Pun Is Fun

ʻPon my word!

- Clifford Martis

Two different words, sound the same and mean different things? How funny! Yes, we call them puns. Don’t we? A pun is a great source of fun. In fact, some of us pronounce the word fun as pun. Not exactly pun, but something like phun. People speaking some languages pronounce it that way. Please don’t ask me which languages. An example of pun is the word ‘fine’. It means fine – that is something that is good, nice. But the word also means a punishment. The policeman caught the man crossing the road at the wrong place. The man’s excuse was that he saw the board, ‘Fine for crossing here.’ The spelling of the two words need not be the same to make a pun. Only the sound produced must be the same. For example, two musicians were discussing a young lady’s musical performance. One expert said, “I like her Motzart and Strauss but I don’t like her Bach. “The other said,” I don’t worry about her bach as long as her front is attractive!”

Latha’s dog Gundu was not well. She took him to the vet Dr Peter. The doctor put Gundu on the table and after some examination went inside. Presently, he came out with a cat in his arms and went round the table. After a little while he gave some medicine and produced a bill for ₹2000 Latha was shocked. “Two thousand rupees doctor?” she exclaimed. “Yes”, said the doctor, “consultation ₹250, medicine ₹250 and the catscan ₹1500.”