This Is Guernsey

By Thom Ogier

FACEBOOK has spawned a dedicated website for islanders who love to pun.

The Guernsey PUNishment Society, or GPS for short, is the result of a joke that started between friends who changed the names of movies to give them a Guernsey twist.

‘L’Eree Confidential was an early effort, as were Das Bouet and Raiders of the Lost Sark. But there are hundreds of offerings now,’ said Patrick Ogier, a GPS founding member who said he had too much time on his hands.

‘The idea behind the group’s name is that many of the puns are so painfully bad that they punish the reader,’ he said.

‘Citizen Rocquaine and Cheaper by the Douzaine are particularly awful.’

The description of the group on Facebook boasts: ‘With GPS technology we can locate a Guernsey place name and apply puns to it in seconds.’

Co-founder Richard McKeary described it as an enjoyable and addictive waste of time that can take up your whole day.

‘You just keep trying to come up with better, funnier puns, no matter what else you are doing – it’s like it haunts you,’ he said.

‘I have seen entire groups of friends reduced to silence at the pub because everyone is thinking, trying to out-pun each other,’ he said.

‘I once saw a friend leave and drive part of the way home, but then, 15 minutes later, he suddenly burst back in to tell us one he had thought of.

‘He just said, “There’s something about Marais”, then left. Punbelievable.’

If you’re a Facebook member, go to the Guernsey Punishment Society’s page  to join in the fun.

And don’t forget to check out the Globe’s Facebook page.

Top of the puns

• Pembrokeback Mountain
• Hermcules
• Stop or my Mum Will Chouet
• Back to Le Foulon
• North Beach North West
• Gouffrefellas
• Houguette Les Riches or
• Die Trying
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Commerce
• Hougue Fouque Roger Rabbit
• Raiders of the Lost Sark
• Guet Carter
• The Torteval Chainsaw Massacre
• James Bond in Live and
• Portelet Die

Article posted on 29th May, 2008 - 2.47pm