# Punning in Innsmouth **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2019, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151 "2019-08-04T01:13:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/1 "2019-08-04T01:13:37Z")
I’ve been rereading my electrobook version of The Complete H. P. Lovecraft, and just realized that there’s a groaner at the center of The Shadow Over Innsmouth. In TSOI, the coastal town of Innsmouth is being covertly taken over by fishmen from the deeps. The only hotel in town is The Gilman. :smack::rolleyes::dubious: That Howard, what a card! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/2 "2019-08-04T01:18:02Z")
By any chance did it cost a fin per night to stay there? ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/3 "2019-08-04T01:32:40Z")
aaaaaarrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/4 "2019-08-04T02:29:34Z")
I’ll sojourn there for the halibut ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/5 "2019-08-04T02:52:55Z")
That’s near Cape Cod, aye? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/6 "2019-08-04T03:15:18Z")
I was going to add some more fish puns but I think I’ll take care of everything at once by posting a link to [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZmV5pF4eNA&t). ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/7 "2019-08-04T03:17:22Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > I was going to add some more fish puns but I think I’ll take care of everything at once by posting a link to [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZmV5pF4eNA&t=43s). _cover blown, goes looking for new material_ ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/8 "2019-08-04T03:26:27Z")
Was the hotel run by Ethel [Merman](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merman)? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/9 "2019-08-04T03:32:53Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Was the hotel run by Ethel [Merman](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merman)? That woman had sole. “You’ll be swell, you’ll be great! I’ll eat this whole fish on a plate!” ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/10 "2019-08-04T03:40:54Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > That woman had sole. Maybe, in the Lovecraft story, the fishmen attack from the deeps after she sells her sole to the devil. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/11 "2019-08-04T03:49:49Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Maybe, in the Lovecraft story, the fishmen attack from the deeps after she sells her sole to the devil. Wouldn’t that be the [devil ray](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_fish)? ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/12 "2019-08-04T03:59:46Z")
Devil Ray plays the piano at the hotel. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/13 "2019-08-04T05:41:41Z")
Geez, it was like I dropped a torch into a field of dry grass…:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/14 "2019-08-04T14:48:38Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Devil Ray plays the piano at the hotel. Stay away from the Devil’s Reefer he sells, though. That stuff left me feeling squamous and rugose for three days. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/15 "2019-08-04T16:15:16Z")
Devil ray told me he’s going trolling by the local school. I didn’t like the imbrications. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/16 "2019-08-04T16:29:59Z")
> [@Rocketeer](#): > > Geez, it was like I dropped a torch into a field of dry grass…:dubious: You didn’t realize that your thread title could be read as an imperative? ---
**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:** [August 4, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/17 "2019-08-04T16:35:00Z")
You are _all_ going straight to shell for these puns. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/18 "2019-08-04T16:38:58Z")
At the end of the movie version of the story, the camera pans to a wall at the hotel covered with framed photos of Ethel Merman singing and performing down the years. The camera slowly zooms in on one old black-and-white photo with the following caption: “Ethel Merman sings with… Devil Ray & The Fishmen.” The credits roll. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/19 "2019-08-04T16:40:06Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > Devil ray told me he’s going trolling by\*\* the local school.\*\* I didn’t like the imbrications. Speaking of which, the drama dept. is putting on a production of _Porgy and Bass_. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151/20 "2019-08-04T17:22:22Z")
We should dolphinitely scale back on the fish puns. You all should walk the plankton. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punning-in-innsmouth/838151.md?page=2)