Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2022 September 17

= September 17 =

What is the proper word to describe this?
What is the proper word to describe these examples below? I searched under "word play" and many of its "See Also" links, but I can't find the correct form of word play.

That sort of thing. I considered "pun", but that doesn't seem right. Nor does "double entendre". Thanks. 32.209.55.38 (talk) 04:16, 17 September 2022 (UTC)
 * 1) The TV show Kevin Can Wait is a form of word play, making reference to the film Heaven Can Wait.
 * 2) An episode of The King of Queens is "Mama Cast".  It is about the "mom" being "cast" in a certain role ... but is also a (veiled) reference to the singer Mama Cass.
 * 3) An episode of The King of Queens is "Awful Bigamy".  It is about the fact that engaging in "bigamy" is "awful" ... but is also a (veiled) reference to the phrase "that's awful big of me".
 * 4) An episode of The King of Queens is "Foe: Pa".  It is about the fact that the father ("pa") is acting as a "foe" (not a friend)  ... but is also a (veiled) reference to the phrase "faux pas".
 * Homophonic pun fits pretty well. It's a time-honored comic device. Look at a list of Bugs Bunny or Woody Woodpecker cartoons, or a list of Three Stooges shorts, for many examples. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 06:14, 17 September 2022 (UTC)
 * It fits three of the four. Kevin is something else. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:13, 17 September 2022 (UTC)
 * That could be a design pun, such as one of the examples there, "Planet of the Grapes". ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 07:58, 17 September 2022 (UTC)
 * As an aside: The late British crime novelist Dick Francis made homophonic puns into an art form with his book titles, which usually had a double meaning contained in a title of one or two words. 'Banker', 'Reflex', 'Proof' and 'In the frame' (admittedly three words) spring to my mind, but there are lots more. --T*U (talk) 11:01, 17 September 2022 (UTC)

Thanks, all! 32.209.55.38 (talk) 02:04, 20 September 2022 (UTC)