The Smoking Pun: Crimes Against the Language (Paperback)

~ (Author), Tom Nynas (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This collection of 44 puns, each accompanied by a funny illustration, analyzes in endnotes the origins, roots, prefixes, suffixes, and linguistic peculiarities of certain punned words. Tricky twists turn phrases such as "religiously ambivalent" into "either-or-thodox," and illuminating notes explain how such phrases as "no stone unturned" mutated from the darker "no bones unburned," which refers to the digging up and destroying of the bones of people posthumously convicted of heresy. Readers are also invited to submit their own puns using mail-in forms at the back of the book.

About the Author

Thaddeus Taylor is a songwriter and composer whose clients include R & D Thinktank, United Way, and Medical City–Dallas Hospital. He lives in San Antonio, Texas. Tom Nynas is a teacher of design and typography at Texas A&M–Commerce and his work has appeared in Communication Arts, Graphis Design Annual, and Graphis Logo. He lives in Dallas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Cerebral Market (August 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977046907
• ISBN-13: 978-0977046904
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #403,210 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #18 in	Books > Entertainment > Humor > Puns & Wordplay
  #98 in	Books > Entertainment > Humor > Lawyers & Criminals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart Humor - Intelligiggles, September 9, 2006

By	Mark E. Mckinney (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's rare that you find an author that creates a whole new genre of humor. Are the puns? Are the riddles? What the heck are they? They are just plain funny! Highly recommend having this somewhere where friends can pick up the book while you cook them a spaghetti dinner. It will make for excellent "mealtainment".

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't read while operating heavy machinery!, January 13, 2007

By	Duncan Cover (San Antonio, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

Brilliant and funny. Thaddeus Taylor is a lexicographical wizard.

You think you don't want to read a book about puns? Remember when you said you wouldn't like Douglas Adams because you don't read science fiction? You'll find yourself following people around reading this book aloud to them, choking with laughter.

Get it before someone else does.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars too obscure, January 7, 2008

By	pony - See all my reviews

I would not recommend this book for most. You must be a total word freak to enjoy it, not a casual pun fan.