The Grass-Mud Horse: China enacts pun control

Phrossack

Phrossack

Armored Fish and Armored Men
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http://qz.com/304268/why-china-is-now-banning-puns/

http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/g...blic-of-china?xrs=synd_facebook_120314_tds_27

Yes, that's right. Puns threaten to break the fragile China to pieces. As a result, the government has enacted a perfectly planned policy of pun control. But if puns are outlawed, only outlaws will have puns.

Chinese pun nuts have the grass-mud horse, or alpaca, as their symbol. The Mandarin word for alpaca sounds very much like a certain rude phrase involving one's mother. Seriously, look up the Grass-mud Horse Lexicon. :lol: I can't link it, since it has a single naughty word in it.

It's funny that the government claims that puns violate Chinese tradition. Yuen Ren Chao would have a word to say about that. And many variations of that word.

Will China shatter? Do puns really kill people? Will they stave off linguistic chaos?

Discuss!
 
Half of me thinks this is hilarious and half of me is wondering when Big Chinese Brother's ban on even thinking the puns is coming down the chute.
 
They have a ban on time-travellers who would threaten the integrity of Great China's timeline, after all.
 
Puns are more esteemed and complex in the Sinosphere than the Anglosphere in my opinion, so it isn't as ridiculous sounding to me as it could be. That said, though, what's this ever gonna do?

Ok, I wish I had more punny puns in my post. :(
 
Only party members can have the privilege of making puns.

As God intended, although it's sort of complicated in China.
 
This is hellishly complicated. Without a knowledge of Mandarin, I've a feeling a lot of puns are just going right over my head.

Elephantoftruth.gif.pagespeed.ce.YR4vRvl-sA.gif

"I beg you, oh elephant of truth (I beg to know the truth)!!"

布鸣真象 cloth-chirping elephant of truth. (Apparently!)

Some puns just don't translate easily. In fact, maybe no puns translate easily.
 
I'll use my misguided clairvoyancy and tell you: it's a political carttoon about Taiwan's righteous desire to join China. As it was intended.
 
What's the punishment?
 
Ha!

I've just realized what you've done there! Dear me, I'm slow!
 
These bans are getting out of Han.

Though with attempts like I just made, I can't say that I blame them.
 
Were the highest levels of government a party to this decision?
 
Pun nee thread.
 
Word play is part of what makes language use colorful; this will just contribute to the beigeing of the language.

Man, dar in to controlling their citizens!

Repressive regime? Trying to stamp out word play is a sure sign o' that.



Look, I actually understand this initiative; any nationality whose restaurants serve something called pu pu platter has a strong interest in people not reading double meanings into words.
 
Gary Childress said:
I agree that people can have too much pun sometimes. Pun can get out of hand. So pun control may be a good idea in some instances.
Click to expand...
Indeed. There have been many of times I wanted to take a flamethrower to a thread that got overrun with pun.
Gori the Grey said:
Look, I actually understand this initiative; any nationality whose restaurants serve something called pu pu platter has a strong interest in people not reading double meanings into words.
Click to expand...
If the English can handle it, surely the Chinese can.
 
(Get your flamethrower ready, bhsup):


Way to take the Asia out of paronomasia, guys!

Police have the authority to shoot offenders on the spot, so if you make a pun in Peking, duck!

I could never live happily in a society whose legislators showed such won ton disregard for the joy that can come from word play.

Can you really not make a pun? Not even if the chicken dish that you generally enjoy is just Tso-Tso?
 
Dear oh dear. I thought of the duck pun but I wasn't prepared to deploy it in anger. I'm far more compassionate than that! (I like to think.)

Still, "won ton" is clever, I'll give you that, Mr Grey.
 
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