"If I told you you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?"
One of the fundamental types of verbal gag in comedy television, especially the Sitcom, and also comedy films.
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. If it is sexual, then it overlaps with Sexual Euphemism. If it is phrased as a question with an answer, it is usually a Riddle.
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 in 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. William Shakespeare was very fond of this device as well. "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. When it's a person's name, then it's a Euphemistic Name. If someone makes a perfectly innocent statement that others interpret as a Double Entendre anyway, it becomes an Imagined Innuendo. Extreme cases of double-entendre interpretation in-story are 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 and Something Else Also Rises. 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. Supertrope of "Balls" Gag.
No Real Life Examples, Please!
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Board Games
- In the US, there are several editions of an extremely successful board game called "Dirty Minds", which is nothing but double entendre. The slogan is "A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste." In the game, players are given three clues towards an answer. The clues sound dirty, but the answer is innocent.
Clue 1: I am a 4 letter word.
Clue 2: I'm a name for a woman.
Clue 3: I end in "unt".
The answer? AUNT.- Here's another:
Clue 1: I usually take it in the rear.
Clue 2: It takes a long hose to fill me.
Clue 3: You smell it on your hands when you're done.
Answer? GAS TANK. - The company, TDC Games, has just signed a contract for a future TV game show.
- Here's another:
- It's a Memetic Mutation, but Settlers of Catan has resources officially called "lumber" and "wool". But just try and find anyone who doesn't ask if you have wood for sheep.
Card Games
- Magic: The Gathering often does this in the Unverbed parody sets.
- In the art of the Rod of Spanking
card in the Unhinged card set, someone is spanking a monkey.
- Ground Pounder may be the most unsubtle innuendo they've printed yet, which is really saying something.
- In the art of the Rod of Spanking
Comic Strips
- This Beetle Bailey strip has a half naked Miss Buxley explaining to General Halftrack that she can't come in to work because she needs to have her plumbing and heating repaired. Her explanation is lampshaded by the General when he says to himself "I've got leaky plumbing and missing parts but I show up for work."
- The newspaper comic Cathy once featured the line that an off panel character was "in the restroom, giving the copier repairman a swirlie." The artist, Cathy Guisewite, was stunned that many readers thought that was a reference to oral sex, because she had always heard a "swirlie" was dunking someone's head in a toilet and flushing. Which it is.
- Dilbert
- There's Dick From the Internet. He's a complete dick who's named Dick. Everybody knows him.
- In this strip, Tina hates the PHB's [severance] package. Apparently PHB gets that a lot.
- In this one, Phil threatens to use the spoon. No, not the giant spoon he carries everywhere. He's threatening to spoon you.
- In a few strips Alice has a compulsion to grab "things that are not right". Sure, it's innocent enough when she grabs the boss' hair, but when she takes hold of Dilbert's necktie, he tells her that "in an hour I may have to ask you to stop doing that." It gets even worse when you consider that Scott Adams had suggested that Dilbert is "just happy to see you" as a possible explanation for his tie.
- In one strip, Dilbert must convince the VP to give him additional funding for his project. The VP tells Dilbert that denying the funding would make him feel like a big man with his wife that night, and asks Dilbert to top that. Dilbert's reply? "I can try. What's your wife's address?"
- In this one, the PHB does something to a dummy to demonstrate how they're supposed to treat customers.
- In this one, Wally uses Chatroulette to "find customers"; he finds somebody who is excited to talk to him.
- In one early comic, a computer salesman is trying to sell Dilbert a computer that knows what the user is typing by following the user's fingers via little computer chips glued onto the user's fingernails.
Salesman: Of course, some people don't like their computer knowing where their fingers are at all times.
Computer: Dave, about last night...
- There's Dick From the Internet
- This happens at times in Big Nate:
- In one story arc, Nate is assigned a beautiful girl for his locker partner. This girl's name? Amanda Woodcock.
- Nate's father once fell in love with a YouTube baker, Connie the Cookie Cutie. When he's watching one of her videos, we get a suggestive quote from him:
Connie: Notice my butter is very soft.
Dad: I'll say it is. - Nate asks Jenny if she'd like to play tennis. She said that she "wouldn't play tennis with [him] if [they] were the last two people on Earth." Nate then says, "If we were the last two people on Earth, we'd be doing other things, if you know what I mean!"
- When Nate is a yearbook photographer, he uses several photography-related puns to hit on a girl. Among the creepier ones: "How about we step into my dark-room and... see what develops?"
- Pearls Before Swine does this a lot.
- There's a Sunday strip where Pig writes a letter to his girlfriend Pigita about how sometimes she's nice to him, but other times she's mean, requesting her to be more consistent...and writes "P.M.S." instead of "P.S." right before asking "Is that a problem with you?".
- And then there's Ho Chi Minh. One strip was cut before it was released because Pastis felt he took it too far.
- In one arc, where Pig accidentally got breastsnote , Rat slipped in four Double Entendres in when ordering food. Pig said it was not funny. Pastis was pleased.
- One strip has Pig and a girl out for dinner, and she accidentally loses her prized souvenir Tee from a golf tournament she recently played in Virginia. They look for it, but can't find it, so Pig just drives her home, unfortunately shortly after her curfew. But Pig can explain it, to her angry father, of course; They are late because she lost her Virginia Tee. The father is not happy.
Pig: You would have thought I had taken it.
- Pigita's mother calls as Pig is gently petting her new dog. "Just some light petting."
- Pig recommends the County Fairgrounds to a married woman seeking an affair.
- Pig says that he's interested in seeing a particular type of dust storm, or "haboob". Cue Pigita walking in at a wrong time...
- Pig and Pigita enter a sack race. Apparently, Pigita's great in the sack.
- Pig isn't really into most of Pigita's new clothes, but he's starting to get into her pants.
- Pig agrees to record Pigita's training times, but has to abbreviate to save space. Pigitta is OK with abbreviating "hours" to "hrs", but she doesn't want want 'secs'?
