Innuendo
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Wikipedia
Featured:  |
A derogatory hint or reference to a person or thing. An implication or insinuation.
An innuendo is, according to the Advanced Oxford Learner's Dictionary (7th Edition; electronic version) an indirect remark about somebody or something, usually suggesting something bad or rude; the use of remarks like this: "innuendoes about her private life" or "The song is full of sexual innuendo." (Examples from the OALD) The word is often used to express disapproval. (OALD)
An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. "In your end-o" is a basic innuendo used on the hit sitcom Scrubs. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion. In the latter sense, the intention is often to insult or accuse someone in such a way that one's words, taken literally, are innocent.
The term sexual innuendo has acquired a specific meaning, namely that of a "risque" double entendre by playing on a possibly sexual interpretation of an otherwise innocent uttering.
Many television shows aimed at a younger audience frequently use innuendoes as a way of attracting older viewers without offending their network's censorship. Shows such as Spongebob Squarepants, Rocko's Modern Life, Cow & Chicken, Ren & Stimpy and especially Animaniacs have been known to do this over the years.
Many songs may also use innuendos, such as Led Zeppelin's The Lemon Song.
