Congradulations vs Congratulations

Congradulations vs Congratulations Have you ever wondered why people say and write congradulations to those graduating instead of congratulations? What we have here is a pun or play on words. Whoever first dreamed this one up must have thought it hilariously funny, and it would seem that others did too since it has caught on in a big way. Grad, of course, is short for graduate, and it sounds vaguely similar to the grat part of the word congratulations. Saying or writing congradulations is, therefore, an attempt at a mild joke. Im not sure if anyone finds this particular play on words punny (funny) any more. Even though I am told that I have an unhealthy love of puns, it fails to elicit so much as a smirk. Id class most puns as groan humor, and congradulations has become so overused it doesnt even give rise to that. A little recourse to Google is all it takes for me to see that people are starting to get irritated about the use of congradulations. There are even rants that fiercely declare its time everyone went back to saying congratulations like proper English-speakers. Id say its corny, but not a big deal as long as you know that congratulations isnt really spelled like that. The Art of the Pun, Play on Words or Paronomasia The formal term for a pun is paronomasia. If you learn nothing else from this article, youll at least have found a wonderful new Scrabble word that will have your friends reaching for the dictionary. In the interest of finding a pun that tickles your funny bone, Im going to see if I can come up with a few classics that will either make you smile or form the intention of throwing a dictionary at me should we ever chance to meet in person. Pay careful attention, and you may even discover how to develop a few puns of your own. But be warned some find puns witty and cute, while others will not. Its always important to get ready to duck at possible flying objects aimed in your direction as you utter your newly coined pun. A Lot of Jokes Use Puns in Their Punchlines As you go through this selection of puns, you may find yourself groaning rather than laughing. If that happens, youll know what I mean by groan humor, but it may also become more difficult to understand just why I like puns so much. Are you ready? Q: Why are pirates called pirates? A: Because they Arrrr. Q: What do you call a very energetic person who constantly used puns? A: An energizer punny. Q: What did the calm leaf say to the trembling one? A: Whats stomata? As with our congradulations example, these puns use similar sounding words that are nonetheless very different from the ones they masquerade as, but thats not always the case. Read on for even more painful wordplay. He isnt all that fond of cooking Indian food, but he does like currying favor. I see you have a photographic memory. Too bad you never developed it. If we can say one thing about boiled eggs, its that theyre hard to beat. Two antennas got married. The wedding wasnt exciting, but the reception was fantastic! If you fail to pay an exorcist, you may be repossessed. This variety of pun is my favorite. I feel particularly pleased with myself when I coin a new one, and when I hear puns like this, I may even smile, snort, giggle, titter, laugh or even guffaw. Then again, Im slightly strange that way. Do you have a favorite pun or play on words? If so, please share it by adding your comment. Do you hate puns? Death threats can be sent to my private email account. You will receive a pun-ctual response (hides under table). (Photo courtesy of klbradt)