Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2022 September 17
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September 17
editWhat is the proper word to describe this?
editWhat is the proper word to describe these examples below? I searched under "word play" and many of its "See Also" links, but I can't find the correct form of word play.
- The TV show Kevin Can Wait is a form of word play, making reference to the film Heaven Can Wait.
- An episode of The King of Queens is "Mama Cast". It is about the "mom" being "cast" in a certain role ... but is also a (veiled) reference to the singer Mama Cass.
- An episode of The King of Queens is "Awful Bigamy". It is about the fact that engaging in "bigamy" is "awful" ... but is also a (veiled) reference to the phrase "that's awful big of me".
- An episode of The King of Queens is "Foe: Pa". It is about the fact that the father ("pa") is acting as a "foe" (not a friend) ... but is also a (veiled) reference to the phrase "faux pas".
That sort of thing. I considered "pun", but that doesn't seem right. Nor does "double entendre". Thanks. 32.209.55.38 (talk) 04:16, 17 September 2022 (UTC)
- Homophonic pun fits pretty well. It's a time-honored comic device. Look at a list of Bugs Bunny or Woody Woodpecker cartoons, or a list of Three Stooges shorts, for many examples. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 06:14, 17 September 2022 (UTC)
- It fits three of the four. Kevin is something else. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:13, 17 September 2022 (UTC)
- That could be a design pun, such as one of the examples there, "Planet of the Grapes". ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 07:58, 17 September 2022 (UTC)
- It fits three of the four. Kevin is something else. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:13, 17 September 2022 (UTC)
- As an aside: The late British crime novelist Dick Francis made homophonic puns into an art form with his book titles, which usually had a double meaning contained in a title of one or two words. 'Banker', 'Reflex', 'Proof' and 'In the frame' (admittedly three words) spring to my mind, but there are lots more. --T*U (talk) 11:01, 17 September 2022 (UTC)
Thanks, all! 32.209.55.38 (talk) 02:04, 20 September 2022 (UTC)