# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dickerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Dickerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickerman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/21 "2016-05-17T17:57:28Z")
I advise my children to leave unremarked any puns they may make. The mystery of intention can only increase the fun. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/22 "2016-05-17T18:10:48Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > I think to be a pun, it must be intended … otherwise it’s just poor spelting … \>grain\< ---
**Author:** ![cwniles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@cwniles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwniles)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/23 "2016-05-17T18:36:45Z")
I have used that phrase a few times when a statement might possibly be interpreted as an attempt at humor and I just want to make it clear that, despite appearances, it is unintended. As to the question of couldn’t it just be rewritten to avoid the pun…well, I imagine there is no one answer to that question but in general, if you are a professional writer, I would agree. ---
**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, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/24 "2016-05-17T21:47:38Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > \>grain\< \> bluish \< ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/25 "2016-05-17T21:54:51Z")
I often say it even if there is no possible pun in my preceding sentence. It keeps people on their toes. Sent from my LG-V410 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/26 "2016-05-17T22:28:14Z")
> [@cwniles](#): > > I have used that phrase a few times when a statement might possibly be interpreted as an attempt at humor and I just want to make it clear that, despite appearances, it is unintended. And sometimes, to ward off the inevitable “I see what you did there”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cwniles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@cwniles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwniles)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/27 "2016-05-18T18:43:05Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > And sometimes, to ward off the inevitable “I see what you did there”. 🙂 or, if the situation in question is serious in nature, being seen as the sort of jackass who makes “going down” jokes when talking about a some poor victim of an elevator mishap or something along those lines. I am reminded of the girl who made the mistake of using the term “call a spade a spade” in a discussion that, and I don’t remember the specifics, may have had some sort of race related topic. And yeah, the kneejerk reaction of many was to ignorantly spit “THATS RACIST!” rather than educate themselves on just what that term means and where and when it originated. I suppose she should have either not used that term or qualified it with the dreaded " No pun intended" but then again, people could just not be ignorant but, well, yeah, that is not going to happen. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953/28 "2016-05-24T06:41:27Z")
I go with Chronos. When I’ve used it, it means I didn’t originally intend the pun, but saw it later and thought it worked, so I kept it. I also often find rewording things to be difficult. More often then not, I really change the meaning, and have to change a lot. Like, for instance this paragraph, which originally started “I also am not a big fan of rewording things.” But I decided to say something different. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-writing-no-pun-intended/754953.md?page=1)