History PunBasedTitle / Literature

* In ''Literature/TheCatWhoSeries'', the newspaper ''The Moose County Something'' was given that name as a placeholder until an actual name could be decided upon by a vote. The locals liked the name and voted to keep it.

* Every book in Robert Asprin's ''Literature/MythAdventures'' series. He was going to call the first book ''Another Fine Mess''; the editor's wife came up with the pun. Little did she know what she started.

* One of Lawrence Block's Evan Tanner novels is called ''The Canceled Czech''.

* Every title in ''Literature/TheClique'' series of books (except for the first one) is a pun or punny [[LiteraryReferenceTitle reference]] to something else: "Bratfest at Tiffany's", "Dial L for Loser", "Invasion of the Boy Snatchers".

* Many if not most Literature/{{Discworld}} novels, including ''Discworld/EqualRites'', ''Discworld/{{Sourcery}}'', ''Discworld/{{Maskerade}}'' and ''Discworld/TheFifthElephant''.

** ''Discworld/MenAtArms'' is about the city guards, who are "men at arms," but the BigBad is a gun, so "at arms" could also be interpreted as "against weapons". It's also a joke on the 'men' part, since a main plot of the novel is how the City Watch is, for the first time, admitting a dwarf, a troll and a w[[spoiler:oman who's a werewolf]], meaning they're not actually men at all.

* So many novels in the MysteryFiction genre do this; there are far too many examples to list here.
** The CozyMystery subgenre takes it further by having the title puns be based off of certain themes such as cooking ("If Onions Could Spring Leeks"), crafting ("Purl Up and Die"), or pets ("Feline Fatale").
* Every book in Robert Asprin's ''Literature/MythAdventures'' series.
** He was going to call the first book ''Another Fine Mess''; the editor's wife came up with the pun. Little did she know what she started...

** ''Discworld/MenAtArms'', sort of. It's about the city guards, who are "men at arms," but the BigBad is a gun (...ItMakesSenseInContext), so "at arms" could also be interpreted as "against weapons". It's also a joke on the 'men' part, since a main plot of the novel is how the City Watch is, for the first time, admitting a dwarf, a troll and a w[[spoiler:oman who's a werewolf]], meaning they're not actually men at all.

* Literature/TheDresdenFiles novels tend to this when they're not {{Double Meaning Title}}s (and sometimes when they are). Most obvious is the second book, ''Fool Moon''.

* Every title in ''Literature/TheClique'' series of books (except for the first one) is a pun or punny [[LiteraryReferenceTitle reference]] to something else: "Bratfest at Tiffany's" "Dial L for Loser" "Invasion of the Boy Snatchers".

** The cozy mystery subgenre takes it further by having the title puns be based off of certain themes such as cooking ("If Onions Could Spring Leeks"), crafting ("Purl Up and Die"), or pets ("Feline Fatale").

** Details for non-native speakers: (The) ''Light Fantastic'': English idiom referring to a dance ("trip the light fantastic")[[note]]Originally attributed to the Creator/JohnMilton's poem ''Allegro''[[/note]] but here alluding to magical light. ''Mort'': the name of the human character, who goes to work for Death (''mort''). ''Wyrd Sisters'' - an obvious spelling pun on ''weird'', with ''wyrd'' also being an Anglo-Saxon term for fate or (personal) destiny. Also, [[GeniusBonus the three witches are referred]] to as ''weird sisters'' in Theatre/{{Macbeth}} I.iii. ''Soul Music'': the book is really about, er, Music With Rocks In, but the soul is obviously involved. ''Feet of Clay'': cliché "The idol has feet of clay";[[note]]Ultimately [[LiteraryAllusionTitle derived from]] [[TheBible Daniel 2:33]][[/note]] the book's central character is a golem, with feet (and all other body parts) of clay. ''Interesting Times'': possibly apocryphal Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times"; the story is set in the Discworld's analogue to East Asia. ''Going Postal'': English expression "go postal" = go crazy; story is about the postal system. ''Monstrous Regiment'': famed quotation "this monstrous regiment of women"; at the time (16th century) the meaning was closer to modern "regimen" (i.e. government), but [[spoiler: the book spins it literally]].

* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' UniverseComcordance ''Ahistory'' kind of has the same meaning twice - it is ''a'' (rather than "the") history, but it's also a play on "ahistorical". Either way, the message is "There Is No Canon, but here's one way it ''could'' all fit together".

* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' UniverseCompendium ''Ahistory'' kind of has the same meaning twice - it is ''a'' (rather than "the") history, but it's also a play on "ahistorical". Either way, the message is "There Is No Canon, but here's one way it ''could'' all fit together".

* Two of Lawrence Block's Evan Tanner novels are called ''The Canceled Czech'' and ''The Scoreless Thai''.

* One of Lawrence Block's Evan Tanner novels is called ''The Canceled Czech''.