Group1-Ex2-e-Solutions

As you should already have learned: Many jokes and puns are based on ambiguity. Here are some more examples:

1. I rushed out and killed a huge lion in my pajamas! - How did the lion get in your pajamas?
2. Man in restaurant: I will have two lamb-chops. And make them lean, please. - Waiter: To which side?
3. Why was Cinderella thrown off the football game? - Because she ran from the ball.

Example 1 is based on the double meaning of "in my pajamas". Most likely the first person meant he or she was wearing pajamas while killing the lion. The second speaker deliberately misunderstood him. The 2nd and 3rd example is based on the double meaning of one word. In the 2nd example this is lean; the first reading and certainly what the guest meant: Without a lot of fat. The waiter then referred to the verb to lean. In the 3rd example, the ambiguous word is ball: sport vs. dress-ball make up this joke.

If you have any further questions concerning your sentence, please contact Manfred Sailer via e-mail (sailer@em.uni-frankfurt.de)