What Makes a Pun Funny?

Comedian Jessica Kirson, as captured by the inimitable Brian FriedmanMy name is Ginny and I’m an adult pun-lover. When I hear a good one — Photons have mass? I didn’t even know they were Catholic! — I don’t roll my eyes or smirk. I double over laughing, like a 7-year-old.What is it exactly that makes a pun funny (at least to those of us who humbly accept the power of the pun)?That’s the underlying question of a brain imaging study I came across last week. Its pretty pictures don’t answer the question, really, but they’re interesting all the same. And provocative: the data could have way-down-the-road relevance for communicating with people in vegetative states.The researchers, led by Adrian Owen at the University of Western Ontario, focused on three types of jokes:Regular joke: Why did Cleopatra bathe in milk? Because she couldn’t find a cow tall enough for a shower.Funny pun: Why were the teacher’s eyes crossed? Because she couldn’t control her pupils.Unfunny pun: What was the problem with the other coat? It was difficult to put on with the paint-roller.Read more at...The Last Word on Nothing, October 2011.