SECOND LIST of Ten Best Puns in Department 56 Snow Village Halloween

I had so much fun with my previous post, Best 10 Belly-Laugh-Inducing Puns in Department 56 Snow Village Halloween Series, that I vowed to inflict upon you my second list...which, honestly, contains some items that probably should have been on my first list.  All college football scouts know that sometimes their top drafts are overshadowed by walk-ons....

Therefore, please enjoy my Second Best 10 "Walk-On" Puns in Department 56 Snow Village Halloween Series!

Depat. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Lady and the Vamp," #809390

#10:  "Lady and the Vamp", #809390 As far as I can make out, this vignette combines three stories:  Lady and the Tramp, because of its name only; Dracula, because that is what he looks like in every Halloween costume and bad horror movie made; and Cinderella, with her long blond hair, baby blue dress, and association with going to sleep....but will she wake up to a kiss...or a bite....tee hee. Department 56 Original Snow Village Halloween Lady and the Vamp Accessory Figurine

Bela Lugosi as Dracula,
Image from
www.draculas.info/gallery

Nice details include the bat hovering in front of the motorcycle, the Transylvania rode marker, the sidecar oozing blood, and oh, yes, it is very politically correct that maybe-Mina is wearing a leather helmut!

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Hanging Around," #53214

#9:  "Hanging Around", #53214:  This old fella is getting ready to climb on the rickety picket fence and just hang around on Halloween night. This guy's got a noose loose, though.  His friend, the hissing black cat, is warning us to just leave him alone--he wants to make it back up on his own.  Department 56 Hanging Around

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Made to Be Wild," #809381

#8:  "Made to the Wild", #809381:  The pun "Made to the Wild..." doesn't really flow, but it's a nice piece.  The Frankenstein Monster, made, not born, is straddling the motorcycle, presumably his bride riding second.  The motorcycle's light is in the mouth of a skull, and the steeing mechanism is structured from chains.  It's amazing how friendly the monster looks, and his gal is having a lot of fun. Department 56 Original Snow Village Halloween Made to be Wild Accessory Figurine

1931 movie poster,
owned by Stephen Fishler,
image source:
www,universalmonstersblog.tumblr.com/

By the way, this is a copy of the only extant full-color, 6-sheet movie poster of the 1931 film.  It is the most valuable movie poster in existence, and is owned by Stephen Fishler, a New York poster Collector.

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Bone to Be Wild," #53221

#7. Bone to be Wild, #53221  Another take-off on the same pun, but this is cuter. This "Bone" is clearly at the other end of life than "Born!"  In fact, he's at a "dead end."   Our rider's skeletal frame shows through his torn pantleg, and his boney hands grip the horns of the rams-head handlebars. (Georgia O-Keefe would have loved this!)  Even the steering mechanism is composted of stainless skeletal arms, and the tires have spider webs.  I wonder what is under the back wheel of this the devil-may-(not)-care rider!  I also wonder if this is a nod to a Halloween Hog, but I'm not operating on enough cylinders to know. Department 56 Bone To Be Wild

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Lazy Bones," #810634

#6. "Lazy Bones," #810634:  Apparently mowing the lawn made our good friend Bones dead tired.  He may be dead to the world for the moment, but he may also be at a dead end if the vulture perched at the foot thinks he's really dead in his tracks.  Dead as a doornail, that one.  And I'm dead serious that I'm dead certain about this. Department 56 Lazy Bones

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Killing Time," #53164

#5.  Killing Time, #53164:  More Bones. This time the gent is hung up on Halloween....tee hee.....and he's hung up in a bat-tree sort of way.  Bones' body is trying to get a head if the noose makes him lose his own, and the bodiless jack-o-lantern above is the perfect replacement if his own cranium is caput !  Just lovely, that gnarly tree. Department 56 Killing Time

Dept 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Graveyard Shift," #810637

#4.  "Graveyard Shift," #810637  These two guys don't have to work at night to work the graveyard shift. And in this case, they have gotten a head on the job. Again, no poetic 'Oh, Yorick, I knew thee...."  But in this case, the sitting grave digger is scared to death, or maybe sick to death, of skulls.  At least he isn't bored stiff like those he's planting. Department 56 Graveyard Shift

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Halloween Rat Race," #53226

#3. "Halloween Rat Race," #53226:  Three rats are in the race of their lives this halloween, and hot on their tail is a broom-wielding witch and her hungry cat.  Of course, the cat's ahead of the witch.  He's more motivated, because if he loses the race, the rats go in the brew and the cat's lost both the race and the prize.  What both the wtich and the cat are missing is the spectator rat who is peeping out his hole, watching the live action. Department 56 Halloween Rat Race

