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Writer's pictureThomas Tittmann

Punderdome

Updated: May 15, 2020

Calling all wordsmiths and lovers of language

Event: Punderdome – 5th Annual Pun Competition in Brooklyn

Date: Thursday July 18, 2019

Time: 7-11 pm

Where: 635 Sackett Street Brooklyn, NY 11217

Youtube - If you can bear it, there are more on (moron) Youtube


AVISo: (that’s Spanish for “take notice”)

If you like to engage in the challenge of playing with words, then here’s the premier event for you. Created by a father-daughter ENTERPRISE, it’s a cheap night that offers million-dollar laughs. So, if you’re THRIFTY and on a BUDGET, here’s some entertainment that will give you your DOLLAR’s worth and won’t HERTZ your pocketbook. After reading about this creative pair of punsters and looking at some Youtube clips, I think you’ll agree their act could go NATIONAL. It’s to your ADVANTAGE to get tickets quickly, as it’s not a large venue. You can’t possibly PAYLESS for a fun evening.

--inspired by my career with Avis & Budget


My brothers and sisters love to pun. We come by it (dis)honestly. My Dad was the first in his line to exhibit the gene-mutation that causes one to play with words. Mom wrote poetry, even had a book of them published. The family agrees, however, that our brother Peter is the pre-eminent punster – the highbrow among us lowbrows. While some attribute this to his Princeton education, I feel it just might be due to getting more of his bloodline’s recessive genes.



“Say it ain’t so, Joe”

When I was in St. Benedict Joseph Labre’s grammar school, I was asked to take the role of Mr. Dictionary in a school play. My mom made my costume from assorted cardboard boxes. From what I can remember, the stage had pairs of children tied together to form contractions. My task was to take a large scissor and cut their strings so they could become two separate words. “Can’t” became “Can” & “Not”, “Won’t” became “Will” & “Not,” etc. There might have even been an “Ain’t,” but as I recall we were discouraged from using this slang word. “‘Ain’t’ ain’t in the dictionary,” we were warned. Hmmm…wonder if this is why I chose to pursue a career as a word surgeon?


Is there baseball in heaven?

In a recent email, I posted about ice cream in heaven, so here are a few thoughts on America’s national pastime.

“Say it ain’t so, Joe” is a quote from the baseball movie “Eight Men Out.” This morning, I found this thought-provoking post.


If you don’t allow the kid to use “ain’t,” and instead force him to use “proper” English

“Say it is not so, Joe”

…his words can’t have the same poignancy and plaintiveness – as Merriam-Webster explained in the above-mentioned citation.


More on baseball in heaven


Where does it mention baseball in the Bible?

-->The very first line: in the big inning!


I first learned about this book last year at one of my monthly men’s gatherings. My friend John did a funny and poignant presentation on this topic and made reference to this book he had read. As he was talking, I was transported back into a whole lot of memories from my own childhood through fatherhood. All of us at that meeting hung on his every word – from opening pitch to his walk-off remarks. BTW – This morning I went to Prime and ordered my own copy – looking forward to a great summer read.

I’ll leave you with this…

Did you hear about the street-walker who had a change of career and became a famous writer?

-->She went from bed to verse. (Let me hear those groans – they encourage me!)

BTW – The Punderdome competition features a Clap-O-Meter groan-recording device. You can see it and other funny images on their Facebook page.


Play Ball!


tOM


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