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puns

By Ginny Wiehardt, About.com

Definition: A pun is a play on words, often humorous, that uses words that have similar or identical sounds but very different meanings. Samuel Johnson called it the lowest form of humor, but many disagree: You can find a wealth of examples at the O. Henry Pun-Off site, including, "Puns are their own rewords" and "It is better to have loved a short person and lost, than never to have loved A TALL."
Also Known As: paranomasia, malapropism
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