When someone says ‘No pun intended,’ they must have delivered an incredible wordplay and are either trying to deflect from the obvious or stating that they were trying to just communicate. However, the former is always the case. People say ‘No pun intended’ so that others can see that there’s a pun in what they just said.
Whether they mean it or not, you can always be prepared to reply to a “No pun intended” remark which is why I have curated 25 great replies that you can use. These replies range from polite to savage, witty to flirty, and everything in between, ensuring you have a response for every occasion.
You Outdid Yourself on That One
It takes a lot of creativity to come up with a pun. As someone who has never created a pun statement, I can confidently tell you that puns are not easy to come by, at least not on the spot. If you hear a really good pun, you can tell, and when the person says “No pun intended,” you can hit them with a response like “You outdid yourself creating that one.”
That Doesn’t Make Sense to Me
When I first read the book “The Last of Us,” there were so many puns in it that I didn’t understand. I still haven’t fully grasped the idea behind the pun. So, someone may deliver a good pun but it won’t make sense to you.
- I am still trying hard to understand the correlation.
- Can you repeat it? Or just explain what you mean?
I Must Confess You Are A Very Smart And Intelligent Person
Not many people agree, but I believe a very good play of words into a pun is an intelligent thing to do. Because of this, I am always quick to tell people that they are intelligent when they say ‘No pun intended’ after their delivery. If you consider a pun and feel it would have taken a great deal of thought to come up with, you can respond with “I must confess you are a very smart and intelligent person.”
You’ve Got A Way With Words That’s Downright Clever
Puns are essentially word plays which means a response like “You’ve got a way with words that’s downright clever” will be a good one to say when someone drops a well-thought-out pun. Acknowledging their wordplay will put a smile on their face.
- The only word I can use to describe your wordplay is “impressive.”
- You use words like you are playing chess. It is truly remarkable.
Has Anyone Told You How Good A Wordsmith You Are?
I was reading through the comments on someone’s Instagram post after they posted a pun and I saw a comment that read “Has anyone told you how good a wordsmith you are?” I could only imagine how good the OP must have felt reading it. You can use this response whether you are replying to someone on social media or in a physical conversation.
Can We Switch Brains? You Are Something Else
Desiring the brains of a person after they deliver a pun is a good way to reply to them. You can ask them “Can we switch brains?” or just let them know straight up that you’d do anything to have their brains because you are in awe of how they can come up with something that creative.
- Every pun you deliver has a creative touch and I wish I could pick your brains.
- I’d give anything to be as good as you are with words. I can only imagine what goes on in your head.
How Did You Come Up With That? It Is Awesome
Another way you can strike a conversation after someone says “No pun intended” is to ask them how they came up with the pun. If they want, they can share their thought process and if they try to give a vague response that’s not entirely revealing, you can just tell them you think they did well.
- No, bro. You are incredible, no cap.
- I am at a loss for words. What did you think about that? Now, you’ve ruined what this means for me.
Kudos To Your English Teachers. They Invested A Great Deal Into You
“Kudos to your English teachers. I can tell that they invested a great deal into you” is another way to show your admiration for someone in response to their pun delivery. Sometimes, this is not the case but whichever way it can be a thoughtful way to reply to the person. After all, our English teachers gave us the foundation for what we do today, all of us.
- You have your English tutors to thank for this brilliance, man.
- Are you studying the English language? I could swear you had really good lecturers.
It Took Me A While To Understand The Relationship But Once I Did It Was Amazing
Puns are all about relating words that sound similar or have different meanings in a witty way. Understanding the relationship between the words is the hard part. If you didn’t get a pun’s meaning at first but later did, you can reply with “It took me a while to understand the relationship but once I did it was amazing.”
- I had to take my time to understand and when it dawned on me I was speechless.
- No way, it wasn’t glaring at first. Now, I get it.
I Don’t Think There’s Anyone Better Than You When It Comes To Puns
Another way to respond to a punster is to blow their trumpet. One of the ways you can do this is to tell them that you think there’s no one better than them. Everyone wants to believe they are the best so this response will work anytime. If you do not want to exaggerate, you can use any of the following:
- On this campus, I can confidently say there’s no one better at puns than you.
- Everyone who thinks they’ve seen the best punster hasn’t met you.
You Are The First Woman I Have Met With A Good Pun Game
Take a moment to think about it. How many women have you seen who are good with puns? There are women but it often feels like a thing for men. Hence, a response like “You are the first woman I have met with a good pun game” is not out of line.
- I used to think puns are for men but you just changed my mind.
- Being a lady makes your pun game unbelievable.
You Should Write A Book About Puns. I’ll Gladly Market It For You
Another way you can give a confidence boost to wordplay genius after a good pun delivery is to tell them “You should write a book about puns. I’ll gladly market it for you.” This response will work on close friends and acquaintances who have consistently shown their skill when it comes to puns.
- You are so good at this, I think if you become an author, it’d be great.
