English Puns
Are you ready for a laugh?
Well, I can’t promise that. But I’ll do my best!
This is Part 2 of learning English with jokes and humour, where I’ll be looking at puns you might find amusing while learning some useful vocabulary and expressions hidden within them.
My hope is that you’ll have fun with me today and learn something new as well.
Find part 1 here: https://levelupenglish.school/podcast202
6 Jokes to Learn English
The shovel was a ground-breaking invention, but everyone was blown away by the leaf blower.
I used to be afraid of hurdles, but I got over it.
Sleeping comes so naturally to me, I could do it with my eyes closed
Did you hear about the kidnapping at school? It’s okay. He woke up.
I’ve decided to sell my Hoover… it was just collecting dust.
My new girlfriend works at the zoo. I think she’s a keeper.
How many of these jokes did you understand? Listen to the full explanation in the episode.
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In the following lines, I will share some puns sourced from the internet, so they do not show originality and creativity on my part. However, I believe that non-native English speakers will find them easy to understand. While explaining them, I will surely spoil (or “ruin”, according to Michale Lavers) the fun they hold. However, without clarifying them, I may not engage non-native English learners.
A pun is the clever use of a word that carries multiple meanings. The speaker aims to elicit laughter or fun through wordplay. Some examples are cited below.
1. The wedding was so emotional that even the cake was in tiers.
The word “tiers” sounds similar to the word “tears”. Have you got the wordplay?
2. Why are teddy bears never hungry? They are always stuffed!
The word “stuffed” refers to teddy bears being filled with soft material and feeling full or satisfied after eating.
3. She’s an archaeologist. Her career, therefore, is in ruins.
The pun in the sentence “I’m an archaeologist. My career, therefore, is in ruins” relies on the literal and figurative meaning of “ruins”. The figurative meaning of “ruins” is in a state of failure or destruction. The remains of ancient buildings or structures are called “ruins”, and archaeologists study ruins to understand the past; of course, the future of an archaeologist lies in exploring “ruins”.
These are brilliant! 🤣 I hadn’t heard of any of these before. They would’ve been great as part of the episode.