what is the meaning of the phrase, "pun intended?"?

Answer 1

It's an ironic remark, actually--people often used to say "no pun intended" when they made a pun. This COULD literally mean that the speaker really did not intend to make a pun, but couldn't think of non-punning words to express what they were saying. More often the speaker was trying to draw the listener's attention to an intentional pun in a mock-humble way. Especially if the pun ridiculed someone, this was a witty way to disavow any intention to insult.

The statement "pun intended" draws the listener's attention to the pun in a very clumsy way, and I would avoiding using it. It's a bad cliché, like one of those quotes attributed to Yogi Berra (like "déjà vu all over again") that's been used so many times that many people miss the irony in it. Unintentional self-parody makes the speaker sound ignorant and silly.

Answer 2

It means that the peson knew they were making a pun when they said/wrote what they did.

Main Entry: 1pun
Pronunciation: \ˈpən\
Function: noun
Etymology: perhaps from Italian puntiglio fine point, quibble — more at punctilio
Date: 1662
: the usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound

Answer 3

That means the person saying the pun knows it's there.

Shakepeare knew when he had a badly wounded character say, "Tomorrow you shall find me a grave man." That could have ended with "Pun intended" because he knew tomorrow he'd be ready for his grave.

Answer 4

Means that the person that said something meant it with a 'double- meaning' or that the doubIe meaning is aIIowed

Answer 5

That is an interesting question I hope you will find some reasonable answers