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    The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics
    The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics
    The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics
    Audiobook4 hours

    The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics

    Written by John Pollack

    Narrated by Pete Larkin

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The pun is commonly dismissed as the lowest form of wit, and punsters are often unpopular for their obsessive wordplay. But such attitudes are relatively recent developments. In The Pun Also Rises, John Pollack-a former World Pun Champion and presidential speechwriter for Bill Clinton-explains why such wordplay is significant: It both revolutionized language and played a pivotal role in making the modern world possible. Skillfully weaving together stories and evidence from history, brain science, pop culture, literature, anthropology, and humor, The Pun Also Rises is an authoritative yet playful exploration of a practice that is common, in one form or another, to virtually every language on earth.

    At once entertaining and educational, this engaging book answers fundamental questions: Just what is a pun, and why do people make them? How did punning impact the development of human language, and how did that drive creativity and progress? And why, after centuries of decline, does the pun still matter?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 1, 2011
    ISBN9781452673790
    The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics
    Author

    John Pollack

    John Pollack, who now lives in Washington, D.C., was a stringer in Spain for the Los Angeles Times, the Miami Herald, USA Today, and The Associated Press. He is the coauthor of The World on a String.

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    Reviews for The Pun Also Rises

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      I always suspected that punsters are mentally superior and that punning is a vital part of language and thinking. But until I read John Pollack's book, I had no proof. Now I do. John combines meticulous research, a great sense of humor, and top-notch story-telling ability to give make his case that wordplay is more than just some antics. A must-read for punsters and language lovers.
    • 2/5
      It reads like an overlong essay justifying punning as an activity. After a while it got boring, to be honest. There is a bit of linguistic history that I might have found interesting, had I been reading out of a book, with google close at hand, so I could wiki up some facts to kinda cross-reference. The audiobook didn't serve me so well. I might have to give this one another whirl one of these days. I drifted off to sleep on more than one occasion. (Not that I am blaming the author for my A.D.D or anything.)
    • 5/5
      In The Pun Also Rises, John Pollack argues, "Undoubtedly, the most stubborn critics of the pun will probably never concede its catalytic, creative importance...But those who declaim puns categorically fail to grasp the intrinsic relationship between language, imagination, play and progress. To argue against all puns indiscriminately makes about as much sense as arguing against eating any meals while traveling, based on the fact that quality can be unpredictable" (pg. 150). Pollack's examination of the pun looks at the origins of wordplay, the general types of puns, the effects of language on the human brain, the history of puns in the English language, and modern reactions to puns, all with examples throughout. For those interested in the history of wordplay or language, this will delight and educate. Pollack's writing is delight at the end of the tunnel for those who only receive groans for their punning efforts.
    • 3/5
      My favourite parts were the puns
    • 3/5
      This is an interesting little volume that tends to vary between providing a history of the use of puns to a more generalized discussion of the importance os puns and wordplay to both individual human development as well as world events. Some interesting material is presented and is well worth reading if one enjoys language and etymology. It has a tremendous listing of source material!!
    • 5/5
      The Pun Also Rises (April 2011, Gotham Books; an imprint of The Penguin Group), by John Pollack, has the subtitle: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Word Play More than Some Antics. This subtitle pretty much summarizes what this book is about.I knew of Pollack's fondness of punning from Pollack's first book, Cork Boat (a memoir, published in 2004, mainly about his quest to build a boat made of 165,231 corks and sail it down the Douro River in Portugal). I also lived in his hometown of Ann Arbor for several years, and I actually recall reading the news about him winning a world championship in punning.In fact, The Pun Also Rises starts with a blow-by-blow account of Pollack's climb to the top of that particular championship. I enjoyed this introductory chapter -- I laughed so much through it. I wish I could be this clever and funny. Pollack slyly peppers puns of his own throughout the text of this book. About William Prynne, a Puritan lawyer who in the 1600s criticized the Catholic Church and the pope in form of puns, and got in trouble for it:"Rumors swept London that Prynne had died from the pun-ishment, but it was too early to print this rebel's epitaph."