[lit-ideas] "No pun intended": the implicature
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:45:35 EDT
From
<_http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/livescience/sc_livescience/storytext/emotio
nsrunamokinsleepdeprivedbrains/24915165/SIG=127c1sb4q/*http://www.livescience.
com/humanbiology/060323_sleep_deprivation.html_
(http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/livescience/sc_livescience/storytext/emotionsrunamokinsleepdeprivedbrains/
24915165/SIG=127c1sb4q/*http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060323_sleep_d
eprivation.html)
<<In modern life, people often deprive themselves of
sleep almost on a daily basis," Walker said.
"Alarm bells should be ringing about that behavior
-- no pun intended.">>
The allegedly witty phrasing involve an
apparent 'ambiguity' in the use of 'alarm',
which, the OED says, is from
OFr. alarme, a. It. allarme = all' arme! ‘To (the) arms!’ orig. the call
summoning to arms,
Now, 'alarm' can be short for 'the apparatus or mechanism which sounds the
alarm' = alarm-clock.
As in 1910
A. Bennett
Clayhanger III. vi. 366 The ticking parcel drew the discreet attention of the
doctor... ‘It's only an alarm,’ said Edwin.
But 'alarm' is also 'a warning of danger of any kind; especially one given in
such a way as to startle or arouse the unwary; esp. in the phr. to give or
take the alarm'.
1591 GARRARD Art of Warre 76 In giving Alarome to the enimie.
Walker says 'no pun intended' because the alarm-clock should _not_ ring to
the 'people [who] deprive themselves of sleep' in the SENSE that: if they are
asleep, let them be asleep (cfr. 'let sleeping dogs lie").
They should be alarmed, though -- BUT NOT WHEN THEY SLEEP -- as to the
'danger' involved in that.
Walker says 'no pun intended' because s/he may believe that someone may
confuse his/her already mixed simile.
Cheers,
JL
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