--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A pun calls the meaning of a word into…" description: "\"A pun calls the meaning of a word into question, and it upsets us tremendously. We laugh because suddenly we find out we're not going to get killed. I ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/garry-winogrand-2342_comedy_a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-q_1656988.jpg" --- # A pun calls the meaning of a word into question, and it… ![“A pun calls the meaning of a word into question, and it upsets us tremendously. We laugh because suddenly we find out we're not going to get killed. I think a lot of things work that way with photographs.” quote by Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/garry-winogrand-2342_comedy_a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-q_1656988.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/garry-winogrand-2342_comedy_a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-q_1656988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/garry-winogrand-2342_comedy_a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-q_1656988.jpg) > “A pun calls the meaning of a word into question, and it upsets us tremendously. We laugh because suddenly we find out we're not going to get killed. I think a lot of things work that way with photographs.” [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A pun destabilizes expectations, creating relief that mirrors how photos reveal hidden truths, easing anxiety about mortality. **In simple terms:** Puns challenge meaning, easing fear like photos. Key Takeaway Embrace humor and visual surprise to confront discomfort. Themes humor photography perception anxiety relief Mood playful thoughtful Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - photography critique - stand‑up comedy - media analysis - therapy sessions Key Concepts semiotics cognitive dissonance visual rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - How do jokes change your view of serious topics? - What role does surprise play in visual art? A Different Perspective Humor may not resolve deeper existential concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Killed Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killed-think-716398/) [Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh/) [Laugh Suddenly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh-suddenly-716397/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) [Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Pun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pun/) [Pun Calls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pun-calls-716396/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Upset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upset/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I forget what killed it. I think it was her proposing to sacrifice the whole world for me. That is always a dreadful moment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-forget-what-killed-it-i-think-it-was-her-proposing-to-sacrifice-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Barefoot conducts his seminars on his houseboat in Sausalito. It costs a hundred dollars to find out why we are on this Earth. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/barefoot-conducts-his-seminars-on-his-houseboat-in-sausalito-it-costs/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Let's say that what's out there is a narrative. Often enough, the picture plays with the question of what actually is happening. Almost the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/let-s-say-that-what-s-out-there-is-a-narrative-often-enough-the/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I don't have anything to say in any picture. But you do, from your experience, surmise something. You do give a photograph symbolic content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-have-anything-to-say-in-any-picture-but-you-do-from-your/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I look at a photograph. What's going on? What's happening, photographically? If it's interesting, I try to understand why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-look-at-a-photograph-what-s-going-on-what-s-happening/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [There are no photographs while I'm reloading .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/there-are-no-photographs-while-i-m-reloading/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I know what I like to use myself. I use Leicas, but when I look at the photograph, I don't ask the photograph questions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-know-what-i-like-to-use-myself-i-use-leicas-but-when-i-look-at-the/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I think that there isn't a photograph in the world that has any narrative ability... They do not tell stories - they show you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-think-that-there-isn-t-a-photograph-in-the-world-that-has-any/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I never saw a pyramid, but I've seen photographs; I know what a pyramid or a sphinx looks like. There are pictures that do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-never-saw-a-pyramid-but-i-ve-seen-photographs-i-know-what-a-pyramid/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [There is no special way a photograph should look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/there-is-no-special-way-a-photograph-should-look/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I don't have anything to say in any picture. My only interest in photography is to see what something looks like as a photograph.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-have-anything-to-say-in-any-picture-my-only-interest-in/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [There's no way a photograph has to look... in a sense. There are no formal rules of design that can apply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/there-s-no-way-a-photograph-has-to-look-in-a-sense-there-are-no/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [There are things I photograph because I'm interested in those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/there-are-things-i-photograph-because-i-m-interested-in-those-things/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I don't really have any faith in anybody enjoying photographs in a large enough sense to matter. I think it's all about finances, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-really-have-any-faith-in-anybody-enjoying-photographs-in-a/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [We do not claim that punning is legitimate wit. Wit consists in combination of ideas, punning in combination of words only. We wonder at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-hosmer/we-do-not-claim-that-punning-is-legitimate-wit-wit-consists-in/) [Harriet Hosmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-hosmer/) ## More by Garry Winogrand > [ \[Photography is \] likewise even French impressionists. So the Sculls bought pop. It was politics, and they moved with it. And I think that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/photography-is-likewise-even-french-impressionists-so-the-sculls/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [It's got to do with the contention between content and form. Invariably that's what's responsible for its energies, its tensions, its being interesting or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/it-s-got-to-do-with-the-contention-between-content-and-form/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I don't think anything happens without the press, one way or the other. I think it's all done for it. You saw it start,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-think-anything-happens-without-the-press-one-way-or-the-other/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I don't really have any faith in anybody enjoying photographs in a large enough sense to matter. I think it's all about finances, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-really-have-any-faith-in-anybody-enjoying-photographs-in-a/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [When I see something, I know why something's funny or seems to be funny. But in the end it's just another picture as far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/when-i-see-something-i-know-why-something-s-funny-or-seems-to-be/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [There are things I photograph because I'm interested in those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/there-are-things-i-photograph-because-i-m-interested-in-those-things/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [There's no way a photograph has to look... in a sense. There are no formal rules of design that can apply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/there-s-no-way-a-photograph-has-to-look-in-a-sense-there-are-no/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I don't have anything to say in any picture. My only interest in photography is to see what something looks like as a photograph.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-have-anything-to-say-in-any-picture-my-only-interest-in/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I'll come back to New York. I think I'll start focusing in more on the entertainment business. I have been doing some of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-ll-come-back-to-new-york-i-think-i-ll-start-focusing-in-more-on-the/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [There is no special way a photograph should look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/there-is-no-special-way-a-photograph-should-look/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [It's a lot of work organizing something, whether it's a show or a book, and I don't want to do it every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/it-s-a-lot-of-work-organizing-something-whether-it-s-a-show-or-a-book/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I have a good friend who's a very good printer. And he does a certain amount of printing for me. I do all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-have-a-good-friend-who-s-a-very-good-printer-and-he-does-a-certain/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I never saw a pyramid, but I've seen photographs; I know what a pyramid or a sphinx looks like. There are pictures that do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-never-saw-a-pyramid-but-i-ve-seen-photographs-i-know-what-a-pyramid/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I develop my own film. And I work in spurts. I pile it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-develop-my-own-film-and-i-work-in-spurts-i-pile-it-up/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [People are going to have a good time, you know. One can go have a good time at these big openings in museums. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/people-are-going-to-have-a-good-time-you-know-one-can-go-have-a-good/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) [Explore all 171 Garry Winogrand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) ## More Comedy quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/) [Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/) > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/) [Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) [Browse all 19,795 Comedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A pun calls the meaning of a word into question, and it upsets us tremendously. We laugh because suddenly we find out we're not going to get killed. I think a lot of things work that way with photographs.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Garry Winogrand" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-question-and-it-upsets-us/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-question-and-it-upsets-us/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/garry-winogrand-2342_comedy_a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-q_1656988.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/garry-winogrand-2342_comedy_a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-q_1656988.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/garry-winogrand-2342_comedy_a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-q_1656988.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A pun calls the meaning of a word into question, and it upsets us tremendously. We laugh because suddenly we…” — Garry Winogrand", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Garry Winogrand", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A pun calls the meaning of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-question-and-it-upsets-us/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/a-pun-calls-the-meaning-of-a-word-into-question-and-it-upsets-us/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```