(Page 69 of The Pun Also Rises)I am not sure if it was intentional or not, but the line break made the word "punishment" stand out. Pun or not? Maybe.Some stories that Pollack shares with us are funny, such as the one about Samuel Johnson, that of dictionary fame and being biographed (is that a word?) by Boswell."As recounted in the Punster's Pocket-book or The Art of Punning, an 1826 collection of puns, Johnson and Boswell were walking past London's Old Bailey and noticed a raucous crowd gathering. At Johnson's instigation, Boswell asked someone at the edge of the crowd what was going on. The stranger reported that a man was to be hanged. And the condemned man's name? A certain Mr. Vowel."Well", a satisfied Johnson replied, "it is very clear, Bozzy, that it is neither U nor I".Apparently, Johnson had no problem with capital punishment."(Page 89, The Pun Also Rises)Chapter Two, titled Labs and Retrievers: How the Brain Fetches Meaning from Sound, was perhaps the only disappointment for me. This chapter concentrates on the biology of appreciating puns; and discusses the cochlea, etc. etc. Being deaf myself, I'm here to tell you that deaf people-- that of the signing deaf population -- can and do appreciate puns in sign language without needing to hear. However, most sign language puns -- those that come directly to my mind -- overlap with spoken language words or names. I would love to know whether Pollack came across information on sign language puns andor wordplay in his research on this book!Overall, I found The Pun Also Rises an extremely informative and entertaining book. I especially recommend this book to anyone who loves language and words. What avid reader doesn't :-)?"....if puns seem, at times to confuse, they actually enlighten us through both laughter and insight. They keep us from taking ourselves too seriously, and sharpen our capacity for creative thinking."(page 152, The Pun Also Rises)
    • 3/5
      This is a fun history of wordplay. Ultimately if you like puns, you'll enjoy this volume, but if you this probably won't change your mind.
    • 4/5
      Pollack's short but compelling narrative examines the history, etymology, and linguistics of the much-maligned pun. The pun has not always been held in disregard as it has in history been seen as a sign of wisdom, and even today it is harder to not pun than to pun. Pollack explains how the pun is deceptively simple and opens a window on meaning and abstract thinking. The book is also pretty punny - er funny - no punny was correct.Favorite Passages:"Punning is a virtue that most effectually promotes the end of good fellowship." - The Moral Definition of Punning according to Thomas Sheridan's Ars Punica. - p. 81"In a way, the pun was humanity's first hyperlink, a way to identify and articulate potential connections that aren't necessarily or immediately apparent. Punning was and remains a way to sling a verbal rope, in an instant, across vast conceptual canyons. It is this same urge to imagine, explore and establish new connections that fuels creativity generally, and science specifically. Not that puns are a substitute for reason, but neither is reason a substitute for imagination. If imagination didn't exist, what cause would reason have to set out on a given journey, to prove or disprove a given proposition? Puns reveal a mind free to roam frontiers of possibility, without shame or fear of being wrong." - p. 143
    • 4/5
      Interesting book on the use, abuse, history and delight of puns. This book is written fairly academically, so there are footnotes, index and bibliography. As such, puns, which dance away from serious academic and brown studies, are held down, dissected and examined. A good book for English language studies, as it goes through some of the most weighty and least appreciated humor and sardonic quipes and quotes, and their method of production and introduction. Highly recommended for the bores, boors, fools and the witty in society, this book is also recommended for high school and college libraries. Most English and drama majors will enjoy it, and I predict this book will become a familiar item in footnotes in college essays for years to come. For those who already use or over-use puns, this book is a nice refuge to fall back on when challenged. It will be difficult for anyone who uses English as a second language, unless they are very proficient. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this. My oldest daughter (Olivia-Grace) is a big time punster and is often dropping puns. I also enjoyed finding the puns written throughout the work. And as a dad, the basic level to all good dad jokes are puns. This is informative, interesting, and entertaining. Could have been a *** star, since it's not long or massively elucidating, but it was a quick, fun, quirky, and enjoyable read, so I gave it four stars.

