The power of the pun

[LMcD]

'Arrivederci, Ukraine!'
'Three Lions (probably drunk) In The Fountain'.
'The Fan Zones of Rome'
'Everyone Back Home's Rooting Forum'

... and, should England lose or be on the wrong end of any dodgy decisions by match officials, 'The Whines of Rome'.

[kernelbogey]

I think LMP's Dad's witticism is a real pun. Among the reasons 'It's coming Rome' isn't, is that sentence does not make any sense except in the context of this football match.

I have been wanting to address this issue since this thread was started, but struggle to recall good examples.

One, from the eighteenth century, possiby ascribed to Charles Lamb: he encountered a friend carrying a dead hare.

'Is that your own hare, or is it a wig?' he asked.

[Serial_Apologist]

I think LMP's Dad's witticism is a real pun. Among the reasons 'It's coming Rome' isn't, is that sentence does not make any sense except in the context of this football match.

I have been wanting to address this issue since this thread was started, but struggle to recall good examples.

One, from the eigteenth century, possiby ascribed to Charles Lamb: he encountered a friend carrying a dead hare.

'Is that your own hare, or is it a wig?' he asked.

[LMcD]

I think we should be proud that the arrests that followed the Kinder Scout mass trespass were not in vain and that England have shown that we still enjoy the right to rome.

[vinteuil]

One, from the eighteenth century, possibly ascribed to Charles Lamb: he encountered a friend carrying a dead hare.

'Is that your own hare, or is it a wig?' he asked.

.

'An Oxford scholar, meeting a porter who was carrying a hare through the streets, accosts him with this extraordinary question : "Prithee, friend, is that thy own hare, or a wig?" '

Charles Lamb [1775-1834]

'Popular Fallacies ix - That The Worst Puns Are The Best' in The New Monthly Magazine January 1826, reprinted in The Last Essays of Elia 1833

.

[jayne lee wilson]

"It's coming Rome" could be used of anything from an invasion to a storm to a....major sporting event....all it needs (if you insist) is a comma to make that clear....

So the pun works fine; and it was pretty much irresistible!

[LMcD]

'As the old saying goes: 'All roads lead to HA9 OSW'

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I think we should be proud that the arrests that followed the Kinder Scout mass trespass were not in vain and that England have shown that we still enjoy the right to rome.

I get the pun, but reference to the Mass Trespass reminds me that my father (then 20 years old) took part in this, but wasn’t arrested. Many years later, my Aunt Elsie was widowed and met another man, called Horace). My father recognised him as one of the gamekeepers who tried to stop the protest. They ended up as good friends.

[kernelbogey]

.

'An Oxford scholar, meeting a porter who was carrying a hare through the streets, accosts him with this extraordinary question : "Prithee, friend, is that thy own hare, or a wig?" '

Charles Lamb [1775-1834]

'Popular Fallacies ix - That The Worst Puns Are The Best' in The New Monthly Magazine January 1826, reprinted in The Last Essays of Elia 1833

.

I am infinitely obliged to you, sir, for this superior attribution!

[kernelbogey]

"It's coming Rome" could be used of anything from an invasion to a storm to a....major sporting event....all it needs (if you insist) is a comma to make that clear....

So the pun works fine; and it was pretty much irresistible!

I have to say that such a meaning did not occur to me: the comma makes all the difference. But I won't insist.

Perhaps attrib: Hannibal (dubious)

[kernelbogey]

I get the pun, but reference to the Mass Trespass reminds me that my father (then 20 years old) took part in this, but wasn’t arrested. Many years later, my Aunt Elsie was widowed and met another man, called Horace). My father recognised him as one of the gamekeepers who tried to stop the protest. They ended up as good friends.

Lovely anecdote, Alpie!

[LHC]

Sounds like The Sun's lamentable lack of wit.

Cue "The Italian Job", "Ukraine, u saw, u were conquered" and other prematurely gloating witticisms (sic) over the coming days.

Me: I expect we will end up with "Roman Horror Day".

I think the Sun's finest hour with footballing headlines was "SUPER CALEY GO BALLISTIC, CELTIC ARE ATROCIOUS" Not quite a pun, but still a great headline.

[LMcD]

I think the Sun's finest hour with footballing headlines was "SUPER CALEY GO BALLISTIC, CELTIC ARE ATROCIOUS" Not quite a pun, but still a great headline.

If the floodlights fail, they will presumably go for 'Romans in the Gloamin'.

[kernelbogey]

'It's coming: groan.'

[LMcD]

A group of English fans from the borough of Lambeth have just arrived in Rome. Their journey, which involved 4 flights, 2 coaches and a taxi, took them 24 hours from Tulse Hill.