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Chilled to the Bone," #809380

#2.  "Chilled to the Bone," #809380:  Of course our character is Chilled to the Bones.  He's standing in a frozen puddle and his umbrella is so shredded it offers no protection.  And he has no clothes on; it's a bare bones situation. The cat's concerned, and the crow has a feeling in HIS bones that this is going to work out A-OK. I have no bone to pick with this piece. Chilled To The Bone

....And #1 on my SECOND BEST LIST OF "WALKD ON" PUNS...

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Skeleton Crew,"  #53243

"Skeleton Crew," #53243  Our fella is certainly a skeleton crew, all alone out there in the boat, except for the vulture who might have picked him clean.  And the way tires are biting, our thin lad may not put any weight on, for all his fishing.  But don't give up on him.  He has all the accouterments for a fine fishing trip, nice hat with flies hooked into it, a bobber on his line, and a boat named SnowVillageHalloween10(Oct.)31.  And best of all, replacements are the way to relieve our skeleton crew.... why else would a bony hand be holding on to the anchor?  And why would the vulture be so interested? Department 56 Skeleton Crew

Best 10 Belly-Laugh-Inducing Puns in Department 56 Snow Village Halloween Series

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Dying to Get in Outhouse," #4024037

I love to belly laugh.  But it's not something I can plan.  Or cause.  It has to happen naturally.  And I have to be taken completely by surprise.  A belly laugh comes from a primal place, when something has touched your heart or memory...and makes you happy in a way that transforms your very body and being.  You laugh in a different way, deeply, starting way down in your belly.  And if you belly-laugh enough, your stomach hurts. Dept 56 Halloween Dying To Get In Outhouse, Lighted

Dept. 56, Halloween General Village
Accessories,"Resting My Bones," #53146

I am writing this, because I just belly-laughed. And I am very happy.  It isn't anything great or profound that has caused my belly laugh.  I simply looked at a series of Snow Village Halloween pieces, and noticed that the D56 designers had labeled several of them with puns. Department 56 Village Resting My Bones

I love puns, and puns sometimes lead to belly laughs.  And when that happened just now I decided to write this blog, about the 10 Best Belly-Laugh-Inducing Puns in Department 56 Snow Village Halloween!  But first, I present 4 Honorable Mentions, pieces that I truly appreciate, but did not belly-laugh at.

Honorable Mentions in the List of 10 Best Belly-Laugh-Inducing Puns in Snow Village Halloween

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Black Widow Dating Service,"
#805676

1.  My favorite of the Honorable Mentions is the Black Widow Dating Service, a nice reference to a female spider that eats her mate immediately after copulating. Despite my seriously boring affinity for women's liberation themes, I find this building and its name highly amusing.  But it is not a pun.  Therefore, it did not make my list. Department 56 Snow Village Black Widow Dating Service

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Croak-n-Haggard," #805673

2.  The Croak-n-Haggard Mortuary  (#805673) is a stretch, and not a great pun.....but the details of the building are amusing: Urns mounted on the side of the building; Roof sagging; Howling dog; Red light from the crematorium's furnace. The best detail may be the coal door, which is for ashes, and easy access to the urns, I guess....creepy tee hee. Department 56 Snow Village Croak-N-Haggard Mortuary

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Haunted Rails CaBOOse,"
#4020957

3.  Department 56 tried to incorporate a pun in its "Haunted Rails CaBOOse." Maybe the pun didn't work, but what a great idea to have a Halloween Train. Halloween Snow Village from Department 56 Haunted Rails Caboose

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Batminton," #4020234

4.  An nice piece is the Snow Village Halloween accessory, "Batminton," #402234!  Nice, but not top 10.    The cheerful but gaunt witch is taking a hefty swing at the shuttlebat, but we know, and her partner knows that, through no 'fault' of his, he, not the bat, will be batted! Snow Village Halloween - Batminton

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Witches' Brew Pub," #55376

5.  "Witches' Brew Pub" is a very nice pun, and almost made the Top 10. It is relevant because in the last few years brew pubs have been popping up nationwide, many with their outdoor seating and brew barrels.  But this pub is different.  In this pub, the brew is bubbling in the leaning tower above, and shiny eyes glare from under the the porch.  A bone is on the dog plate, but could those eyes belong to a dog?