      If I was really clever I'd drop some puns throughout my review of this to show how much I enjoyed it, but.... [insert pun here].... I'll see myself out now.
    • 4/5
       The Pun Also Rises is a clever history of punning - from its origins and role in other languages to the neuroscience behind how puns are created and interpreted, and what that means to us overall, the book covers its subject from every seemingly possible angle. It's a short little tome, though weighty with information - the last full third of the scant 200 pages are all notes anyway, so it's a great weekend read! And of course, the title is incredible.
    • 4/5
      .What did the canned ham say when he left the hospital?“I’m cured!”Oh my God, this book was fun. Fun and informative. I never knew there could be so much to say about puns. For one thing: how many different types of puns there are. The whole first section describes the assorted varieties of puns. I won’t go through them all, but here are just a few: Tom Swifties: "Oh my shirt is so wrinkled", Tom exclaimed ironically.Knock-knock jokes: Q- What has four wheels and flies? A- A garbage truck Wellerisms: “I see”, said the blind carpenter, as he picked up his hammer and saw.Double entendres: (public service announcement) Our X-ray unit will give you an examination for tuberculosis and other diseases which you will receive free of charge.Transpositional puns: Mae West famously said “It’s not the men in my life, it’s the life in my men.”Feghoot: Mahatma Gandhi was known for walking hundreds of miles barefoot. Over time he developed incredibly thick calluses on his feet, stronger than the soles of many boots. He also ate lightly, and fasted often, which left him frail and gave him chronically bad breath. Do you know what this made him? A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.And Daffynitions: “Flabbergasted” –to be appalled at how much weight one has gained.That’s just a start. Hilarious examples are provided for all. What’s the point of developing a taxonomy of puns? It has to do with exploring how the brain processes language. Believe it or not, some linguists at the University of Cincinnati have successfully programmed a computer to recognize puns. It still has a poor record predicting which puns will be funny though. It turns out, puns aren’t just some antics with words; they tell us a lot about how the brain processes language. It occurs in a section of the brain called “Broca’s area”. As the brain is hearing a sentence, it tries to predict the meaning of the entire sentence before it is uttered… kind of like the predictive texting on a cellphone. Puns occur when words with multiple meanings, or similar sounds confound the brain’s guessing algorithm. As the brain listens, it makes a best guess on which meaning is intended, based on the context built up so far. In a pun, the end of the sentence changes the context, or reveals that the less-likely meaning was intended, or otherwise reveals to the brain that it needs to re-evaluate the sentence because there is unresolved complexity or ambiguity. Puns essentially make the brain do a double-take, because it isn’t confident its first-guess interpretation was correct. This all happens in a matter of milliseconds. By the time you become conscious of the pun, the brain has settled on a final interpretation, but the interpretational pitfall or potential alternative meanings linger, and the conscious mind enjoys the sensation of having identified and successfully resolved these. So take the pun:W.C. Fields was asked “Do you consider clubs appropriate for children? Fields replied “Only when kindness fails.”Before you get to the end, you take “clubs” to mean a place where drinking (and possibly stripping) occur, based on the context of W.C. Fields being a crusty old character. But then Field’s response changes the context, and makes you realize that “clubs” really meant something you beat a person with. Okay, I hope I didn’t suck the fun out of puns with that last part; I just really enjoyed it.Another fun bit which I never knew, is that there is a whole microcosm of bilingual puns, which you find in communities where a lot of people are proficient in two languages. Take this example, from a Polish community in America:Q- How do you kill a Polish herring?A- With a sledge hammer.The joke there, if you knew Polish, is that the Polish word for herring is sledzh, which sounds like the English word “sledge”. There are a bunch of these. I never knew.Then there is a whole section on puns in many different cultures, and puns dating back to the earliest written languages. Many Native American and Polynesian cultures have developed punning to a more refined and respected art than the West. The oldest pun, as near as anybody can tell, is from Mesopotamia- an account of a heavy rain, but the word for “rain” and for “corn” are very similar, and the author jokes about people dodging ears of corn falling from the sky. Okay... perhaps I didn't tell it well. I really hope Manny chimes in on the thread to tell us that it’s much funnier in the original Mesopotamian-ese.Do you ever tell puns when flirting with somebody? Pollack explains how humor definitely has a mate selection function. Not only does it demonstrate a certain verbal proficiency and intellectual capacity to construct a pun, but if you and your prospective mate both get the joke, it shows you share a certain amount of common knowledge to understand its contextual nuances. That implies a certain amount of shared understanding and perhaps compatibility. Take the Gandhi joke from above. To see any humor in it, you need to be familiar with the 1964 movie Mary Poppins. Unimpressed? That may not seem like much to go on, vis-a-vis mate selection in our day and age, but in cultures without the benefit of mass communication, this is more of a factor, and the text gives several examples where humor, especially puns, really do figure into courtship in those cultures.My favorite part is the section which relates how puns have been used to transmit dissident or subversive messages in oppressive countries. The double meaning of a well-constructed pun can get past a distracted censor, or can be plausibly denied if it is told on the street among friends. Again, the examples here are a lot of fun:Near the end of World War II, a popular joke in Germany was: “I recently acquired portraits of Hitler and Goering, but I’m not sure what to do with them; should they be hanged properly, or just put up against the wall?” Then in 1989, after the crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square, it was common to see tiny bottles smashed on the street. This was a very passive-aggressive, pun-based expression of dissent against how the Tiananmen Square incident was handled. The nature of the pun is that the Chinese ideogram for “tiny bottle” was similar to the characters of Deng Xiaoping’s name (he being the leader who ordered the military in to break up the demonstrations), so smashing a tiny bottle was allegorically doing harm to Deng Xiaoping. Fight the power.*sigh* I’ll cut the review short here, before I give away the whole book. It’s a lot of fun, and there’s still a lot I haven’t spoiled yet. Get it! Read it!-Thank you so much, karen!