- Rat starts a campaign to eliminate VD. That's Valentine's Day. Why, what did you think it meant?
- Pig tries selling things on the internet, such as the clapper. To fit everything onto the screen, he has to abbreviate some names. Very few people want to get the clap
- A woman calls her parents to ask if they can babysit, but they're having a pretty hot foursome. Yeah, Bridge can be pretty engaging.
- Pig gets three minor roles in a film, playing privates in the army. Rat decides to punch up the dialogue, leading to Pig begging PLEASE DON'T TOUCH MY PRIVATE PARTS!
- Goat explains that there are tons of different sects in the Middle East. Rat feels like joining the army.
- Goat invites Pig to go to a rooftop bar where the beer is served out of very large cans. His mother isn't impressed with him going to a topless bar to see some huge cans.
- Pig buys a puppy and names him Libido. His Libido is very healthy.
- Rat mentions a greedy real estate developer making out like a bandit. Pig thinks it's the other sort of "making out".
- Goat lets Pig and Pigita use his beach-house, but advises him that they'll have to hose themselves off after using some of the beaches. Pigita isn't happy that Pig is thinking about some beaches and hose
- "I'm trying to turn her (Pigita) on" (Pigita is dressed as a lamp for Halloween).
- Zits also does this on occasion:
- Walt and Connie in bed, bare shoulders above the sheets ("You know, when Jeremy moves away, I think my 'Empty Nest Syndrome' will be a very mild case." "Is it really only 7:30!?!"). Apparently, the censors were nervous, but parents loved it.
- In one strip, Walt tells Jeremy that he can invite his friends over for dinner. Jeremy says that if he's going to do this or not depends on what Walt's apron says. The apron has a picture of a dog under the text "I [heart] tiny wieners."
Fan Works
- Advice and Trust:
- In chapter 4, Rei was sharing details of past battles with a classmate... but it sounded like it she was implying that Shinji was having sex with both Asuka and her.
Tanaka: (warily) Are you two always like that?
Rei: They've improved greatly since they synchronized. Now they are totally familiar with each other's moves.
Tanaka: Er,...that means...?
Rei: They developed a bond beyond the physical.
Tanaka: Wait... you mean-
Asuka: It was training, alright? We trained in sync, for a simultaneous attack! Only for a battle! That's all! We didn't do anything improper, no matter what you're imagining!
Rei: Though I believe this bond predates that session. Ikari is the first person Pilot Soryu ever let inside her Entry Plug.
Tanaka: Is... is she talking about-
Asuka: NO.
[...]
Tanaka: Um, right. So how do you fit into this, Rei?
Rei: I must bond with both of them. I believe it will prove difficult. Soryu is not a willing partner.
Tanaka: But Ikari-kun... er, is?
Rei: I already have a bond with Ikari-kun.
Asuka: What?! S-since when?
Rei: Since after the Fifth Angel, when he forced open my armor with his blade and burst into my Entry Plug. No one else had ever gotten to my core with such need. He was urgent and forceful. It... made me smile. [...] I would like to do it again. Maybe more than once.
Asuka: ... I-it was the battle, all right, she's talking about the Eva! Baka-Shinji had to breach her Eva's armor after the Fifth Angel melted it to get her out! He just had to use the Eva's knife to break through since it was too hard! Not her um... 'core' or anything! The armor! Hard armor!note
- In chapter 4,
- The Child of Love:
- In chapter 2, Misato calls Ritsuko to tell her that Asuka has collapsed and Shinji is examining her:
Misato: Shinji is examining her! He says she has a high temperature!
Ritsuko:: He's examining her? What kind of 'examination' is he giving her now?
Misato: Cut that out! I'M SERIOUS HERE!!! - In chapter 5, Asuka makes breakfast, Misato tells it is one of the best breakfasts she has ever eaten and Asuka asks:
Misato: (interrupting her) Hey, I'm not joking! The food was really excellent, Asuka. You should cook more often. It's one of the best breakfasts I've ever ate!
Asuka: You mean, it's one of the first breakfasts you've ever ate, don't you?
Misato: (puzzled) ...
Asuka: (sarcastically) Or...is it one of the first breakfasts you ever ate without Kaji's 'sauce'?
Misato: (shocked) W-what do you mean!
Asuka: "Oh, nothing, nothing...!"
Misato: (shouting) You're disgusting!!!
Asuka: (laughing)'' H-hey! You never stopped moaning his name while you were sleeping! 'Oh, Kaji! Yeeesssss!!! I want more!!!! That tastes so gooood!!!! Gimme more breakfast!!!'
- In chapter 2, Misato calls Ritsuko to tell her that Asuka has collapsed and Shinji is examining her:
- This piece of fan art refers to Claudia of ''The Vampire Chronicles" as "La Petite Mort", "the little death". This is true both literally, as a vicious killer with the body of a child, and also, well, metaphorically. At least, that's what her fans are thinking.
- Doing It Right This Time: When Misato is teaching Shinji about gun safety:
Misato: Sure. Which leads us right on to the next lesson: How to clean and maintain your weapon.
Shinji: "That sentence would sound really wrong out of context."
Misato: (snorting) If you need help cleaning and maintaining that you're on your own. - Evangelion 303:
- In Chapter 3:
Asuka: (as bending over) "Get it while it's hot!"
- In Chapter 17:
Asuka: You're making it really hard for me to get in the mood!
Shinji: You're making it HARD ON me!
Asuka: Double entendre? Kinda advanced for you...
- In Chapter 3:
- HERZ: In chapter 3, Kurumi glomps Shinji. He warns he still has a gun:
"Kurumi... I've still got this gun... please..." pleaded Shinji, arms and weapon raised above his head.
"It's not loaded, Shinji-kun...Or should I be worrying about your other weapon? You haven't started misfiring with that, do you?"
