Last Friday The Varsity sent me to the first Punger Games at the Toronto Reference Library. Part of Culture Days @ the library, this punrivalled event began with an informative pun presentation followed by live punning from the audience. The event was led by Stephanie Avery, a local artist who works in traditional mediums such as photography, painting, and illustration, and hosts interactive artistic events including neighbourhood treasure hunts and the Punger Games.
Though I wasn’t precisely punctual, I arrived at the event in time to revel in a display showcasing several of Toronto’s punniest storefronts. Highlights included Kensington hair salon Curl Up and Dye, and an airport-adjacent gentleman’s club The Landing Strip
Avery defined two types of puns: homographs and homophones. “A homograph is a single word that generates two or more meanings,” she explained. She offered several historical homograph examples, including Edgar Bergen’s “Show me where Stalin is buried and I’ll show you a communist plot.”
When the pun and games were over, the real competition began. A brave tribute, Punderella, volunteered to showcase her punning talents first. Soon after, John Punne challenged her previously unsurpassed skills. The task was to create a pun based on a set topic in only 30 seconds, and the first to fail was expelled from the competition. The prize was a majestic plaque adorned with the fuzzy pink rear of a stuffed feline — a cat-ass-trophy. The pair punned prolifically until Punderella faltered, allowing John Punne to deliver the victory punch and forcing her to accept her punishment.
As the rest of the audience was unwilling to compete, the remainder of the evening was devoted to a collaborative circle of punning. All audience members were encouraged to take a given topic and just pun with it. This approach stimulated everyone’s creativity, as all contributions were welcome. Topics were changed if the participants were unable to utter a new pun for 30 consecutive seconds.
Some of the best puns that emerged from the game included: “Protect your bagels. Put lox on them” on the topic of breakfast; “The latest textbook about amputation: A Farewell to Arms,” on literature; and “Before they sell the Tickle-Me-Elmo doll, they need to give it two test tickles,” on anatomy.
In the end, John Punne took home the cat-ass-trophy for a music-related pun: “I recently had a sexual awakening. Now I’m a Randy New-man.”
Though the Punger Games lacked a competitive edge, they were anything but mundane. The collaborative nature of the event created a welcoming and supportive atmosphere that encouraged all participants to unleash their talents. One attendee aptly described, “It’s more of a pun support group than a competition.”
