No pun intended
Why do people say “no pun intended” when, clearly, they do intend to make a pun. This happens a lot, but here’s a specific example I came across while reading a Seth Godin book:
“What about a Polaroid camera? Was your first exposure (no pun intended!) in a TV ad, or did you discover it when a friend showed you how cool the idea of an instant photograph was?”
– Seth Godin, Unleashing the Ideavirus
So, are we supposed to believe that Seth Godin was just typing along one day and happened to spit out that clever pun unintentionally, realized the crazy irony in what he just typed and therefore wanted to let us know that he didn’t really intend to make that pun, it just slipped out? Not likely.
It seems to me that the reason to say “no pun intended” is if you really didn’t intend to make a pun. This would seem to happen a lot more in speaking than in writing. If you are just talking in conversation and you happen to say something that you think back on and realize it was a pun, then that’s when you say “no pun intended.” You don’t say “no pun intended” when you did intend to make a pun.
Ok, enough said.
August 31st, 2007 at 8:37 pm
actually, it means “pun intended.” As in, “yes, I know I just made a pun.”
I have no idea why people say “no pun intended,” but you’re right, it means the opposite.
September 1st, 2007 at 9:15 am
Wow, thanks for the comment, Seth Godin. I am honored by your presence here on my very obscure and little-read blog!
So, you’re saying that “no pun intended” actually means “pun intended” in practice. I can see that, but I still question why we need to say it. I mean, why not just say “pun intended” (which I have seen/hear people use as well) or, why not just let our puns stand on their own rather than pointing them out? Plus, what would we say if we actually didn’t intend to make a pun?
By the way, I love your books and your blog.
June 12th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Hey guys basically people use ‘no pun intended’ to make people who miss the pun aware of it. You see even if you don’t get the pun ‘no pun intended’ makes you think!
August 11th, 2008 at 12:29 am
hi, andar here, i just read your post. i like very much. agree to you, sir.