"Kurumi!" - In chapter 5 of Once More with Feeling, Shinji has some fun at the expense of his beleaguered guardian.
Ritsuko: You're three for three Shinji; you really have some nice moves, you know.
Shinji: (jerking his head towards Misato) Yeah that's what she said last night.
Misato: (after spitting her coffee) What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?
Shinji: (nonchalantly) You know, when we were playing that video game last night?" - Episode 2 of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Abridged features this one liner (that makes sense in context):
Alphonse: You just got fisted by GOD!
- A few episodes of Adamwestslapdog's Ocarina of Time Abridged Series does this.
Deku Tree: I want you inside me.note
- This is mostly unintentional, since Navi (the fairy) even says to him, "Couldn't you have worded that a little bit differently?"
- Another episode does this, after Link tells Navi why he named his horse Zelda:
Link: Now to mount Zelda and ride through the night.- That time, it is definitely intentional.
- Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series, during Yugi's duel with the Paradox Brothers:
Yugi: Leave it to Beaver Warrior!
(Beaver Warrior gets destroyed)
Joey: Let this be a lesson to you, Yug'. Never, under any circumstances, leave your beaver exposed.
Yugi: You're right Joey, my beaver was on full display. Next time I'll take better care of my beaver.
Tea: I didn't know Yugi had a beaver. - Zarbon from Dragon Ball Z Abridged practically lives off these.
- Also this gem from episode 24 when Goku explains his situation to King Kai.
Goku: Well, when I got down here, I ran into some really weird guys. One was really big and muscly, but he went down really easy. Then these two guys double-teamed me. One of them took it really hard in the back, but the other didn't seem that interested, so he went and brought this really horny guy.George Takei: Oh my...
Goku: Who's that, King Kai?
King Kai: It's George Takei. Somehow we made this into a three-way...
George Takei: OH MY...
King Kai: ...Call! Three-way call!- The one episode Garlic Jr. Saga has Krillin innocently talking about Gohan being forced to "pound" Chi Chi's "tuna". Master Roshi is ready to die laughing.
- In Vision of Escaflowne Abridged by hbi2k, the group has fun throwing these over 5-year-old Prince Chid's head when he innocently decides to comment on Allen's "weapon".
Chid: How strange. She always said you had the largest weapon of any man in Asturia, but your sword is quite normal sized....
Van: (snorts) She must not have seen many men's weapons.
Hitomi: Van...
Millerna: What Van means is that this sword is just for everyday use.
Allen: Yeah, my other weapon is for everynight use.
Millerna: Allen!
Chid: Ooh! May I see this every-night weapon?
Allen: Oh, uh, no. I only unsheathe that one when I come upon a beautiful maiden in distress.
Chid: You come upon a beautiful maiden every night?
Allen: Sometimes twice, if I'm not too-
Hitomi and Millerna:' SHUT UP ALLEN!
- In Death Note: The Abridged Series (kpts4tv) when Light is killing Higuchi by writing Higuchi's name with his own blood and ends up stabbing himself repeatedly. Hilarity Ensues:
Light: First I gotta get my stupid watch open. Aw, there we go...
L: What's that, Light?
Light: Oh, I'm just excited we caught Kira is all. Hey look, they're bringing him in right now... Ow!
L: Are you okay?
Light: Yeah I'm fin-OW! I'm okay OW! DAMMIT!
L: Light, do you need me to come over there?
Light: No, no. I'm okay. I'm just so happy that it hurts. Kinda like a little prick. - In Seigikan Light does this deliberately when he's talking to a classmate about studying and L can only hear his side of the conversation:
Light: After I'm through with you tonight, you'll be able to teach that technique to your girlfriend. If you are still unsure after tonight, we can practice it together in front of her to break the ice.
- In Pretender after Frederick tells Lissa that he is dining with Robin to get over his dislike of game meats.
Lissa: You… you're asking Robin to help you with your gag reflex?
- Cinema Snob Reviews Frozen (a fan comic where The Cinema Snob reviews Frozen (2013)) notes that this trope is subverted when young Anna asks about building a snowman in a particular tone, and Elsa gives her a smirk. Because they're kids, they are being literal about the snowman.
- The Secret Life of Dolls has lots of jokes about swords. Also:
"I'm not supposed to but I've tasted your shortcake!" The Littlest Edward blurted out (I immediately filed this away for future double entendre use).
- In Amber and Emerald Harry suggests that Daphne Greengrass join his circle of friends.
Ron: Harry, are you sure? She's a Slytherin, everyone knows you can't trust them. Then again, everyone knows the Boy-Who-Lived took down eight dragons at the age of six, so what do I know? Sorry about that, knee-jerk reaction from knowing Malfoy.
Daphne: Quite understandable, Mr. Weasley. Any time I spend in his odious presence makes my knee jerk, too. - Star Wars
- The fic A Not-So-Little Naked Obi Sequel has a few of these. It's a sequel to another fic where a little girl initiate saw four year old Obi naked by the shower and was interested in his, um, anatomy. This time, he's an adult chained to a wall naked. Siri, the girl from the first fic, is the one to rescue him, much to his dismay. Naturally, her first concern is to make sure he wasn't hurt in any way, but after he assures her he's fine, she takes a few moments to enjoy the gaze before letting him free. She tells him "You've gotten much larger than the last time I saw you". And from where her gaze is described to be at, it's obvious she doesn't just mean his height. Then there's the requisite lightsaber joke.
Obi-Wan: My lightsaber?
Siri: Oh, they didn't take *that* from you. oh, THAT lightsaber.
Obi-Wan: Very funny, Siri.
- The fic A Not-So-Little Naked Obi Sequel
- Attack of the Lightsabers is a parody fic takes the lightsaber jokes up a notch.
- In Into The Abyss, Neptune gets transported to a Mirror Universe and eventually winds up in a fight with Blanc. While the regular Blanc is a Pint-Sized Powerhouse Glacier Waif with a Hair-Trigger Temper, Mirror!Blanc is a flat-out Blood Knight with a serious thing for Interplay of Sex and Violence, with half of what she says during the "battle" being arrogant boasting, and the other half being non-stop innuendo.
