FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK: How to Make Up Jokes and Riddles with Wordplay

by Marvin Terban ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 19, 1992

The author of 11 lively books that bring a delightfully light touch to such subjects as idioms, homographs, and wordplay provides a joke book-cum-manual subtitled How to Make Up Jokes and Riddles with Wordplay. In four chapters, Terban demonstrates the process with homonyms, near-homonyms (a ""pirate ship"" is a ""thug boat""), homographs, and idioms. The generously abundant jokes not only serve as examples, but--by offering several comic uses for a single sound that lends itself to punning (foul/fowl), pointing out how jokes can be devised by beginning with a punch line--Terban also gets readers thinking about the mechanics of language and the meanings of words in general as well as about a variety of ways to play with sound and sense. Even for those who find the exercises more difficult than the author makes them sound, the jokes themselves are invitingly funny; Terban concludes by mentioning their sources, old and new. O'Brien's comical line drawings extend the fun, and occasionally the meaning. Brief bibliography.

Pub Date: Oct. 19, 1992

ISBN: 0395581133

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Clarion

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1992

Categories: CHILDREN'S