double-entendre
Risqué linguistic duality
A double-entendre is a phrase with two meanings—one innocent, one suggestive or risqué.
The humor comes from plausible deniability: the speaker can claim the innocent reading while the audience catches the racy implication.
That's what she said turns ordinary statements into double-entendres.
The device is a staple of bawdy comedy and flirtation.
Hinting at impropriety
- risquéBordering on improper
- racyMildly indecent in content
- bawdyHumorously indecent
- salaciousLewdly interested in intimacy
titillating · lewd · naughty · cheeky · saucy · ribald · off-color · blue
Wordplay using double meanings
- play-on-wordsJoke exploiting double meanings
- witClever, inventive humor
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
- clevernessMental quickness and skill
paronomasia · quip · repartee · twist · layers · duality · literal · figurative
suggestive
Hinting at impropriety
salacious · titillating · lewd · naughty · cheeky · saucy · ribald · off-color · blue · provocative
pun
Wordplay using double meanings
- play-on-wordsJoke exploiting double meanings
- witClever, inventive humor
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
cleverness · paronomasia · quip · repartee · twist · layers · duality · literal · figurative · tongue-in-cheek
banter
Playful, teasing exchange
- sitcomEpisodic TV comedy series
- burlesqueExaggerated mockery or risqué variety
- vaudevilleTheatrical variety entertainment
stand-up · farce · Shakespeare · one-liner · timing · delivery · audience · wink-wink · punchline · comedic
double-entendrestraight talk
Honest, direct communication
bluntness · directness · candor · explicit language · unvarnished truth
double, doubles, doubled, doubling, doubly, redouble, redoubled, redoubling, entendre