Blanc: (to Arfoire, after she stopped Neptune from punching her) I may look busy with your girlfriend fisting me here, but I still have another hand ready and waiting. You were all over me before, do you want me to do you now too? Is that it, Arfoire?Blanc: (preparing a finishing attack) I hope you didn't think I was going to let you get off before me... Now that I've loosened you up a bit, I think it's time for the main event. I can't wait to give Noire all the soppy details about our first time the next time I see her.Blanc: (after Neptune stops bantering due to getting Impaled with Extreme Prejudice) Looks like your mouth is finally out of things to say. That's okay. I'll put something nice and hard in there next. I don't want you to be left wanting even for a second... [...] I've waited a long time for that... I guess you did have one use after all. That felt good. Look at all this blood. I thought your sister was your first, Neptune? No? It's me? Of course it is.Blanc: (after Neptune asks if Blanc will listen to her last words) You sure can use that mouth. Don't worry, I'm sure Noire will put it to good use once I give your body to her after I finish with it myself.Blanc: (after Neptune's Heroic Second Wind starts running out) Oh good, you're already halfway there. Now if you bend over all the way like a good girl, I'd be glad to show you what I'd do to Ram for causing all of this.Blanc: (preparing to attack Neptune) I don't think I'm going to pull out again like I did earlier. How about I finish inside of you, Neptune? If you don't mind, I think we've had enough foreplay today - you don't mind, do you? Let's start by getting rid of that pointless protection of yours. This will feel much better without it, Neptune.Blanc: (after Neptune starts using Blanc's discarded sword) You're a really dirty girl, you know that? Picking up a used sword like that...! Do you even know where that's been? You don't care as long as you've got something long and hard in your hands, huh?
Blanc: (offering not to kill Neptune if she lets Blanc examine her) I'll forgive you if you transform back to normal and let me get a good 'hands on' look at you. I'm no Black Void - I can set myself to gentle for first timers. All you have to do is return to normal, and then close your eyes, lay back, and hold still. [...] Are you going to let me pull down my zipper like a good girl or are you going to make this harder on yourself?
Blanc: (reuniting with Neptune and Arfoire, who had temporarily managed to escape her) Anybody else up for a threesome?
Blanc: (having transformed, after Arfoire offers to fight her) Are you that eager to have a taste of me, Arfoire? Soaked as soon as you see my naked body like this again? - Son of Potter, Daughter of Black:
Harry: Quick Sorting.
Natalia: It felt like it took ages.
Neville: It was a few minutes but these two were talking and didn't notice. Don't worry though, Harry's was longer.
Harry: Mate, that's not something you're supposed to talk about in polite company. - In Stepping Back Sirius casts the Aguamenti charm before Professor Flitwick says to.
Flitwick: On my command Mr. Black. You fired prematurely.
Peter: Probably not the first time. - In Whispers in the Night Hagrid explains how to treat the Monster Book of Monsters.
Hagrid: To open them ye need to stroke the spine until it gives a small purr. Ye need to make sure to stroke it every day to keep it calm and tame.
Tracey: Not unlike boys already do, then. - In a side-story of Pokémon Reset Bloodlines, a guy in a bar in Blackthorn City tries to hit on a girl with this line:
"He he he... your Cloyster... it wants to meet my Onix doesn't it?"
- In Amazing Fantasy, Peter tells Izuku that he knows what he's going through, including growing hairs in unfamiliar places, referring to both the setules growing on Izuku's hands and feet and pubic hair. This was intentional and Peter laughs at Izuku's clear embarrassment.
- In Cross Cases, when Harry Dresden is trying to puzzle out how Sam Winchester can have psychic abilities yet can still use technology without blowing it out, he mentions that minor talents can still use computers and such without too many issues. Sam dryly asks Dresden if he's not a minor talent, and Murphy mentions that there's nothing minor about Dresden, which gets some snickers from Sam.
- In The Flash Sentry Chronicles: When Lightning Blitz first meets Rarity, he quickly becomes attracted to her and smugly tries to flirt with her. He tries to ask her out, saying they should go "make some sweet music" away from the others. Rarity immediately turns him down.
- White Sheep (RWBY): During the tournament, when Professor Port realizes that Cinder's team is Team CMEN (it's supposed to be pronounced "cinnamon"), he won't stop making jokes about it.
Port: W-well, let's just hope that Team WJPR's prepared adequate protection today, otherwise Team CMEN will be all over them and it'll be a total mess.
- The Bones fic “The Message in the Status Update” has this, often from Daisy. Once, Sweets says he has a “shrinky mojo” and Daisy replies that there’s nothing shrinky about his mojo. Another time, she says he’s behaving like a big boy, then adds “a very big boy” with smiley emotes. A third one has Booth saying he’ll take out his gun and Daisy saying she’d like to see him do it. Sweets also has one, saying he misses Daisy’s mouth. It’s rather obvious most times what’s really meant by the comments.
- The General Said I Would Have Days Like This:
Harry: It's a soul bond, sir. That's how Jack was summoned to us.
Jack: Don't you mean kidnapped? While I was in the shower, mind you.
Harry: No. You were summoned but you came willingly. No one can be summoned against their will. You wanted to come. And as for you coming in the shower, that was your idea so don't blame me! I didn't just say that, did I? - In Vow of Nudity (a LitRPG series using Dungeons & Dragons mechanics), the author consistently uses Performance checks for sex scenes.
- A Running Gag in Vow of the King is that the author almost always makes the next chapter previews sound incredibly dirty, such as "Isane sticks something long and hard into Toshiro's hole"note .
- The Palaververse: From the first chapter of Treasures, where kid Daring doesn't get the accidental joke when her dad is inspecting a tower, but the mares do:
“It’s not the size of the tower that matters,” said Dad, still star-struck. Both Ivory and Granny repressed snickers for some reason.
