Friday, May 04, 2012

May the fourth be with you

Today is Star Wars Day I'm told.

There has to be a name for this kind of thing, that is, a situation where the speaker says one word and you hear another word. And I don't mean "mishearing." I mean intentionally choosing a like word that layers meaning. Like in the movie Ten Things I Hate About You when the character hedges her way around admitting that she flashed someone she says, "I dazzled him with my wits."

Is it simply a pun?

I feel like linguists likely have some more technical term.

Anyway, it's May the fourth, and may the force be with you.

Amusing tidbit: I have just enough religious call and response drilled into me that whenever I hear may the force be with you I have to stop myself from automatically spouting off and also with you. I can't be the only person with this problem.

Highly Recommended