# What's the point of writing no pun intended? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 17, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953 "2016-05-17T01:12:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Poo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Poo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Poo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/1 "2016-05-17T01:12:23Z")
Why not rewrite the sentence to avoid the pun. ---
**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:** [May 17, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/2 "2016-05-17T01:19:59Z")
Because the pun _is_ intended. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/3 "2016-05-17T01:20:51Z")
Because they’re lying. The pun IS intended. ETA: ninja’d! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Poo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Poo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Poo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/4 "2016-05-17T01:30:55Z")
Yeah, thought as much. Takes away the fun in finding them. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/5 "2016-05-17T01:35:10Z")
For a more GQ answer: because sometimes, the line as written (even though it is a pun) is the way that makes the most sense. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/6 "2016-05-17T01:46:08Z")
Sometimes there is no good synonym for a word that creates a pun on a situation. Or at least the writer can’t think of one that has the same connotations as that other word that he wants to use. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/7 "2016-05-17T01:48:19Z")
If this is about evolution … then you’re just splitting hares … _no pun intended_. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/8 "2016-05-17T02:11:52Z")
I once entered a newspaper pun contest, but I was worried about the competition, so I went ahead and entered my ten best instead of the one or two I normally would. But when I checked the announcement to see how many of mine had taken prizes, you know what I found? No pun in ten did. That’s the purpose of that phrase. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/9 "2016-05-17T02:37:18Z")
It shows that you’re such a damn clever humorist that you come up with humorous stuff even though you weren’t trying. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/10 "2016-05-17T02:42:37Z")
Most likely, the sentence was not constructed with the goal of making a pun, and any punning was accidental. The pun is kept in, so in that sense it is intended, but the main point of the statement in question is not the pun. There’s a joke in there, yes, but you should still read the sentence for the information/argumentative value. Then we can go over here and [del]laugh [/del]groan at the pun in an unrelated sort of way. > [@The\_Big\_Poo](#): > > Why not rewrite the sentence to avoid the pun. Because the human urge to make a pun whenever possible is strong enough to override even hunger, thirst and the instinct for self-preservation. No one walks away from a pun willingly when they find one. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/11 "2016-05-17T02:44:12Z")
Also to make sure that everyone notices that there’s a pun there. Because even a good pun is bad, but a bad pun is unnoticeable. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/12 "2016-05-17T02:45:05Z")
Personally, in that situation, I go with “pun retroactively intended”. As in, I didn’t realize the pun would be there when I was writing, but once it got there, I’m sure not going to take it out. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/13 "2016-05-17T03:18:54Z")
> [@The\_Big\_Poo](#): > > Why not rewrite the sentence to avoid the pun. Well, that probably takes more work than writing “no pun intended”. But as noted, there is no factual answer to this question. Or at least there is no single factual answer. It’s going to depend on who does the writing. And if someone does take the time to rewrite to avoid the pun, how would you know? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/14 "2016-05-17T03:26:09Z")
Moved to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/15 "2016-05-17T13:25:36Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Moved to IMHO. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator Ha ha ha ha … very punny ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/16 "2016-05-17T13:42:21Z")
I don’t think it is written as often as it is spoken. In conversation, one might not realize there has been in inadvertent pun until the words re already spoken and there is no delete button. When it does occur in print, it is usually because the writer realizes afterward that there was a pun, and would rather proudly leave it in, than waste it. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/17 "2016-05-17T15:14:54Z")
I think to be a pun, it must be intended … otherwise it’s just poor spelting … ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/18 "2016-05-17T15:20:20Z")
Why you gotta crap on everyones’ pun parade,Big Poo (pun intended)? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/19 "2016-05-17T15:43:51Z")
I think it means: _“Yes, there’s a pun there; well done to those who noticed it. Be aware that the creation of the pun was NOT the purpose of the statement, and please don’t allow it to distract your attention from my larger point.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/20 "2016-05-17T16:01:45Z")
[To troll the literate.](https://xkcd.com/559/) 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953.md?page=2)