News
- When Swiss football team Young Boys Bern hosted an extravagant homecoming party to celebrate the opening of their new stadium, the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf ("Wankdorf" being the name of a suburb of Bern), the resulting ESPN Soccernet headline read Young Boys Wankdorf erection relief.
- Around the Internet there is an image of a college newspaper reporting on the Republican Party disagreeing on President Obama's economic stimulus package, deeming it too large. Or, as the headline puts it, "REPUBLICANS TURNED OFF BY SIZE OF OBAMA'S PACKAGE".
- Wendy Rieger had quite a few when she was covering Hurricane Sandy:
- "Look at these hunks of burnin' love that I'm workin' with!"
- "Look at this monster coming in! Wow!"
- "Doug called me an hour ago and said 'Get Ready!', And BAM! This thing is like, pounding us from behind!"
- She also said that she had 300 dates and was going to do all of them in one weekend.
- "Look at these hunks of burnin' love
- Edwina Bartholmew interviewing A.J. Roach of the Australian men's water polo team at the 2012 London Olympics:
A.J. Roach: It's a great spectacle. Especially guys running around in their speedos, wrestling and pressing up against each other. So it's a good sport to watch.
Edwina Bartholmew: That sounds like the Greek Olympics. - On Fox News, Megyn Kelly asks Janice Dean if they'll be sleeping together again in this clip.
- Lampshaded just moments later when Janice says "I have no words... except that we're going to be on Youtube in a few minutes."
- During Congressman Anthony Weiner's sexting scandal, the headlines were nothing but these. "Weiner Won't Pull Out," "Weiner Sticking It Out," "Obama Beats Weiner."
- One Wednesday morning in Detroit, one news anchor forgot to think twice before declaring her hope for a "dry hump day".
- On Today, Georgie Gardner talks about her husband being her "long stabby thing".
Podcasts
- In the Cool Kids Table game Creepy Town, Ethan explains that they could set up a bed in the exorcism room to shake mechanically. Stacey suggests that the two of them could make it shake themselves. Ethan doesn't get it.
Professional Wrestling
- Early Total Nonstop Action featured cage dancers and a midget having sex in a trash can, making TNA very appropriate initials, though if Vince Russo is to be believed his original plan was to go all the way make sex the primary focus of the promotion rather than something that merely permeated in what was billed as a pro wrestling show. As it went on, sex appeal died down, almost making TNA an artifact title.
Radio
- Scoring girl Samantha from BBC Radio 4 show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue owns this Trope, having had it for almost 40 years...
- In Search of Mornington Crescent features a spoof cricket commentry in which No Celebrities Were Harmed versions of Johnston and Blofeld discuss a cricketer called Geoffrey Hiscock, including such lines as "It was a bold decision for Gardner to open the batting with Hiscock" and "Hiscock is out! And the umpire is pointing Hiscock towards the pavillion." And so on...
- Clue's spin-off, Hamish and Dougal: You'll Have Had Your Tea, is another major offender. For instance, when Dougal's entered a "Macathalon":
Hamish: Are you up for it?
Dougal: Not the night before a Macathalon.
Hamish: But are you having misgivings?
Dougal: Not the night before a Macathalon!
Hamish: Well, I'll be right behind you.
Both: Not the night before a Macathalon...
Hamish: But, looky here. Do you think you can pull it off?
[[Long pause]]
Dougal: Yes. - And the original show which Clue was spun off of, I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, also did it on occasion, using radio for full ambiguity. One such example comes up in Black Cinderella 2 Goes East:
Princess Sally: Oh, you're not really Jewish. You're just saying you are.
Prince Charming: But I am! Wait, I'll show you! Hang on while I get it out! (rustling sound) There! You can't get much more Jewish than that, can you?
Princess Sally: ...That doesn't prove anything. Anyone can buy a skullcap.
- The Reduced Shakespeare Company Radio Show has a rap song about William Shakespeare's characters and their need to practice safe sex: "Rap Your Willy!"
- A staple of Round the Horne. At one point, Horne and Williams break character so that Horne can express his concern that the audience may be seeing a second meaning in what they say; Williams replies "Second meaning? Them? They don't even see the first meaning — they just laugh at anything that might be dirty."
- A staple of all BBC Radio comedy, ever. On programme featured a spoof letter from someone objecting to the amount of double entendre on the airwaves, saying "I don't wish sex to be forced down my throat. It leaves a nasty taste in my mouth, and I'm not swallowing it."
- In a spoof technothriller on Saturday Night Fry, Stephen Fry's character, Dr Fordyce, discovers a secret formula that transforms him into a woman (Jenny, played by Emma Thompson), but turns Hugh Laurie's character into Barry Cryer (played by himself). Amongst his strange Barry Cryer powers is the ability to turn anything into a Double Entendre.
Jenny: But that's horrifying!
Barry Cryer: It is horrifying, isn't it? I'll put it away. There, you see what I mean? A lewd ambiguity for every occasion.
Jenny: You're having me on.
Barry Cryer: No, but it's an idea.
Jenny: And you can keep this up indefinitely?
Barry Cryer: Are you sure you want me to answer that? - Often used on Hello Cheeky. Frequently lampshaded.
Barry: I'd like the rest of this programme to be of a totally pure and innocent nature...but, as that won't get any laughs, let's do a rude joke!
Tim: Look at those tits! ...Oh, one of them's flown away. - Roughly half the jokes in The Castle. Particularly the running gags about codpieces.
- In The Men from the Ministry Creepy Crawley has a lot of these thanks to his Verbal Tic:
Crawley: I'll go and see what I can do with these paperclips. Perhaps if I stick them in my whats-its-name.
Recorded Comedy
- On his 1971 album "FM & AM," George Carlin notes double entendres in the taglines of specific television commercials of the time:
"Should a gentleman offer a lady a Tiparillo?" The big scene in the Tiparillo commercial is a train going into a tunnel. You don't have to be Fellini to figure that one out!
