History Main / MultipleReferencePun

* The title of every book in the ''GorkyPark'' series refers to at least two important things in the story: [[BookEnds Something from the beginning of the story, and something from the end.]]

* The idiom "A friend in need is a friend indeed" has four potential meanings based on the interpritations of "in deed/indeed" and "friend in need";

[[folder:Folklore]]
* The idiom "A friend in need is a friend indeed" has four potential meanings based on the interpritations of "in deed/indeed" and "friend in need";
** A friend who is "in need" is a good friend (because they need your friendship).
** A friend who is "in need" will do their best to remind you that they're your friend ("in deed").
** A friend who remains a friend in your time of need is "indeed" your friend.
** A friend is someone who reminds you of their friendship in your time of need (once again; in [their] deed[s]).
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* "KidouSenkanNadesico" (literally, "Mobile Battleship Nadesico"): "Kidou Senkan" is similar sounding to "[[MobileSuitGundam Kidou Senshi]]" referencing the use of HumungousMecha in the show. "Senkan Nadesico" (or "Nadeshiko") is a double pun that references both UchuuSenkanYamato, and the Japanese concept of YamatoNadeshiko. This multi-layered, multiple reference pun is likely the reason why ADV Films released it as "Martian Successor Nadesico" in North America.

* In the WebComic ''EverydayHeroes'', Mr. Mighty has been known to exclaim "Great Siegel's Ghost!" This is based on the phrase "Great Caesar's Ghost", commonly used by ''Daily Planet'' editor Perry White in ''[[Radio/TheAdventuresOfSuperman The Adventures]]'' ''[[Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman of Superman]]''... which starred a character created by Jerry Siegel.

* The title of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Bend Her" is both a reference to the episode's plot of Bender getting a sex change to compete as a woman in the Olympics and a reference to the movie "BenHur," not to mention the pun on Bender's own name.

* In ''KamenRiderOOO'', "OOO" is pronounced like "oh's", with "oh" being the Japanese word for "king"; it visually resembles the circular Medals that OOO uses to transform; and it also resembles the infinity symbol with an extra loop, which is claimed within the series to mean [[UpToEleven a step beyond infinity]].

** Also in "KamenRiderDouble", "Double" is almost pronounced "W" as the title logo.

{{Anime}} and other Japanese media often has this in the form of a BilingualBonus. For instances which occur in titles, see PunBasedTitle and DoubleMeaningTitle. Subtrope to DoubleMeaning.

* In the fan translation of VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}, [[CompleteMonster Fassad's]] name is the arabic word for "greed", it also sounds like the word "facade", both of these are apt summations of the character who uses an overly nice face to hide all his KickTheDog moments done to further his and his master's desires.

* ''{{Okami}}'' takes advantage of how the long-o prefix denotes something big or great, making the term "great god", as well as the word normally being Japanese for "wolf".

* The Thompson Sisters in ''Manga/SoulEater'' could be a reference to the Thompson machine gun or, given the amount of musical references in the show, the Thompson Twins (who, ironically, weren't twins which also fits, since the sisters are opposites of each other).

* The Thompson Sisters in ''SoulEater'' could be a reference to the Thompson machine gun or, given the amount of musical references in the show, the Thompson Twins (who, ironically, weren't twins which also fits, since the sisters are opposites of each other).

* In ''YuYuHakusho'' Yusuke's "Rei-Gun" can be interpreted as either "Spirit Gun" (what's used in the dub of the anime) or the English "ray gun"- which is pretty much what it looks like coming out of [[FingerGun his finger]].

* All over the place in ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'':
** The title itself. It's based on the Latin phrase "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?", which can be translated as "who watches the watchmen?" This phrase appears as a piece of graffiti throughout the book. The original phrase was about the dilemma of how to ensure that those who enforce the law are themselves answerable to the law, a dilemma that applies especially to vigilantes such as the main characters. Late in the story, Ozymandias provides an alternate explanation by referencing a line from the speech Kennedy planned to give in Dallas, about "watchmen on the walls of democracy", which Ozymandias considers himself. Doctor Manhattan's character arc provides two more interpretations: he used to be a watchmaker, and he sees himself and all other humans as machines that are no more in control of their actions than a watch is in control of its moving hands.
** Rorschach is named after a famous personality test. His mask resembles the popular image of the test (though not [[RealityIsUnrealistic the test itself]]), which is also a series of black and white images, appropriate for Rorschach's worldview. Also, being named after a psychological test is perhaps appropriate for a character with the deep-seated mental problems Rorschach has.
** Adrian Veidt's codename Ozymandias is the name Greek sources give to the pharaoh Ramesses II, fitting to his obsession with both ancient Greek and Egyptian culture. It's also a reference to a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, the main theme of with is [[spoiler:futility]], implying that [[spoiler:Veidt's grand plan will not ensure world peace after all]].
** The title of the chapter "Fearful Symmetry" is from the poem "Tyger, Tyger" by William Blake, and is a good description of Rorschach's mask, and the epigraph from the same poem, "What immortal hand or eye/Could frame thy fearful symmetry" could refer to the fact that Rorschach has just been [[spoiler:framed for the murder of Moloch]] or, in the actual meaning of the line, the fact that [[spoiler:he has been captured by the police after avoiding arrest for many years]].
** The first Nightowl's autobiography is titled ''Under The Hood'', which refers both to his life as a masked superhero and to his career as a mechanic.

