Things that went over your head...

[radiator]

I only very recently twigged the pun in 'Central Perk' - the coffee shop in Friends - always knew it was a play on Central Park, but the 'perk', as in 'perk you up' only just clicked.

[Noisybast]

I always assumed it was "perk" as in percolated.

[radiator]

You're probably right, that makes more sense. 

[A.Cow]

Don't rule out that it might have been used precisely because it worked on different levels.

Arthur Askey once had a gag: "My last cheque came back marked 'Insufficient Rubber'."  I love the fact it works on the level of 'rubber' being slang for money, and also on the level that it was going to 'bounce' badly.

Girls Aloud is another nice example -- pun on "girls allowed"; identifying the mouthy ladette target audience they were aiming for; and also making reference to the fact they were a female singing act.

[Taryn Tailz]

And "The Simping Detective" ---The Singing Detective a drama for television by Dennis Potter.

D'oh! How did I miss that? And why do these things always seem so obvious in retrospect?

I only worked this out a couple of days ago when i noticed The Singing Detective was on TV. Although I must admit I'd never heard of it before so I have the excuse of ignorance. 

[Dandontdare]

can't beleive I missed Evelyn/Devlin Waugh!

[JOE SOAP]

You're BANNED.

[SpetsnaZ99]

In Red Dwarf, Dave Lister likes as sport called Zero G, i think it was an homage to the Harlem heroes in 2000ad which itself was also a pun on the Harlem Globetrotters

[Dash Decent]

This thread is in danger of making me feel smart!

If you look at The Simping Detective, you'll see that even the way the title is written mimics that of The Singing Detective.

[Gonk]

This thread is in danger of making me feel smart!

I'm thinking of stuff like Ro-Jaws and Hammerstein (Rogers & Hammerstein), the Slavers of Drule and all those other puns and references that drifted gracefully over my head as a kid...  (Some of 'em still do.) I live and learn!

Try and top Ro-Jaws and Hammerstein for hidden puns then.

[Dash Decent]

Well, I don't want to let the cat out of the bag or anything, but in 'Rogue Trooper' you could work out (if you were paying attention to the subtle clues*) which piece of equipment each character's biochip would end up in because it was hidden in their names.


* or if you read the first ever instalment.

[TordelBack]

And did you know that the names of the Aux's in Kingdom... etc.

[Noisybast]

Strontium Dog had its fair share of groaners, too. In addition to the aforementioned "Slavers of Drule" and "Kid Knee", I give you "Mm-mm-Mattezon's", "Dobie Zitch", "Planet Blas, way out in the Gallego System", "Carrington Crystal", "No Cure for Kansyr", "Rita Duckworth" "Stone Killers" and many, many more.

[Gonk]

Plus the fact one whole story seems to be based solely on Dantes' Inferno. And let's not forget Stix.

[Ghastly McNasty]

Not until last year did I twig that Diagon Alley from Harry Potter is the direction Diagonally.