- On 1973's "Occupation: Foole" where Carlin updates his "Seven Words You Can't Say On Television," he amends it with three additional words: "fart," "turd" and "twat." He then points out that "twat" is on the list because it's the only term for a part of the sexual anatomy that cannot be parsed as a double entendre, noting that even "snatch," "box" and "pussy" can be used in a Disney movie if the right syntax is applied.
(cartoonish falsetto) "We're gonna snatch that pussy, put him in a box and bring him on the airplane!"
Theatre
- Naturally, William Shakespeare's career was built on this. And iambic pentameter. Sadly this is often obscured by the associations people make between Shakespeare, snooty English professors, and snooty Victorian aristocracy, as well as shifts in word meaning.
- In Othello, it is noted that Othello and Desdemona "are making the beast with two backs." Next time someone uses that euphemism or some variant, you can tell them it's over four hundred years old.
- In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock complains that his daughter has stolen from him "two rich and precious stones"—in other words, his family jewels.
- The Merry Wives of Windsor has a bit too much fun with Falstaff putting on Herne the Hunter's antlers for his tryst with Alice. "I'll do what I can to get you a pair of horns," Mistress Quickly tells him, and Alice hails him as "my deer, my male deer."
- From Act II, Scene 2 of Hamlet:
Hamlet: Man delights not me— no, nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.
Rosencrantz: My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts.
Hamlet: Why did you laugh then, when I said "Man delights not me"?
Rosencrantz: To think, my lord, if you delight not in man, what lenten entertainment the players shall receive from you. We coted them on the way, and hither are they coming to offer you service.- In other words: a traveling theatrical troupe is visiting, and they would be disappointed if you didn't show some hospitality and extend a warm welcome to make your guests feel right at home.
- The musical Chicago is rife with this trope.
- "When You're Good to Mama" has the ambiguously lesbian warden of the women's jail delivering double entendres at every other line. Perhaps even triple — they succeed in being Unusual Euphemisms for both sex and money.
- A song absent from the film is "Baby and Me", which is full of double non-sexual entendres: "I can assure you, it won't go away / I can assure you, it grows every day;" is Roxie singing about the baby she's supposedly carrying, or about the lie she's now living?
- Velma's song "I Can't Do It Alone" doubles down on the innuendo of its title in the encore, where she appears in a cartoon double bed next to a faceless cutout of a man:
Like the deserted bride on her wedding night
All alone and shaking with fright
With her brand new hubby nowhere in sight...
I simply cannot do it alone...
- The Barrison Sisters was a vaudeville group in the 1890s. In their most famous act, the sisters would dance, raising their skirts slightly above their knees, and ask the audience, "Would you like to see my pussy?" When they had coaxed the audience into an enthusiastic response, they would raise up their skirts, revealing that each sister was wearing underwear of their own manufacture that had a live kitten secured over the crotch.
- In Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad, Rosalie admits with a smirk that she indeed lets men do anything they like to her:
"Behind the bushes and it's done. One-two-three and it's done. Here's the money. Thanks. Come again. Hah-hah! Come again!"
- In The Book of Mormon, "Baptize Me," Elder Cunningham's big duet with Nabulungi, has lyrics that make his baptism of her sound like Intercourse with You. The song begins, "I'm about to do it for the first time / And I'm about to do it with a girl," and continues in the same vein for 4 minutes.
- Keating! The Musical: "I wanna do you slo-owly, holy moly..." Based on a real Paul Keating quote...
- The lyrics in Spring Awakening are full of them. There are a few notable examples in dialogue, too, such as:
Hanschen: I'll walk with you, Ernst.
Ernst: You will?
Hanschen: We'll huddle over the Homer. Maybe do a little Achilles and Patroclus.
- The famous "china" scene from the Restoration Comedy The Country Wife. The title The Country Wife is a triple entendre.
- "The Tennis Song" in City of Angels.
- As everyone knows by now, the Double Entendre was Mae West's stock in trade. The Pleasure Man was one of several of her 1920s plays raided for obscenity, and the censors took note of such lines as a Drag Queen offering "I get down on my knees" as a description of his act and an observing couple calling such performers "extraordinarily queer."
- Older Than Feudalism: This trope was a favorite tactic of ancient Greek comedians. Aristophanes' plays are full of them.
- The Moon is Blue: At the end of the first act, David has a man-to-man talk with Don about why Don declined Cynthia's offer to sleep with him, and the discussion turns to a football metaphor just before Patty enters:
Patty: What are you fighting about now? Football?
David: Why, yes. We were just discussing an incompleted pass. - A clever, non-sexual example from Evita: In "Buenos Aires", Eva sings the line, "Put me down for a lifetime of success. Give me credit; I'll find ways of paying." That could mean either, "Sign me up to have a lifetime of success. Advance me the capital I need and I'll find a way of recompensing you." or "Denigrate me for having a lifetime of success, but cut me some slack: I'll suffer for it in the end." Eva presumably intends the former meaning, but the latter is what ends up happening to her.
- The Rodgers and Hart musical Too Many Girls had a song titled "She Could Shake The Maracas." The original cast featured Diosa Costello, a dancer best known for shaking what could only euphemistically be called her maracas.
- The Richard Rodgers musical No Strings has the song "Eager Beaver," which includes the line, "Eager beavers always give a dam." At one point in the dance routine, the final word of that line turns into a four-letter interjection.
- The Complete History Of America Abridged has a sustained example of this verging on Freudian Slippery Slope:
Washington: But I'll tell you one thing: contraceptive to your popular belief, we're taking precautions at every penetration and by the grace of God, our upcoming thrust will break through the last membrane of British defense and into Virginia!
Minute Man #2: Will this make you the father of our country?
