# Clever and Funny book, chapter, or episode titles based on other works **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2022, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392 "2022-09-28T14:29:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/1 "2022-09-28T14:29:34Z")
This is really common, I know – several of the books in Spencer Quinn’s Chet and Bernie mystery series have such punning titles (_A Fistful of Collars,_ _Scents and Sensibility_, etc.). This is just for ones that stand out as memorable (at least to you) 1.) An episode of the TV series _The Odd Couple_ where Felix Unger ends up in the boxing ring. It was _The Fight of the Felix_ (clearly riffing on the novel and movie _The Flight of the Phoenix_) 2.) The Rocky and Bullwinkle series about Bullwinkle finding an Arabian Dhow encrusted with rubies and labeled “Omar Khayyam” – _The Ruby Yacht of Omar Khayyam_ (A joke on _The Rubayat_ of Omar Khayyam) 3.) Alan King (or his co-writer/ghost writer) gave a title to the first chapter of his book _Help! I’m a Prisoner in a Chinese Bakery!_, the one about dealing with getting up in the morning and dealing with modern appliances. They entitled it _Morning Becomes Electric_. It was many years before I realized that this was a parody of the title of Eugene O’Neill’s play trilogy _Mourning Becomes Electra_. What are yours? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/2 "2022-09-28T14:39:11Z")
It’s been a while since I read it, but IIRC every chapter title in John Varley’s “Millennium” was a reference to some other work of science fiction. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/3 "2022-09-28T14:47:07Z")
_I Remember Mama_ was a serious stage play, made into 2 theatrical films and several TV movies. _I Dismember Mama_ was a horror film. “Eye of newt” was a line from Shakespeare. “I of Newton” was a short story and then a _Twilight Zone_ episode. Every version of Star Trek loved using Shakespeare quotes as episode titles, but “The Conscience of the King” is the only one I remember offhand. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/4 "2022-09-28T15:14:49Z")
“By Any Other Name” is another. “This Side of Paradise” was one from F Scott Fitzgerald ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/5 "2022-09-28T15:21:37Z")
The grammar book “Eats, Shoots and Leaves” is cleverly titled after the punchline of a well-known joke. The Simpsons and Futurama are full of clever episode titles of the sort. Some of my favorites from Futurama are “The Problem with Popplers” (a send-up of the Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”) and “Teenage Mutant Leela’s Hurdles.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/6 "2022-09-28T15:23:59Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > “By Any Other Name” is another. > > “This Side of Paradise” was one from F Scott Fitzgerald You’re gonna have to help out us troglodytes with details. I recognize “By Any Other Name” as coming from Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet “A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet”), but what is "BY Any Other Name a title of? Is it a book, and play, a movie, and episode? And by who? As for “This Side of Paradise”, I had to look it up to learn that it’s from a poem by Rupert Brooke. Then I had to look up Rupert Brooke (The poem is titled _Tiare Tahiti,_ in case you didn’t know. I didn’t) And are these really your choices for best and cleverest examples? There is an almost infinite number of works of art whose titles are drawn from other works. Listing them all would be impossible, which I why I was looking for ones that particularly stood out. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/7 "2022-09-28T15:31:20Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > The Simpsons and Futurama are full of clever episode titles of the sort. Bob’s Burgers has many punny/rip off episode titles as well— " The Belchies"—The Goonies, “Bob Day Afternoon”—Dog Day Afternoon “Ear-sy Rider”—Easy Rider “Mutiny on The Windbreaker”–Mutiny on The Bounty “The Unbearable Likeness of Gene”–The Unbearable Likeness of Being “O.T.: The Outside Toilet”–E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial among others. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/8 "2022-09-28T15:49:57Z")
_Rick and Morty_ uses punny titles that refer to other titles, with the names of characters as part of the pun. For instance, “Lawnmower Dog,” “Rixty Minutes,” “Ricksy Business,” “Total Rickall,” “One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty,” and “Bethic Twinstinct.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/9 "2022-09-28T17:22:17Z")
I was referring to the titles of episodes of _ **Star Trek** _, as per the previous post. I had never heard of the poem of the same name (or its author) until now, just the Fitzgerald work. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/10 "2022-09-28T17:24:53Z")
The show “ **Frasier** ” was good for this: Miracle on Third or Fourth Street Guess Who’s Coming to Breakfast You Can’t Tell a Crook by His Cover A Midwinter Night’s Dream Frasier Crane’s Day Off My Coffee with Niles Death Becomes Him Fortysomething And these were all from just Season One. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/11 "2022-09-28T17:24:58Z")
