O. Henry and the Pun-Off: History and His Story

"Lend an ear and we'll give you more corn," was how those who attended the first O.Henry Pun-Off World Championship were welcomed in 1978. Shucks! After 32 years the Pun-Off continues to a-maize people with wacky wordplay and home groan wit from powerful punsters who are out standing in their field. Home again in Brush Square in the Museum's spacious backyard and under the direction of the Austin Parks & Recreation Department, this annual gleaning of the groaners yields a bountiful harvest of fun and foolishness for hundreds of shady characters.

The O. Henry Pun-Off was inspired by the writings of William Sydney Porter who, while living in Austin in the 1890's began writing stories with the pen name "O. Henry." By the time of his death in 1910, O.Henry had published over 300 short stories including The Ransom of Red Chief and the Christmas classic, Gift of the Magi. His voracious vocabulary and love of language endeared him to a broad audience but it was his trademark twisted endings that always kept curious readers coming back for more. Reading an O.Henry story is a participatory experience.

Today the Pun-Off keeps his name alive by offering a means to even more twisted ends. The impertinent perpetrators of paronomasia who share their world of warped wordplay similarly delight and surprise new generations of willing victims in the beloved author's memory.

What is a PUN?

A pun is the humorous use of a word or words in such a way as to suggest different meanings or applications OR words that have the same or nearly the same sound but different meanings.