Daffynition Definition and Examples

Daffynition is an informal term for a playful reinterpretation of an existing word--usually a pun. The term daffynition (a blend of the words daffy and definition) was popularized by the panelists on the comedy program Im Sorry I Havent a Clue,  which has been  broadcast on  BBC Radio 4  and the  World Service since 1972. For the past 60 years, daffynitions have also appeared in the magazine Boys Life. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: DefinitionLogologyPunSnigletVerbal PlayWords at Play: An Introduction to Recreational Linguistics Examples and Observations Making up daffynitions (which are then collected in the Uxbridge English Dictionary) is a game played on the BBC Radio 4 comedy quiz show Im Sorry I Havent a Clue. Here are some examples from the program: antelope, to run off with your mother’s sisterboomerang, what you say to frighten a meringuebrouhaha, a jolly tea partyCarmelite, a half-hearted Buddhistcoffee, someone who is coughed uponcrackerjack, a device for lifting biscuitsdiphthong, to wash an undergarmentextent, formerly a canvas homefecund, the one before firdgladiator, an  unrepentant cannibalho-hum, the  sound made by a vibrating garden toolignorant, to  totally disregard an insectJihad, the cry of a Fundamentalist cowboykindred, fear of ones own familylocus, to curse quietlymaximum, a very large mothermelancholy, a strangely shaped dognegligent, a man who wears lingerieoasis, a poker players cry of delightpasteurize, too far to seeposthumous, the art of delivering Greek food by mailreincarnation, to be born again as a tin of condensed milkrelief, what trees do in springscandal, footwear you should be ashamed ofsentiment, the perfume he intended to buyshingle, Sean Connerys definition of a bachelortesticle, an amusing exam questiontrampoline, a cleansing fluid for trampsvigilante, a  very observant aunt.whisky, a  bit like a whiskzebra, the largest size of support garmentWileys DictionaryJohnny Hart, the creator of the comic strip B.C., has long been a master of the daffynition. Part of the prehistorically contemporary humor of B.C. are the installments that feature Wileys Dictionary: abomination, what a well-allocated nuclear arsenal should conist ofasset, a small donkeydetour, what you take to de museumhackneyed, why Joe Namath had to get out of football (Richard Lederer, Get Thee to a Punnery: An Anthology of Intentional Assaults Upon the English Language. Gibbs Smith, 2006)The Daffynition GamePlayers choose (or are given) words for which they have to make humorous definitions. Often the definitions will use a pun (as in boomerang: what you say to frighten a meringue or carrion: British comedy films) but sometimes they will be witty (as in alone: in bad company, or cannibal: someone who goes to a restaurant and orders the waiter.(Tony Augarde,  The Oxford A to Z of Word Games. Oxford University Press,1994)