Language is fascinating for many reasons, one of them being how multifaceted it can be. While many people mostly use it for communication without thinking much about it, others master it to the extent that allows them to create beautiful poetry or write books that captivate millions of readers.
Coming up with all sorts of puns is another great use of language. Defined by most dictionaries as a humorous way of using a word or a phrase with several meanings or resemblance to another word, puns are clearly beloved by many, as the number of members of the ‘Unappreciated Puns’ group alone shows.
Another thing that shows that quite a few people are fond of puns and similar amusing language use is the popularity of stand-up comedy. Attracting an abundance of humor-loving individuals, such comedy can hardly be separated from the use of puns, which often become the heart of the punchline.
According to Bloomberg, over the last decade, the popularity of stand-up comedy has tripled in size. “When I started, there were three or four active comedians who could fill even a small theater,” Mike Berkowitz, the co-head of comedy at talent agency WME, told Bloomberg before adding that now there’s hundreds of them.
Puns, which have seemingly existed since the dawn of time, can be quipped in any language by any person, which means that, whether you love or hate them, you might not be able to escape them.
According to Professor of Italian Studies and linguist in the University of Melbourne’s School of Languages and Linguistics Dr. John Hajek, the reason why puns don’t seem to go out of style—especially among fans of dad humor—lies in the fact that people generally like playing with language. “It’s a feature of human interaction with language, from puns to nursery rhymes. We have a long tradition of play,” he was cited saying on Pursuit, the university’s research news website.
Another professor at the University of Melbourne, Shakespearean lecturer Dr. David McInnis, added that puns—whether good or bad—can provide a shared experience. “I think there’s a sense of shared cleverness and intelligence that you get the joke,” he told Pursuit. “Some people understand it and some don’t, so there’s that element of sharing something that’s a bit of a secret in some ways.”
Dr. David McInnis continued to point out that some puns are really terrible, but that, too, can become something people can bond over. “It’s a bit like the jokes you get in Christmas crackers that are notoriously bad, and part of that is a communal bonding thing, you know. You hear a really bad joke, everyone collectively groans… it’s a bonding exercise.”
According to Prof. Hajek, puns can only be successful if it is assumed that the audience can work them out. And statistics suggest that the majority seem to have no problem with that – a poll carried out by YouGov found that nearly 60% of Americans have an affinity for puns.
The younger generation is reportedly particularly fond of such a form of wordplay; among millennials, for instance, roughly two-thirds (68%) say they enjoy puns, while out of their middle-aged counterparts, just over half (57%) say they do.
In addition to their age, the level of education can also influence the way people feel about puns. According to YouGov, people who pursue higher levels of education tend to report higher rates of positive sentiment towards this particular kind of linguistic gems. Postgrads reportedly show the highest rate of enthusiasm about puns.
If you consider yourself a fan of puns, you might be happy to learn that here at Bored Panda, we have an entire category dedicated to them. So, once you’re done with the list, continue browsing Bored Panda for more puns to fight the boredom with. Happy scrolling!