Have you ever said something that was meant to be taken two ways? Maybe you wanted to make a joke that not everyone would get or be offended by. Or perhaps you’ve seen a show or movie that got away with a joke that only half of the audience would catch. When someone says something that has two or even three different meanings behind it, they are using double entendre. It’s an unusual phrase, but what is a double entendre, and how can you identify it?
Double Entendre Meaning
Defining ‘double entendre’
Before we dig into any examples, we must first start define double entendre. For one thing, the phrase uses an outdated French word, as “entendre” is no longer in use in modern French. But in English, not only is “entendre” still used for “double entendre”, but the plural is “double entendres”.
DOUBLE ENTENDRE DEFINITION
What is a double entendre?
A double entendre is a statement that has a double meaning; if it has a triple meaning, it’s a triple entendre. Usually the additional meaning is risque in nature, such as being sexually suggestive (which is the most common form of additional meaning). It is often employed as a joke that can be said without risking being offensive to anyone on the surface. In this way, the additional meaning might go over the head of some listeners/viewers.
Double entendre characteristics:
- Saying something that has an additional meaning.
- Using the figure of speech to make a risque reference.
- Can be obvious or subtle, depending on the statement.
It’s easy enough to understand how a double entendre works once you see enough examples. An early one comes from Homer’s Odyssey, when the main character Odysseus meets a cyclops and says his name is “no one”. Therefore, when the cyclops is injured by Odysseus, he says “no one hurt me!” This results in the other cyclopes not helping him. Another early example comes from Thomas More's Utopia, the title of which means “no place”. And William Shakespeare employed double entendre in his work, such as Hamlet where the title character talks about “country matters.”
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Double Entendre Examples
Double Entendre in Film
There is no shortage of double entendre examples in film, so we’ll be sure to focus on the very best. For example, Mae West was well known for them, along with other styles of jokes. The clip below compiles a couple double entendres, along with some one liners.
What is a double entendre • What does double entendre mean
However, we can avoid being here all day by just looking at the James Bond series. From character names to puns, this series is full of them. The video below shows a compilation of some, all within a two-and-a-half minute time frame.
What is a double entendre • Best double entendres
The use of double entendre in James Bond films is naturally made fun of in the Austin Powers franchise. Like the series it primarily parodies, names like Alotta Fagina and Robin Spitz-Swallows leave little to the imagination (much like Pussy Galore and Dr. Goodhead before them in official Bond films). Probably its most famous use of double entendre is with regards to Dr. Evil’s spaceship and satellite, which borders on being so obvious it basically makes fun of the concept of double entendres all together.
What is a double entendre • Pun vs double entendre
The MCU probably hit its peak of double entendre whenever Tony Stark was around. A very good example of this can be found in Iron Man 2, when Tony is reacquainted with Christine Everhart.
What is a double entendre • Marvel Cinematic Universe
Hot Fuzz features some solid double entendres courtesy of PC Doris Thatcher (Olivia Colman). What’s doubly amusing is that some of these jokes are explained by a fellow officer with a single word.
What is a double entendre • Edgar Wright
A self-referential example, of course, comes from Deadpool 2, which is spotlit in this TV ad that references the figure of speech both in its title and in the featured scene itself.
What is a double entendre • Pun vs double entendre
We can top things off with a song from a movie that is all double entendre all the time: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. We’ll let the clip speak (and sing) for itself.
What is a double entendre • Does a double entendre have to be dirty
There are plenty of opportunities to utilize double entendre, though it can sometimes come off as eye-roll inducing or even childish. While some usage is not too risque in nature, a lot of it is, so figure out why you want to use it and how it can be implemented.
Up Next
What is Comedy?
Now that you’ve studied up on double entendre, why not go all the way with learning about comedy? Our article digs deep into the genre, providing plenty of tips, examples, and sub-genres.
Up Next: What is Comedy →
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