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| - One of the fundamental types of verbal gag in comedic television, especially the Sitcom. A Double Entendre is a word or phrase which was meant to be taken in two different ways. Archetypically, one meaning is obvious, literal, and innocent. The other has a usually taboo or sexual Subtext. On the other hand, if the Double Entendre fails to be funny on the obvious level, it can result in a show which is "safe" for broadcast in family time slots but which younger viewers do not enjoy. In other words, the joke has to work well both ways. Subtrope of Double Meaning.
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| abstract
| - One of the fundamental types of verbal gag in comedic television, especially the Sitcom. A Double Entendre is a word or phrase which was meant to be taken in two different ways. Archetypically, one meaning is obvious, literal, and innocent. The other has a usually taboo or sexual Subtext. The Double Entendre's popularity in comedy stems from the fact that if you don't get it, you won't realize something dirty just happened. As a result, clever use of a Double Entendre can keep a show "family-friendly" by allowing children to appreciate the joke on one (non-sexual) level while adults enjoy it on another level. On the other hand, if the Double Entendre fails to be funny on the obvious level, it can result in a show which is "safe" for broadcast in family time slots but which younger viewers do not enjoy. In other words, the joke has to work well both ways. British comedy is especially fond of the device, especially when the joke "works" on both levels. The Double Entendre predates television, of course. Shakespeare was very fond of this device as well. "Hamlet: Do you think I meant Country Matters? What, shall I lie my head upon your lap?" When the viewer is specifically led toward the sexual meaning until The Reveal, this is an Innocent Innuendo. When the non-sexual meaning is perfectly clear but the innuendos continue, it's Does This Remind You of Anything?. When the non-sexual meaning doesn't make any sense, this can constitute an Unusual Euphemism. When the sexual meaning has been lost due to language change, it's Get Thee to a Nunnery. If someone makes a Double Entendre, but the recipient fails to see it as anything other than a literal statement, it becomes Entendre Failure. If someone makes a perfectly innocent statement that others interpret as a Double Entendre anyway, it becomes an Un Entendre. Extreme cases of double-entendre interpretation can lead to Freud Was Right. Sometimes lampshaded with a wink, a nudge, and/or "if you know what I mean". See also Getting Crap Past the Radar. May lead to someone saying "Heh heh, you said [x]..." or "That's What She Said". Of course, as is obvious from many of the examples below, certain ...frustrations will lead some viewers to interpret anything as a double entendre. Subtrope of Double Meaning. Examples of Double Entendre include:
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