fund. |
| Hangovers: The wrath of grapes. | The Grapes of Wrath |
| Olympic officials: The souls that time men's tries. | "These are the times that try men's souls.", Thomas Paine |
| The oboe: An ill wind that nobody blows any good. | "'Tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good." |
| Feudalism: It's your count that votes! | "It's your vote that counts!" |
| Soldiers of fortune: Give chance a piece. | "Give peace a chance." |
References
- Pollack, John (2012). The Pun Also Rises. Gotham Books. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-1-59240-675-3.
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