Puns!
Puns, puns, puns. You either love them, or you are wrong. Charles Lamb and Edgar Allan Poe both had low opinions of those who did not like puns, with Lamb going so far as to say, “I never knew an enemy to puns who was not an ill-natured man.” So if you don't like puns, well, you must not be a very pleasant person to be around.
There are many different kinds of puns, but the core purpose is essentially the same: one set of words conveys two meanings.
One of the most well-known examples is the title of Oscar Wilde's most famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest. While the title tells us that sincerity and honesty are significant in the work, it also just so happens that both the protagonist and antagonist both spend significant portions of the play masquerading under the pseudonym of Ernest. And for those of you who have seen or read the play, you know just how important it is for those men to be Ernest.
There is so much more we could analyze just in that title, but let's leave that for the critics and start practicing.
PRACTICE
Sharpen your wits, because we're going to practice our punning. Take fifteen minutes and create a character who frequently uses puns in their speech patterns. They can be either the life of the party or the one who elicits groans from their audience. Go crazy with this one. Post your practice in the comments and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow pun aficionados.
Also, for some inspiration, check out this video from the 2008 Pun-Off World Championship.
I’m not a punster but puning is worth a try., so here goes:
At the stroke of Midnight.
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Swamy heard the jingle of the door bell. He glanced at the wall clock; it showed 12.15 am. ‘ Who could it be?’ he wondered.
He slid down the main bolt and opened the door a crack. he was surprised. It was Radhika from office. she had a habit of doing the unexpected.
“What are you doing?” Radhika asked through the crack.
“Munching the apple,” Swamy answered.
“Oh good,” Radhika said,” I’d love to have an apple. Apples taste yummy after midnight.
“You are welcome, come on in,” Swamy replied, opening the door wide.
Radhika looked ravishing in a deep purple dress and high heels with khol in her eyes and a black bindi in the center of her forehead. The corner of her lips were turned upwards in a beguiling smile.
“Where is your stock of apples?” she enquired, “Is it in the fridge?”
“No way, what do you mean’ in the fridge’, it is on my study table.” Swamy was a friendly sort, he meant no harm to anybody.
Radhika looked a bit taken aback. “You got a whole stock of apples on your study table Swamy?” she sounded doubtful.
“Whole stock, whole stock,” Swamy muttered, he was enjoying this, “I’ve got only one Apple on my table and that’s an I Pad 4s.”
“Ha, Ha, very funny,” Radhika fumed.
“OK, OK, I’m sorry, did you miss the pun? come on pull up the shit and sit down,” Swamy continued in the same vein.
Radhika turned red, ” What did you say, you joker, are you asking me to pull up my shit?”
“NO, no, not yours I am just inviting you to pull up that stool in the corner and park yourself on it so that we can have a midnight beret.”
“What in hell Swamy is a midnight beret?” Radhika was now ready for a fight.
“A night cap my dear, dear Radhika,” Swamy announced as he folded her in his arms and burst out laughing.
This was great, Hem!
An attempt at a narration podcast intro by Doc Ouija:
“Good evening. This is your host, Doc Ouija. Sorry for the mess. I’ve been redecorating the mausoleum; trying to (pause) liven up the place. It seems to becoming quite the popular night spot: everyone is dying to get in. On the coffin table you will find some of the magazines I’ve been reading for some do-it-in-yourself ideas, Better Tombs and Graveyards… Good House Haunting. All of this brings us to tonight’s story. It’s a ghastly little tale by Charlotte Perkins Gilman about a young woman who is haunted by the choices of the previous interior decorator. A little story called, The Yellow Wallpaper. Enjoy.”