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pun

pun use of words, usually humorous, based on (a) the several meanings of one word, (b) a similarity of meaning between words that are pronounced the same, or (c) the difference in meanings between two words pronounced the same and spelled somewhat similarly, e.g., Thomas Hood's "They went and told the sexton and the sexton tolled the bell." Puns have also been used seriously, as in the Bible, Mat. 16.18: "Thou art Peter [Gr. Petros], and upon this rock [Gr. petra] I will build my church."

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"pun." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 22 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"pun." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (December 22, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-pun.html

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The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology 1996, originally published by Oxford University Press 1996. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

pun sb. XVII. perh. short for † pundigrion, of uncert. orig.
Hence vb. XVII. punster XVII.

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T. F. HOAD. "pun." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 22 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "pun." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (December 22, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pun.html

T. F. HOAD. "pun." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved December 22, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pun.html

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The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature | 2003 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature 2003, originally published by Oxford University Press 2003. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

pun, a play on words, depending on similarity of sound and difference in meaning. Shakespeare was greatly given to punning, both in comic and in serious contexts: for an example of the latter, see Sonnet 138, ‘Therefore I lie with her, and she with me, | And in our faults by lies we flattered be.’ The pun fell into disrepute in the 18th and 19th cents, but was somewhat reinstated as a form of ambiguity in W. Empson's Seven Types of Ambiguity.

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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "pun." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 22 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "pun." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (December 22, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-pun.html

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "pun." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved December 22, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-pun.html

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	Contextual Connections to Puns in Fables: Perceived Humor. Magazine article from: The Journal of General Psychology; 4/1/2001
	Puns and near puns in fables. Magazine article from: The Journal of General Psychology; 7/1/2005
	Contextual Connections Within Puns: Effects on Perceived Humor and Memory. Magazine article from: The Journal of General Psychology; 4/1/2000

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