Well, I don't know that it's really a pun, but I nearly cried with mirth at the almost word-for-word reference to the Star Wars bar scene ("He says he doesn't like you") in Chapter 5 of WOLP. As an incorrigible American Generation X-er (yes, I said it; please forgive me), I appreciate any and all references to the movies of my childhood. Mind you, as a Shakespeare nut and general all-around lit geek, I love the literary references too--but I also really appreciate Fforde's shameless fforay into pop culture reference.

I have to cast my vote to the "squire" as well...~s~

LG

I'm not sure if JFf actually says it anywhere, but Houson Parke-Laine's maiden name could only have been First. That joke is just too classic to throw away.



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Metaphors be with you!

I had the Parke-Laine name jokes explained to me, and I still was unable to grasp why they were so funny.
A few hours later I was turning them over while in bed when it hit me.
No, I'm not secretly Bowden.



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Um? Game?

I've been thinking it over, and realized some of the better puns. The SO-5 agents sent to keep an eye on Thursday, and kept mysteriously turning up dead. I missed it the first time around (Kannon and Phodder) but when Dedmen and Walken died, I realized what was happening and went back to find the names of the first set. For some reason I wasn't as taken with Lamme and Slorter, maybe because I didn't like the phrase as much as the others, thought it a bit too obvious, or wearing a bit thin; but it was still pretty dang good.



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Um? Game?

Author: Snosilla (---.hsd1.wa.comcast.net)
Date: 09-29-05 01:11

Well, I don't know that it's really a pun, but I nearly cried with mirth at the almost word-for-word reference to the Star Wars bar scene ("He says he doesn't like you") in Chapter 5 of WOLP. As an incorrigible American Generation X-er (yes, I said it; please forgive me), I appreciate any and all references to the movies of my childhood. Mind you, as a Shakespeare nut and general all-around lit geek, I love the literary references too--but I also really appreciate Fforde's shameless fforay into pop culture reference.



....not to mention that the 'ovinator' REALLY uses Jedi mind trick technology (not that Mycroft can remember).

JFf has references to everything!

(Not to mention the inevitable Monty Python's Bookshop Sketch reference that crops up whenever I try to recommend the books to someone: "Yes, it really is Fforde with two F's and an E on the end!")



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Metaphors be with you!

I'll be honest, I do not get the Landan Park-Laine thing but whatever, I don't know if these are puns but I am a huge fan of the about as easy as stapling banquo's ghost to the table line and the thing about not getting Boo Radley to come out of his change room at the bookies. Seriously though if anyone could explain the Landan thing, please.



SpecOps-27 Wordage is our business Grammar is our game.

Landen Parke-Laine (and another minor character who I won't name in case you haven't read Something Rotten yet) is a reference to Monopoly-- Park Lane is one of the spots you can land on.

Welcome to the fforum, by the way! If you come on over to Nextian Chat, it's a bit more active, and they may offer you cake. You might want to be careful, though. We're all a bit mad here.

I thought all the Biggles references were quite funny, I counted three, has anybody seen anymore? (1st was direct ref to Biggles flies east, 2nd was Bradshaw hunts big game and the 3rd was Ginger Hebblethwaite at the bookies)

About the only thing I know about Biggles is that he's a pilot. So that's one set of references that would certainly go over my head.

I was going to point you at the Guide to the book... but I can't seem to locate it. Does anyone have a link?

Rob, distracted

Being the youngster i am and with my lacking in a classical literary education I must say that the crazy puns and obscure references have prompted me to read many of the classics i probably never would have found worthwhile with out such a enticement as understanding these FANTABULOUS books.
Puns-wise... when i caught them (such as Dedmen and Walkin) i would chorkle to myself. i did that alot actually.

I'd like to think I get a fair bit of the punnery. but, being 17, I don't, or so I assume.

I got Landen, of course, being a Brit, and Houson, Bilden, Millon DeFloss, and a host more.

Missed the Squire of High Potternews though (Square on... something...) and I get Ronan Empyre now.

I like Bowden Cable too.

Braxton Hicks always reminds me of Flixton Slick, from the Jennings books by A. Buckeridge, but that's almost certainly not it. :D

It's "square of the hypotenuse" as in the Pythagorean Theorem, and as a math geek I've been kicking myself for not catching that right away.

Braxton hicks are false contractions in pregnancy.

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That statement is either so deep it would take a lifetime to fully comprehend every particle of its meaning, or it is a load of absolute tosh. Which is it, I wonder?
Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

Not a pun, but the fact that Sebastian's teddy bear talks in this book. Unless its ventriloquism? I don't think it is, though.

"I'm not taking him to Italy because I don't want him to fraternize with Italian teddy bears."

Hi Hunchback,

as you will see from the dates on previous posts, these forums (fora? forae?) are not very active. Most of us can be found in Nextian Chat, where chaos rules and cyber snacks are always available.