Washington: Well, I have cut through some cherry trees in my time, to be sure. - In The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!, the leading character of "Corn!" is named Big Willy, which sets up this moment in his Carousel-like soliloquy about having a namesake son:
I'll teach him to wrassle and play.
Some fellers might think it's silly
For a big guy like me to stay home all day
Playin' with my own little Willy. - In Hamilton, Alexander's first sentence to Angelica is 'You strike me as a woman who has never been satisfied.' She immediately takes it as a come-on, but he follows it up with 'you're like me, I'm never satisfied' - he was actually saying that she seems like she always keeps fighting and never settles where she is; the sexual meaning was just a bonus. Apparently, this innuendo actually was made in real life - though there, it was Angelica's flirtation.
- Westeros: An American Musical: Right after "Hand-Holding", a song that is all about how much Ned and Robert care about each other, the narrator calls the Hand of the King position Ned accepted during the song a Hand-job. She also mentions that Ned next needs to meet Littlefinger, or, in her own words, "get a Littlefingering".
- In Chess, the song "One Night in Bangkok", plays on different meanings of "mate" and "queen" while comparing the chess championship with the sex tourism that also happens in the city.
I don't see you guys rating,
The kind of mate I'm contemplating.
I'd let you watch, I would invite you,
But the queens we use would not excite you.
Visual Novels
- Kurugaya of Little Busters! gets up to this a lot. One of the best examples comes when she's cleaning Riki's ears, and when he mentions that it feels good, she can't help commenting about how he likes it 'jammed in his hole'. Riki just asks if she really has to phrase it that way.
- Shameless otaku Daru from Steins;Gate has a talent for instantly noticing whenever something a female character says can be misconstrued out of context and asking them to repeat it for him. Prime examples include "Put the banana in", and "Maybe that hole is too tight!"
- In Spirit Hunter: NG, when Ban interrupts Rosé and Akira's talk, Rosé laments that she was about to give Akira an intensive private lesson. Given that, in the same sentence, she expresses her attraction to cute young men like him, it's not hard to see what she's implying.
Webcomics
- Louis from Best Friends Forever Is a repeat offender. Examples here and here. Scared stiff indeed.
- The Optimist tries to swallow a hot load of double entendres in this strip.
- The page image provider is a Penny Arcade strip where Tycho and Gabe are playing Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon on their 3DS's, and Gabe says that the game is almost all about "sucking".
- Monsterful has some from time to time, but this one deserves a special mention.
- The Order of the Stick:
- One example, courtesy of the strip helpfully entitled "It's a Type of Boat". "My junk is for the people." Lampshaded at the end courtesy of Belkar in his prison cell, referencing a line from Star Wars.
- Also, Roy has "great cleavage".
Elan: Roy has boobies!
- The strip titled "Double Your Entendre, Double Your Fun".
- Roy's sister is True Neutral: she goes both ways. Tsukiko also does both... arcane and divine magic.
- Tarquin in strip 753 says a couple, but he notices himself. And again.
- A brief one here: Haley, stocking up on wands now that she's high enough level to use them, says "Every rogue needs a good wand for that magical trick you just can't duplicate." Bandana (who happens to be a lesbian) disagrees.
- One example
- It's Walky! based a small arc around this, featuring the local Will They or Won't They? couple. This strip may just be a standing record for "Most Double Entendres in a a Single Strip"...
- See Loserz, especially if the... working place of the protagonists is involved. As in this strip.
- This one is the best.
- This one
- Pokémon-X runs on this trope. It's funny because the source material really does provide so much fuel for it...
- VG Cats:
- In this one, a shady alleyway seller opens his trenchcoat to show his wares to Leo in a way reminiscent of a flasher. Leo's dialogue fuels the joke.
Leo: That's the biggest barrel I've ever seen, is it pump action? [...] Wait it's not like that! I'm just checking out his equipment!
- This fan comic◊ is even better.
- And probably VG Cats' crowner, this one composed entirely of dialogue snippets from Star Fox 64.
- In this one
- Questionable Content:
- This entire strip. (In case you're wondering, they were dancing.)
- A classic double subversion can be found here.
Dora: It's ok, it's perfectly normal to have performance anxiety your first time.
Marten: Yeah, like, the first time I ever played guitar in front of people? IMPOSSIBLE to maintain an erection.
- This entire
- In Exterminatus Now, Eastwood learns online how to create a robotic attack chicken. When he has it attempting to tear out Lothar's throat, of course he refers to it as... his "Mighty Cock". Yeah.
- Blur the Lines likes to play around with these, though one stands out thanks to being about snow.
- In The Dreamer, Alexander says this comment to Beatrice:
"I remember taking my turn with you more than once that evening".
- In Something*Positive there is this strip, which is actually a nice subversion of the trope (the second- and third-last panels).
- Jane's last line in this Everyday Heroes strip.
- Exiern had a three-pager titled "Cheating Death". The (NSFW) middle page shows how the title is a Double Entendre.
- Karate Bears carpet matches the drapes joke
- Dominic Deegan practically lives on this trope, but Szark Sturtz has one of the best examples.
- Bunny Pandemic refers to the game of chess as both social prowess and solitude, depending on different interpretations
- Jet Dream is presented in the Retraux style of a comic book that might theoretically have been approved by The Comics Code Authority circa 1970, if they could buy the basic Gender Bender premise. Thus, almost all references to sex are veiled ones.
- Bittersweet Candy Bowl during the student election: "Shake things up with Sue" as lampshaded here.
David & Lucy: Shake things up with Sue?
McCain: We tried that. Didn't test too well. - In Rusty and Co., Rusty's "Eat hoe?" on seeing Madeline leads to Mimic concluding that the comic will never pass muster with the Comics Code Authority.
- In Homestuck, Rose's pesterhandle is 'tentacleTherapist'. According to Andrew Hussie in the physical books, the implications are probably intentional in-universe as an example of the kind of snarky, off-colour humour thirteen-year-olds are fond of.
