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| No one really feels better when they WHINE, but if they have a glass of WINE instead, now that's a different story! |
If you walk around Union Square when the farmer's market is there, you've probably seen this sign from a wine vendor. Some people who notice it, especially those who like English or language in general, are usually amused by it. What about you? Do you like this sign? Do you notice the PLAY ON WORDS on it?
Many PLAYS ON WORDS or puns use homonyms and homophones, which I've mentioned in one of our previous posts. This PLAY ON WORDS is a play on the homophones WINE and WHINE. Wine, of course, is the drink you probably enjoy with your meal. WINE isn't really used as a verb, except for the expression to WINE AND
DINE someone, which means to treat a person to a fancy dinner.
- HOMONYMS - different words that are spelled the same way and sound the same.
- HOMOPHONES - different words that sound the same, but are spelled differently.
