This is a clever nonfiction book about the history of punning in the English language. There is at least one pun per page, which makes it a joy to read. One example of punning in this book is the subtitle: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics. Haaaaa.
This is one quote that I particularly loved:
“The assumption that puns are per se contemptible, betrayed by the habit of describing every pun as a ‘bad pun’ or a ‘feeble pun’ is a sign at once of sheepish docility and a desire to seem superior. Puns are good, bad, and indifferent, and only those who lack the wit to make them are unaware of the fact.”
Preach! I HATE it when people say stupid things like, “Pardon the pun.”
So if you want an interesting, witty, informative book, I recommend The Pun Also Rises.
Some favorite puns from the book:
The ham walked out of the doctor and said, “I’m cured!”
The archaeologist’s career ended in ruins.
Dermatologists sometimes make rash decisions.
How many ears does Davey Crockett have? Three- a right ear, a left ear, and a wild front ear.
Why did the golfer wear two pairs of pants? In case he got a hole in one.
A distraught patient rushes into a psychiatrist’s office. “Doctor, doctor! I think I’m a wigwam, then I think I’m a tepee. I’m a wigwam, I’m a tepee. I’m a wigwam, I’m a tepee.” “Relax,” the shrink says. “You’re just too tense.”