Question

Why can’t a bicycle stand up by itself? Because it’s two tired! In a rare response, interpret the figure of speech in the statement. What kind of figure of speech is this an example of? Explain which words make up the figure of speech. Explain the double meaning of the figure of speech.

Answer 1

This statement is an example of a pun, which is a form of word play that exploits the multiple meanings of a term or similar-sounding words. In this pun, the phrase "two tired" is a play on the phrase "too tired," which typically means to be physically exhausted. However, in this context, "two tired" refers to the fact that a bicycle requires two tires to stand up. So, the double meaning of the figure of speech is that the bicycle is physically unable to stand up by itself because it needs its two tires for support.