In his famous work, The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer used many different examples of double-entendres.On of the most famous, however, is the use of the word "queynte" to describe both the domestic and womanly duties in the home as well as the female genitalia. What is Pun Essays in Criticism 24 (1974):325-40. What is the Difference Between a double entendre … How to use double entendre in a sentence. Derived from French to mean “double meaning,” a double entendre is a word, phrase or expression that has two interpretations, i.e. Double entendre can be created with the use of pun and other types of wordplay. Celebrate denotes the solemn performance of rites rather than its more festive connotations with which we associate its use. A double entendre is a word or phrase that can be interpreted in two ways. Pun and double entendre are two techniques used by writers to create humor. Usually, when it comes to words or phrases referred to as double entendres, one of the meanings is sexually suggestive or otherwise improper. Double Entendre Definition. Most English speakers who lived through the 1980s have at least a passing familiarity with Mrs. Slocombe’s pussy, and your English teacher is an absolute devotee. The double entendre is one of my favorite types of humor in English, and one of the best-loved examples of the double entendre in modern culture is Mrs. Slocombe’s pussy. Double entendre definition is - a word or expression capable of two interpretations with one usually risqué. See more. A double entendre (DUH-bull ahn-TAHN-druh) is a figure of speech that involves two different meanings or interpretations of a word, phrase, or sentence, wherein one meaning is readily apparent and the other is more risqué in nature.. The phrase is also used as a mass noun for humor using double … Traces the bawdy implications of "privetee," "queynt," and music-making in Miller's Tale, demonstrating how effectively Chaucer cultivates meaning through recurrence and how the puns carry subtlety as well as mirth. Besides being clever, double entendres are often humorous. Double Entendre Definition. The main difference between pun and double entendre is that pun is a type of word play whereas double entendre is considered as a literary device. Curtain'd sleep in this context is a double entendre that plays upon the literal meaning of bedcurtains and a more figurative meaning of "veiled" that suggests hidden from consciousness. Although people quite often use multiple meanings for intended comedic effect, many of the funniest double entendres are unintentional, and the media is full of them. Double entente definition, a double meaning; ambiguity. "Double Entendre in the Miller's Tale." one meaning is obvious while the other one is hidden and employs innuendo as well as requires more thought. Historical Use of Double-Entendre. They test readers’ wit and can serve as … One of the earliest known examples of a double-entre found in literature dates back to the 14th century. Writers often use double entendres for literary effect.