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Pun vs Banter - What's the difference?

pun | banter |

In lang=en terms the difference between pun and banter

is that pun is to beat; strike with force; ram; pound, as in a mortar; reduce to powder while banter is to delude or trick; to play a prank upon.

As verbs the difference between pun and banter

is that pun is to beat; strike with force; ram; pound, as in a mortar; reduce to powder or pun can be to make or tell a pun; make a play on words while banter is to engage in banter or playful conversation.

As nouns the difference between pun and banter

is that pun is a joke or type of wordplay in which similar senses or sounds of two words or phrases, or different senses of the same word, are deliberately confused while banter is good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.

pun

English

(wikipedia pun)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at (l).

Verb

  • To beat; strike with force; ram; pound, as in a mortar; reduce to powder.
  • * Shakespeare
    • He would pun thee into shivers with his fist.

    Etymology 2

    From a special use of Etymology 1 .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A joke or type of wordplay in which similar senses or sounds of two words or phrases, or different senses of the same word, are deliberately confused.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , title=(Mansfield Park) , last=Austen , first=Jane , authorlink=Jane Austen , year=1814 citation , volume=one, chapter VI , publisher= }}
    "Certainly, my home at my uncle's brought me acquainted with a circle of admirals. Of Rears'' and ''Vices I saw enough. Now do not be suspecting me of a pun , I entreat."
  • *:Comment : Austen was likely referring to spanking/flogging, then common naval punishments, known as (le vice Anglais) .
    • Usage notes
    * Because some puns are based on pronunciation, puns are more obvious when spoken aloud. For example: “This rock is gneiss, but don’t take it for granite.” This reads (with a US accent) similarly to “This rock is nice, but don’t take it for granted.” (Both “gneiss” and “granite” are types of rock.)
    Synonyms
    * See also

    Verb

  • To make or tell a pun; make a play on words.
    • We punned about the topic until all around us groaned.
    See also
    * antanaclasis * paronomasia

    Anagrams

    * ----

    banter

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • Good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.
    • It seemed like I'd have to listen to her playful banter for hours.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To engage in banter or playful conversation.
  • To play or do something amusing.
  • To tease (someone) mildly.
  • * Washington Irving
    • Hag-ridden by my own fancy all night, and then bantered on my haggard looks the next day.
  • * Charlotte Brontë
    • Mr. Sweeting was bantered about his stature—he was a little man, a mere boy in height and breadth compared with the athletic Malone
  • To joke about; to ridicule (a trait, habit, etc.).
  • * Chatham
    • If they banter' your regularity, order, and love of study, ' banter in return their neglect of them.
  • To delude or trick; to play a prank upon.
  • * Daniel De Foe
    • We diverted ourselves with bantering several poor scholars with hopes of being at least his lordship's chaplain.
  • (transitive, US, Southern and Western, colloquial) To challenge to a match.

    • Synonyms

    * (tease) kid, wind up

    Derived terms

    * (l)

    References

    Anagrams

    *