During these perilous and uncertain days when it can seem as if the sky is falling, I’m hoping that some pun fun may add a dollop of brightness to your life. I believe that humor makes us happy, and happiness gives us hope. Air hugs to all. Do you know why cell phones no […]
April Fools’ Day, sometimes called All Fools’ Day, is a time to play pranks on others. These tricks can be verbal, as in the examples below, or they can be physical. Plastic wrap on the toilet seat, alarm clocks set back an hour and the classic “kick me” sign affixed to a friend’s back […]
DEAR RICHARD LEDERER: I was listening to a local radio talk show host who described an unexpected event as a “curve ball from left field.” I believe that is called a mixed metaphor. It made me start wondering if that sort of thing is more common than one would think. Have you encountered this? […]
About two weeks ago, at the age of 101, Katherine Johnson slipped the surly bonds of earth. She was a brilliant African American mathematician who calculated rocket trajectories and earth orbits for NASA’s early space missions. Ms. Johnson was later portrayed in the 2016 film “Hidden Figures,” about pioneering black female aerospace workers, who […]
This coming Wednesday, we celebrate the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Anyone who has imbibed the experience of Stephen Spielberg’s eloquent film Lincoln knows how Lincoln loved to infuse his statements with jokes that took on elements of parables. Of our 16th president a contemporary wrote, “When Lincoln tells a joke in a fireside group, […]
One of the popular items that circulate through the internet is a bubble-off-plumb set of rules along the lines of “Thimk,” “We Never Make Misteaks,” and “Plan Ahe . . .” — injunctions that call attention to the very mistakes they seek to enjoin. I’ve been collecting such items for half a century and, […]
I call apostrophe catastrophes “prepostrophes.” These crimes against civilized punctuation include house signs that read The Smith’s when they should read The Smiths or The Smiths’. Other folks promiscuously throw in an apostrophe before an s at the end of a word that’s a plural, not possessive, as in (gasp!) apple’s. The violators spy […]
A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. In fact, 80 percent of all New Year’s resolutions are broken by the end of February. May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions. When they drop the ball in Times Square, it’s a nice reminder […]
How do cats greet each other at Christmas? “Have a furry meowy Christmas!” How do dogs greet each other at Christmas? “Yappy howl-a-days!” How do sheep greet each other at Christmas? “Season’s Bleetings and Fleece Navidad! Fleece on earth, good wool to men!” Punning is a rewording experience, especially around Christmas time. That’s the time […]
Thanksgiving is a delicious time of year to nibble on a spicy, meaty, juicy honey of a topic that I know you’ll savor and relish. I’m not talking about small potatoes here; I’m talking about food for thought and the whole enchilada. Feast your eyes on the veritable banquet of mushrooming food expressions that […]