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Chapter 9. Tropes of ill repute

Puns and (often thwarted) expectations of relevance
  • Agnieszka Solska
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Relevance Theory, Figuration, and Continuity in Pragmatics
This chapter is in the book Relevance Theory, Figuration, and Continuity in Pragmatics

Abstract

Puns, a form of figurative language exploiting ambiguity in its many guises, tend to be regarded as a trope of lesser value. The present article explores this tainted reputation of puns in the light of the relevance-theoretic model of utterance interpretation and attributes it to the fact that like no other figure of speech they often thwart our expectations of relevance. Moreover, many of them do so boldly, conspicuously, thus making us particularly likely to take note of the emotional reactions we experience and to articulate them. The article identifies six ways in which puns may go against our expectations about verbal inputs and attempts to specify the possible negative consequences this may have for our perception of puns.

Abstract

Puns, a form of figurative language exploiting ambiguity in its many guises, tend to be regarded as a trope of lesser value. The present article explores this tainted reputation of puns in the light of the relevance-theoretic model of utterance interpretation and attributes it to the fact that like no other figure of speech they often thwart our expectations of relevance. Moreover, many of them do so boldly, conspicuously, thus making us particularly likely to take note of the emotional reactions we experience and to articulate them. The article identifies six ways in which puns may go against our expectations about verbal inputs and attempts to specify the possible negative consequences this may have for our perception of puns.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part 1. Continua in non-literalness
  6. Chapter 1. Category extension as a variety of loose use 25
  7. Chapter 2. Metonymic relations – from determinacy to indeterminacy 45
  8. Part 2. Concepts, procedures and discourse effects
  9. Chapter 3. Evidential participles and epistemic vigilance 69
  10. Chapter 4. The Greek connective gar 95
  11. Chapter 5. Metarepresentation markers in Indus Kohistani 121
  12. Part 3. Multimodality and style
  13. Chapter 6. When EVERYTHING STANDS OUT, Nothing Does 167
  14. Chapter 7. Relevance, style and multimodality 193
  15. Part 4. Pragmatic effects and emotions
  16. Chapter 8. Towards a relevance-theoretic account of hate speech 229
  17. Chapter 9. Tropes of ill repute 259
  18. Part 5. Stylistic effects in literary works
  19. Chapter 10. Another look at “Cat in the rain” 291
  20. Chapter 11. Echoic irony in Philip Larkin’s poetry and its preservation in Polish translations 309
  21. Chapter 12. Humour and irony in George Mikes’ How to be a Brit 327
  22. Name index 351
  23. Subject index 355
https://doi.org/10.1075/ftl.8.09sol

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part 1. Continua in non-literalness
  6. Chapter 1. Category extension as a variety of loose use 25
  7. Chapter 2. Metonymic relations – from determinacy to indeterminacy 45
  8. Part 2. Concepts, procedures and discourse effects
  9. Chapter 3. Evidential participles and epistemic vigilance 69
  10. Chapter 4. The Greek connective gar 95
  11. Chapter 5. Metarepresentation markers in Indus Kohistani 121
  12. Part 3. Multimodality and style
  13. Chapter 6. When EVERYTHING STANDS OUT, Nothing Does 167
  14. Chapter 7. Relevance, style and multimodality 193
  15. Part 4. Pragmatic effects and emotions
  16. Chapter 8. Towards a relevance-theoretic account of hate speech 229
  17. Chapter 9. Tropes of ill repute 259
  18. Part 5. Stylistic effects in literary works
  19. Chapter 10. Another look at “Cat in the rain” 291
  20. Chapter 11. Echoic irony in Philip Larkin’s poetry and its preservation in Polish translations 309
  21. Chapter 12. Humour and irony in George Mikes’ How to be a Brit 327
  22. Name index 351
  23. Subject index 355
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