A  Full of Words

— A Look at American Word Humor —

Say Again

here are words like “refuse” that have two different pronunciations, each with an independent meaning:  re-fuse´ meaning decline vs. re´-fuse meaning garbage.  Other words, when pronounced differently, may suggest a different meaning, and hence become a goofinition.  Here are a few (remember to say the word differently; for example, “bother” becomes “both” + er).

barfly — ad nauseam

bother — more than two

bravest — odd chest garment

capable — has a head

demonstrate — devilish display

furious — the look of mink

flower — cry baby

depot — pour soup

heaven — thrown up

hinder — further back

imply — elfin

literate — knows metric

molest — most like a skin blemish

mother — one who catches moths

preaching — before the pain starts

preface — before the makeup goes on

prelate — right on time

present — sent once before

ranger — retired bell ringer

restore — bed of rocks

redraw — steak cooked rare

resting — if the first sting doesn’t do it

singer — arsonist

solder — retired salesman

shower — dirty old man in a rain coat

only — one way to set the switch

tower — one in front of the towee

towing — take flight

unit — tag someone else

violator — musician akin to a cellist