- Girl Genius:
- The Castle teasing Agatha about her attraction to Gil: "All the Wulfenbach Sparks are known for their over-sized machinery..." Also figures in about half the references to Death Rays. And almost every reference to toolbelts.
- Apparently, the play The Socket Wench of Prague is pretty brutal in this regard.
- The Castle teasing Agatha about her attraction to Gil: "All the Wulfenbach Sparks are known for their over-sized machinery..."
Web Original
- In The Gamer's Alliance, the amnesiac Ronove's ramblings are often taken the wrong way. On one occasion he asks if he can taste Ax's cherry pie. He actually wants to trade pie recipes with her and isn't thinking of anything sexual, but everyone around them misunderstands the conversation. Hilarity Ensues.
- Gameboys: Half the things Gavreel says or initially says, to Cairo's irritation or embarrassment. Downplayed when things in the story get serious. In one of their first chat conversations:
Gavreel: Anyway, good morning!
Gavreel: Let me eat you.
Gavreel: I mean let's eat. - Sarah of lonelygirl15 often uses these. An example is her "vote Salinas" routine in "Casting Couch": "Hey, there. I was wondering if you'd be interested in hearing about a man named Edward Salinas. He's the man with the plan and it's a big one. Oh, it surely is! He wants to build a stronger community. The strongest, firmest, hardest community..."
- The Rooster Teeth logo is a visual double entendre that you only pick up when your humor is in the gutter. It originates from the "cockbite" insult commonly used in Red vs. Blue.
Tucker: Bow chicka bow wow.
- Tucker does this so much that Tex lost her cool and put him on point. That's right, the super-soldier put the Badass Normal in the most dangerous position in the squad when investigating an unknown threat that had beaten her and Church already, Tucker made so many of these.
- While getting away from Red Base, Simmons takes command of the group, which includes Lopez the Spanish-speaking robot, and Donut, the unambiguously gay Private in pink (lightish red) armor:
Simmons: Okay, Lopez, you take the front.
Donut: And I'll handle your rears!
Simmons: Okay, change of plans: Donut, you're in the middle.
Donut: It'll be a Donut sandwich, mm-mm!
Simmons: Ugh! You can ruin anything! - "Simmons, I am having a blast going in and out of your hole!"
- There's even an entire song in the Season 9 soundtrack (called "Donut: The Musicsl") featuring Donut making various double-meaning phrases, which leads to this exchange.
Simmons: Donut! Please! Enough with the double entendres!
Donut: Double entendre? Is that anything like a menage-a-trois?
Simmons: I give up.
- If doing a NaviGTR/Flights of Fantasy Retsupurae, Diabetus says a joke with one of these that is related to the game that George Wood is reviewing in his best Bill Clinton impersonation.
"Are you ready to contend with what's in my pants?"
"After I play Buster Brothers I'm gonna bust a nut!"
"I'll show you why they call me Big Dong Donkey Kong."
"Look in my pants and I'll show you why they call it the Playstation."
- A line from College Humor's "Powerthirst 2" video:
"Powerthirst now comes in WOMEN!"
- This page. The captions. 'Nuff said...
- Rosa Fiametta of Survival of the Fittest loves these.
"I can run off an empty tank all day long,"
"It'd be just great for you to help me by coming ... and lawyering." - While reviewing David Bowie's crotch... er, Labyrinth, The Nostalgia Chick is repeatedly interrupted by Nella, who offers her "dick", "meat and two veg" and "cock". All perfectly innocent food - the first one's spotted dick (a British dessert) and the last one's chicken.
- This deviantART stamp. It's very clever.
- I'd like to dip my fries in your... special sauce.
- Balls, balls are so much fun! That's why I have two and not just one!
- "Taco night is when we lay some beef in a pink taco...drip some guacamole...make her sour cream..."
- "Trust me, I know what it's like to take a hard one to the face."
- A lot of Alex's lines in The Awkward Compilation, although given how deep in the gutter (and Lester's pants) his mind is, it's hard to say how much is intentional.
Alex: You know it's all about finding the right key. The one that fits... just right. The one that you insert deep into the back door...
- The third paragraph in this otherwise straight review of an electric kettle.
- In Cracked's article on Jennifer Love Hewitt, those are plentiful.
- On That Guy with the Glasses, Doug Walker, Spoony, Benzaie and Sad Panda all tried... well see for yourself.
- Also in The Nostalgia Critic's "Nostalgic Commercials", during the "Wet Banana", "You and Your Johnson", and "Wonder Boner" ads.
- Happens a few times in Where the Bears Are.
- In Space Turds by Matt Santoro, Matt says, "I hear [Tiger Woods is] good with holes", a reference to both Tiger Woods' golf career and Tiger Woods' sex life.
- Froge from Froghand makes fun of the Nintendo Switch for its name, as well as other Nintendo consoles:
Speaking of cheap entertainment - has everybody gotten familiar with the new Nintenthing? It's called the Nintendo Switch, because Nintendo was fed up with everyone taking the piss out of the "Wii" and "Wii U", that they decided to name it after BDSM. I can't wait for the Nintendo Knob, and I'd think of more sexual names, but I don't want to waste the effort if they'll do it for me in a few years
- Every now and then, porn websites will have regular videos uploaded with this sort of title - i.e. bad political decision with "Old man fucks entire nation", or blowout defeats with "Brazilians get fucked by an entire German team."
- Then there's this beauty from the Progressive Era episode of Crash Course US History:
John: Oh, Stan, I can only imagine how long and hard you've worked to get the phrase "beef-boner" into this show, and you finally did it. Congratulations.
- Brandon Farris does one video where, in attempt to use balls as a means of stress relief, fills his room full of plastic balls from a children's ball pit. The double entendres start flying when he invites his girlfriend Gloria to "play in his balls". Both are in the presence of their seven-year-old daughter Autumn, making the entendres funnier since she never appears to catch on (or just doesn't care).
