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What are the characteristics of a good pun? What are some puns that have these characteristics?
Puns are a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or similar-sounding terms for humorous effect. Some puns use ambiguity, in which a certain word can be interpreted in different ways.
Categories of puns are based on different kinds of words. Verbal and visual puns use phonetic or similar-sounding words, whereas a spoonerism is based on accidental inversions that result from the similarity in sound.
Puns can be classified in many ways; for example, by the way they are created (intentional or accidental), and whether they use multiple meanings of a term (homonymic puns) or different words that sound alike.
The word pun derives from the Middle English 'pon', which means to play on, make sport of or jest. The first recorded use is in 1598.
A pun's humor is derived from its ambiguity and the resulting confusion between the multiple meanings of words.
For example, an amusement park with a roller coaster might be called "Corkscrew Kingdom." A sign indicating that the ride is temporarily out of order could say: "The corkscrew is twisted at this time. Please pardon our inconvenience (meaning 'corkscrews').