THE subject of a recent Herald obituary was said to have been witty and “noted for his bad pun”, which puzzled me a little. What constitutes a “bad” pun?
Any pun can trigger a wide range of reactions, making you think, nod, smile, titter, laugh, chortle, guffaw, sigh, wince, grimace, gasp or scream. A multiple reaction can also occur. For example, one might initially wince at a tortuous play on words, then smile as it is funny, then grimace in anticipation of more puns on the same theme. It would be difficult to say which of these reactions indicates that the pun is bad.
Reflecting on this has made me recall my Dad trying to explain puns to me over a few months when I was about eight years old. I just didn't get it. Then, one day, like a lightbulb being switched on, I knew what the filament.
Martin McGeehan,
Flat 3/1, 108 Cloch Road, Gourock.
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