Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Language Play
by Don L. F. Nilsen
and Alleen Pace Nilsen
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Funniness of a Text
A text is funny if and only if the text is
compatible (fully or in part) with two
distinct scripts, and the two distinct
scripts are in some way opposite.
(Ruch [2008] 25)
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ALLUSION
Allusion is the noun form of the
English verb to allude.
Allude comes from Latin ad- plus
ludere meaning to play.
(Nilsen & Nilsen 23)
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CONFUSED ALLUSIONS
Comedian Michael Davis juggled with
the ax that George Washington had
used to chop down the cherry tree.
However, I did have to replace the
handle. ..
and the head.
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ANTITHESIS
The Hoover Company advertised its irons with The iron with
the bottom that makes it tops.
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CHIASMUS
Mae West said, Its not the men in my life that counts; its the life in
my men.
A one-liner that is popular around tax time reads, The IRS: Weve got
what it takes to take what youve got.
(Nilsen & Nilsen 179)
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EPONYMY
Eponyms are created when the name of a
real or mythical person is used in reference
to something other than the individual.
In 1992 the term Frankenfood started being
used for genetically altered tomatoes or
other foods.
(Nilsen & Nilsen 179)
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Joe is a simple generic name as in Joe SixPack, which is a refinement of the Good Old
Joe concept, seen earlier in Joe Blow and
Joe Schmo, and in the more specific G.I. Joe
(from General Issue) for a soldier.
Other examples include Joe (or J.) Random
Hacker for a computer whiz, Holy Joe for an
army chaplain, Joe College for a student, and
even Joe Camel for the controversial cartoon
character that sold Camel cigarettes.
(Nilsen & Nilsen 179)
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METONYMY
Metonymy occurs when something is named for a
quality that is in some way associated with the item.
In the days of CB radios, people often chose
handles that were descriptive of their physical
characteristics or their hobbies
Today with e-mail and the Internet some people
choose nicknames that are metonymous.
(Nilsen & Nilsen 180)
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NONSENSE
The literal meaning of Nonsense is that it doesnt
make sense; however nonsense verse and other
nonsense is carefully put together so that it has a
strong rhythmic quality that serves to highlight
logical infelicities and nonce words.
Nonce means only once. Nonsense words are
coined for a particular use as in Lewis Carrolls
Jabberwocky poem where he created frabjous and
galumphing, new words which caught on so that
most people at least recognize them today.
(Nilsen & Nilsen 180)
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OXYMORON
Oxymoron comes from two Greek words oxys
meaning sharp and moros meaning foolish or
dull.
This paradox or contradiction can be seen in such
expressions as Icy-Hot (an arthritis medicine), Cool
Fire (a line of shoes), and Soft Brick (a floor
covering).
An article in People Magazine (March 3, 1986) about
Warren S. Blumenfeld, who brought oxymorons to
the attention of the general public, contains fourteen
oxymorons:
(Nilsen & Nilsen 180-181)
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PERSONIFICATION
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PUNS
Richard Lederer in the introduction to his Get
Thee to a Punnery said that puns are a
three-ring circus of words: words clowning,
words teetering on tightropes, words
swinging from tent-tops, words thrusting
their heads into the mouths of lions.
Tony Tanner said that a pun is like an
adulterous bed in which two meanings that
should be separated are coupled together.
(Nilsen & Nilsen 181)
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SYNECDOCHE
Synecdoche is a specific kind of metonymy in which
a part of something is used to represent the whole
thing.
We refer to the movies as the big screen or to
television as the tube.
In a popular joke about the Lone Ranger show, Tonto
uses synecdoche when he responds to the Lone
Rangers announcement that We are being followed
by Indians, with What you mean we, Paleface?
(Nilsen & Nilsen 181)
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ZEUGMA
Intentional Faulty Parallelism is called
Zeugma.
Chuckles the Clown on the Mary Tyler Moore
show said,
A little song
A little dance
A little Seltzer down your pants!
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Theres no fool like an old fool; you just cant beat experience.
Rome wasnt built in a day; the pizza parlors alone took several
weeks.
(Nilsen & Nilsen 179)
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Related PowerPoints
Ambiguity
Animal Language Play
Bilingual Humor
Jokes
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