- If we started compiling your puns, we could make a lot of money selling them as eBooks.
Trust Me When I Say Your Ability With Words Is The Reason I Am Trying To Improve My Vocabulary
If the person challenges you with their wordplay to be better at English, you can respond like “Your ability with words is why I am trying to improve my vocabulary.” They are going to feel special and it is an excellent idea when you want to strike up a conversation following a ‘No pun intended’ remark from your friend.
- You’ve been my friend for some time and I can confidently say you are a word genius and you inspire me a lot.
- It has always been my desire to be as quick-witted as you are.
I’m Sure You Always Impress People With How Well You Speak English
You can say “I’m sure you always impress people with how well you speak English” if you were impressed by them. This statement implies that considering what you think of them, their wordplay prowess would always amaze people.
- I am sure you always get nice compliments about how well you speak English.
- With the way I am blown by your skill, I am confident you did this everywhere you go.
Until You Said It, I Didn’t Realize What You Did There
Sometimes, you may find out that the person was trying to whip up a pun when they said “No pun intended” after their statement. If this happens, you can respond by saying “Until you said it, I didn’t realize what you did there.” There’s no harm in admitting that you didn’t get the pun at first.
You Are Getting Better At This Stuff
If the punster is someone whose progress you’ve monitored over time and noticed improvements, you can respond with “You are getting better at this stuff.” The goal is to recognize that they are improving in their humorous delivery of wordplay and you are proud of their growth.
- Wow, you are always impressive. Your growth amazes me.
- You’ve almost become an expert in the pun game. Keep it up, mate.
This Thing Has Become A Part Of You. It Now Flows Effortlessly
Another way to appreciate your buddy or close pal who’s constantly improving their pun game is to tell them how their deliveries have become effortless. You can say “This thing has become a part of you. It now flows effortlessly.” Other ways you can appreciate your friend’s pun growth include:
- I remember when you started trying to be a punster. Now, nobody would believe some of the things you told us. You are now good.
- You are living proof that anyone can do anything they put their mind to.
Smart-Ass, Always Showing Off
We can tell when our friends are trying to show off. A statement like “Smart-ass, always showing off” in response to “No pun intended” suits that friend who tries to impress with their pun abilities.
- I knew you were going to pull one off the shelf once you saw how beautiful she was.
- Every time you try to show how good you are. Crazy dude.
That Doesn’t Make Any Sense But I’d Acknowledge The Effort
You can go a bit savage with your reply to “No pun intended.” One response that can help you achieve that without a doubt is “That doesn’t make any sense but I’d acknowledge the effort.” This is like a hot knife through butter. It would always hit the home run. However, you should only use it when the pun doesn’t make any sense at all.
Witty and Flirty Responses to “No Pun Intended”
Aside from being formal and nice with your responses, you can try some flirty and witty replies. These are some great ideas you can try:
- Every pun was intended, hahaha.
- Your puns can make any woman fall for you.
- You’ve got some brains to go with that handsome face of yours.
- I am still trying to figure out where the pun is even with the intention.
- I have heard this before. You stole it, hahaha.
Every Pun was Intended, Hahaha
A lot of times when people say “No pun intended,” they mean the exact opposite. Hence, when someone tells you that they didn’t intend to come up with the pun, you can cut in with a claim that they knew exactly what they were doing.
- Don’t even use that. You meant every word. The pun was intended.
- Hmmm, the pun wasn’t intended but the delivery was this on point? I can imagine what would happen when you mean to give us a pun.
Your Puns Can Make Any Woman Fall For You
This is a good response a lady can give a guy who is flirting with them using puns. If you think he’s doing well, you can let him know that you think he’s capable of getting any lady to fall for him with his fine effort at wordplay.
- You keep at this and I may just be your woman after all.
- You are such a smooth talker. There are only a few women who can resist that.
You’ve Got Some Brains To Go With That Handsome Face Of Yours
Another flirty reply to “No pun intended” is “You’ve got some brains to go with that handsome face of yours” when you are talking to a guy and “You’ve got some brains to go with that beautiful face of yours” when you are referring to a lady.
I Am Still Trying To Figure Out Where The Pun Is Even With The Intention
This is one witty response that cracks me up. If you see through the person and realize they intended the pun but they say “No pun intended,” you can tell them that you know they were deliberate about the pun but you are still trying so hard to see where the pun is. This can be a brutal one.
I Have Heard This Before. You Stole It, Hahaha
Finally, a response like this could be a devastating blow to the wannabe punster. Make sure it is true and if they say “No pun intended,” hit them up with the accusation but let out a hysterical laughter after that to douse the tension a bit.
Before You Go
People say “No pun intended” when they are trying to dissociate the joke from their statement. However, this is hardly ever the case. When most people use “No pun intended,” they are calling our attention to the pun. Whatever the situation, if you need to respond to ‘No pun intended,’ I am sure you have found good replies to try in this article.
