A pun is just like a joke. You might be more familiar if I say it’s more like an idiom. If someone says “no pun intended” it means that what they are saying may sound like a joke, but they are being serious.

A pun is a joke or a play on words that uses multiple meanings or similar-sounding words to create humor. For example: - Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. (Play on "flies" as a verb and noun) - I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough. (Play on "dough" as money and bread) When someone says "no pun intended," they mean that they accidentally made a pun but didn’t mean to be funny. When they say "pun intended," they are pointing out that they made a pun on purpose. Correction: "What are puns? And what does it mean when someone says 'no pun intended' or 'pun intended'?" Tip: Puns are common in jokes, headlines, and casual conversations. Saying "no pun intended" can help clarify that you weren’t trying to make a joke, while "pun intended" adds a playful tone.

A pun is a joke specifically based on words that sound like other words, or words that can have more than one meaning. I think they exist in most languages. In the US, they are also called 'dad jokes.' If you google examples of puns, you'll find 1000s. Two antennas got married. The ceremony was mediocre, but the reception was great. A bicycle can't stand on it's own because it's too tired. (two-tired). "No pun intended" just means you said something that might be interpreted as a pun, but you don't mean it to be a pun. Actually, there is even a pun about that: I sent in ten puns to a pun contest, hoping one would win, but no pun in ten did. (no pun intended)

Someone says "no pun intended" when their response could be taken as a pun (or clever play on words), for instance: Let's say you're talking about a clumsy friend who just tripped and spilled their drink all over themselves. You might say to a friend who slips and spills their drink: "Oh my gosh, are you okay? That looked like a nasty fall." Then, noticing the spilled drink, you might add: "And now your clothes are soaked. No pun intended, but it looks like your spirits are dampened." In this case, "no pun intended" is used because there is a pun (spirits/dampened) and you want to preemptively acknowledge it, even though it was unintentional. It's a way of saying "I realize that sounds like a pun, but I didn't mean it that way." HOWEVER: Sometimes people sarcastically say "no pun intended"" when the pun is so obvious that it must be intentional :)