Scott Alexander explores what makes puns truly great, providing numerous examples and discussing various types of exceptional wordplay.
Longer summary
Scott Alexander critiques a Buzzfeed list of 'greatest puns', arguing that truly great puns require more than just word similarity. He explores various types of exceptional puns, including those with multiple meanings, anti-puns, and puns requiring extensive background knowledge. Scott provides numerous examples of clever puns, discussing their complexity and creativity. He concludes by nominating what he considers the greatest pun of all time: a multilingual, historically-based pun attributed to Sir Charles Napier, though he notes it's likely apocryphal.
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