* ''Film/StarTrek'''s scene with The Beastie Boys' song "Sabotage" can refer to the director going against Star Trek tradition by using a radical approach that may unsettle fans, Kirk's rebellious nature that could endanger his chance of reaching the iconic status he's known for eventually, and it's a reference to William Shatner's trouble pronouncing the word sabotage without a Canadian accent.
** That said, the director maintains that he hadn't been thinking of the infamous "sabataage" outtake when he chose that song.

* Most of the {{Double Meaning Title}}s endemic in ''TheDresdenFiles''. For instance, ''Grave Peril'' features Harry in... well, grave peril, mostly due to [[TheUndead vampires and ghosts]][[hottip:*:DontExplainTheJoke Grave, get it?]]. ''Summer Knight'' begins with the murder of the Summer Knight, happens on summer nights, and [[AMidsummerNightsDream is about fairies]].

* ''TheSopranos'' usually gave its episodes such names. An example is "Rat Pack", which can refer to the famous Rat Pack from the 60s, a picture of which Tony receives as a present, though the same episode also focused on the FBI's multiple informants within the Mafia, making them a "rat pack" too.

* Music/AHawkAndAHacksaw's name is a reference to Smollet's translation of ''Literature/DonQuixote'': "...therefore, let every man lay his hand upon his heart and not pretend to mistake an hawk for a hand-saw..."[[hottip:*:other versions of ''Quixote'' contrast black and white, rather than a hawk and a handsaw]]; this was itself a reference to ''{{Hamlet}}'': "I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw." They replaced "handsaw" with "hacksaw" as a reference to a meter from Balkan and Turkish music, called Aksak.

** A friend who is "in need" will do their best to remind you that they're your friend ("in deed").

* Genya Arikado from ''{{Castlevania}}''. "Arikado" means "to have horns", implying some relation to demons. More importantly, his name is one vowel sound away from the Japanese pronunciation of Alucard.

* In the fan translation of VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}, [[CompleteMonster Fassad]]'s name is the arabic word for "greed", it also sounds like the word "facade", both of these are apt summations of the character who uses an overly nice face to hide all his KickTheDog moments done to further his and his master's desires.

* In the WebComic ''EverydayHeroes'', Mr. Mighty has been known to exclaim "Great Siegel's Ghost!" This is based on the phrase "Great Caesar's Ghost", commonly used by ''Daily Planet'' editor Perry White in ''[[Radio/TheAdventuresOfSuperman The Adventures]]'' ''[[Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman of Superman]]''... which starred a character created by Jerry Siegel.

* The title of the ''{{Futurama}}'' episode "Bend Her" is both a reference to the episode's plot of Bender getting a sex change to compete as a woman in the Olympics and a reference to the movie "BenHur," not to mention the pun on Bender's own name.

* Oscar Pistorius, [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19126033 the first ever double amputee to compete in the Olympics]], has the nickname "Bladerunner". Referencing both his prosphetic legs (which are blade shapped springs which he runs on) and the movie ''Film/Bladerunner''.

* In ''KamenRiderOOO'', "OOO" is pronounced like "oh's", with "oh" being the Japanese word for "king"; it visually resembles the circular Medals that OOO uses to transform; and it also resembles the infinity symbol with an extra loop, which is claimed within the series to mean [[BeyondTheImpossible beyond infinity]].

** ''{{Okami}}'' takes advantage of how the long-o prefix denotes something big or great, making the term "great god", as well as the word normally being Japanese for "wolf".

** Actually it is reference to people's selfishness. It means when someone need you to help them, they will impose on your friendship, making it seem deeper than it is, to extort as much help from you as they can to extricate themselves from the situation.

** A friend is someone who reminds you of their friendship in your time of need (once again; in [their] deed[s]). Actually it is reference to people's selfishness. It means when someone need you to help them, they will make impose on your friendship, making it seem deeper than it is, to extort as much help from you as they can to extricate themselves from the situation.
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