Simpson’s season 1. _The Crepes of Wrath._ > **[The Crepes of Wrath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crepes_of_Wrath)** > > "The Crepes of Wrath" is the eleventh episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 15, 1990. It was written by George Meyer, Sam Simon, John Swartzwelder and Jon Vitti, and directed by Wes Archer and Milton Gray. > Bart is sent to France on a student exchange trip, where his hosts treat him like a slave. Meanwhile, an Albanian student takes Bart's place in the Simpson family, and shows great interest in Homer'... I haven’t looked, but I bet there are dozens of Simpson episodes that qualify ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/12 "2022-09-28T18:21:56Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > They entitled it _Morning Becomes Electric_. Local L.A. radio station has a long-running music show called _Morning Becomes Eclectic._ > [@Procrustus](#): > > Simpson’s season 1. > _The Crepes of Wrath._ I just read the synopsis, and I thought Bart’s captors’ names sounded like the names from _Manon of the Spring_ (they were) – that’s pretty obscure. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/13 "2022-09-28T18:30:30Z")
In _That '70s Show_, episodes in later seasons are named after songs by prominent 1970s rock groups. [Season 5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165598/episodes?season=5) episodes are named for Led Zeppelin songs; [Season 6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165598/episodes?season=6&ref_=ttep_ep_sn_nx) episodes are named for songs by The Who; [Season 7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165598/episodes?season=7&ref_=ttep_ep_sn_nx) for Rolling Stones songs; and [Season 8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165598/episodes?season=8&ref_=ttep_ep_sn_nx) for Queen songs. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/14 "2022-09-28T18:50:39Z")
_NewsRadio_ had a string of episodes in the (I think) second season that were all named after Led Zeppelin albums, for no apparent reason. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/15 "2022-09-28T18:51:27Z")
Harry Harrison’s novel of human-dinosaur interaction is titled West of Eden, a twist on Steinbeck’s East of Eden. A good share of Simpson’s episodes would fit the OP: In season 1, we have “Homer’s Odyssey”, “Moaning Lisa”, and “The Crepes of Wrath”. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/16 "2022-09-28T19:18:00Z")
I just finished binge-watching the complete medical drama “St. Elsewhere”. Almost all of their episode titles were either puns, titles of other works, or puns on titles of other works. Some of the puns on other works include: A Pig Too Far (A Bridge Too Far) Murder, She Rote (Murder, She Wrote) Bang the Eardrum Slowly (Bang the Drum Slowly) When You Wish Upon a Scar (When You Wish Upon a Star) Jose, Can You See? (first line of the Star Spangled Banner) Ewe Can’t Go Home Again (You Can’t Go Home Again) Night of the Living Bed (Night of the Living Dead) Heaven’s Skate (Heaven’s Gate) The Naked Civil Surgeon (The Naked Civil Servant) My favorite episode title from the show is this pun: No Chemo, Sabe? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/17 "2022-09-28T19:19:40Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > _NewsRadio_ had a string of episodes in the (I think) second season that were all named after Led Zeppelin albums, for no apparent reason. So the first four episodes were called, I, II, III and IV? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/18 "2022-09-28T19:26:10Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Harry Harrison’s novel of human-dinosaur interaction is titled West of Eden, a twist on Steinbeck’s East of Eden. And note that the phase “East of Eden” is actually a [Bible quote](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Nod). _And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden_ By the way, folks, I think the OP doesn’t want titles that are simply quotes from earlier works, it wants titles that are PUNS on quotes. So the Star Trek episode This Side Of Paradise wouldn’t count, but the [Sliders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sliders_episodes#ep48) episode _This Slide of Paradise_ would count. The Sliders episode _Prince Of Wails_ is a pun, but wouldn’t count, because it isn’t punning on a literary quote. [Tom Holt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Holt) has some good ones. - Who’s Afraid of Beowulf? - Paint Your Dragon - Snow White and the Seven Samurai - Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Sausages ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/19 "2022-09-28T19:39:18Z")
They did have episodes titled “Led Zeppelin”, “Led Zeppelin II”, and “Zoso”. But the episodes weren’t named in LZ album order, just kind of random, and nothing to do with the actual episodes. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392/20 "2022-09-28T19:42:29Z")
_The Good, the Bad, and the Emus_ _Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon_ _The Hen of the Baskervilles_ _Gift of the Magpie_ and a few other books in the Meg Langslow mystery series by Donna Andrews. Almost all of the book titles (#32 will be out this fall) are bird-based puns, though most don’t fit the OP’s request. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-and-funny-book-chapter-or-episode-titles-based-on-other-works/972392.md?page=2)