But enough of my "Honorable Mentions."  Let's get on to the Top 10 Listt!!!

10 Best Belly-Laugh-Inducing Puns in Snow Village Halloween

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Bats in My Belfry," #54703

#10.  "Bats in My Belfry" has some great details.  The old hag is swaying suggestively while she admires herself in the mirror held by an obsequious hairdresser, with scissors in his apron pocket.  Is the old gal batty with bats in her belfry, or are the bats really in residence in the pouffy pompadour? Village Halloween Accessories 56.54703 Bats In My Belfry

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"An Ax to Grind," #8804456

#9.  If "An Ax To Grind" wasn't so creepy, I would have ranked it higher.  The ambiguous use of an idiom is nice, and the details of the accessory are great.  This skinny hump-back with a gutting chin is too casually holding the clucking chicken.  And what does he plan after the chicken chop?  I wouldn't want to be on his bad side! Department 56 Snow Village An Ax To Grind

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow," #54603

#8.  I love the puns that laundrymats and hair dressing salons use as business names.  I have actually seen a salon named "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow," but it didn't have a sign with scissors hanging blades down!  Nor was there a vulture perched above the window, or a huge spider web on the door.  A buzz cut would be a worry here! (By the way, this building coordinates with "Bats in the Belfry above.") Department 56 Snow Village Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Be Witching Costume Shop," 

#7. What a great name:  "Be Witching Costume Shop."  Complete with a "Widow's Roost" on top and a witch's hat over the porch, the building itself raises the hair on your arms.  What happened to the old crone's husband? You need to be careful not to lose you identity when you enter here.  The skulls give a clue that this could happen.

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"How About Our Lay-Away Plan?"
#54711

#6.  You go to the "Sale to Die For," and what do you find, but a zoot suit villain with trademark greased-back hair and string mustache, preying on a bent and aged granny.  And what's he saying:  "How About Our Lay-Away Plan?"  Truly, that is a sale you could die for..and at!  There's a great angel on the tombstone in the center, too. How About Our Lay-Away Plan

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Brew-Ha-Ha," 5655274

#5.There's trouble a-brewin' with the "Brew-Ha-Ha" in the "Witches' Brew Pub." Pun in a pun.  Something has these boys in stitches.   But one of them may wake up with a headache, because in the "Brew-Ha-Ha," someone has been clever with a cleaver. 

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Witch Way? Flight School," #55347

#4.  As we learned from Harry Potter, even witches need to learn how to fly.  And even witches need to learn how to navigate.  And where better than the "Witch Way? Flight School?"  Because you have to learn witch way is the right way.  Witch equipment includes a bubbling cauldron, a black cat, and a stack of hay for damaged brooms, and a-whay we go!

Dept. 56, Halloween General Village
Accessories, "Witch Crash," #53056

There are some ancillary Department 56 Halloween pieces that graphically show the results of inadequate witch training.  For example, the upward-lip-twitching pun, "Witch Crash." Department 56 Snow Village Halloween Witch Crash

Dept. 56, Halloween General Village

Accessories, "Honest, This Tree

Came Out of Nowhere," #56158

....And the punless, but humorous, "Honest, This Tree Came Out of Nowhere."

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"A Grave Undertaker," #807301

#3. For a man who buries corpses, our "Grave Undertaker" is downright affable.  This genial gentleman is leaning against his custom coffin sign, and has a tape measure draped around his neck, and a jaunty red ribbon tied around his hat.  He is holding a skull, but there is no "Alas, poor Yorick!  I knew him..." A gray and emaciated arm flops out the coffin, but our cheerful lad does not emulate Hamlet, whose own "gorge rim(ed)" at the sight.  No, indeed, because a grave undertaking is merely a matter of good business for our fine fellow. Department 56 Snow Village A Grave Undertaker

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Time's-a-Wastin'," #800216

#2.  The Haunted Rails Train conductor is brandishing his pocket watch, letting us know that "Time's -a-Wastin," and we have only to take one good look at him to know he's right!  The lit railroad lantern illuminates his skeletal frame that used to be  human.  And his dignified and well-kept uniform, with its shiny black buttons, bow tie, and arm insignia,  is now ragged and torn. Time's-a-wastin'! Department 56 Snow Village Halloween Time's-A-Wastin

AND #1.........THE BEST BELLY-LAUGH-INDUCING PUN IN SNOW VILLAGE HALLOWEEN

BONE APPETITE!

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Bone Appetite," #800023

I must admit that the first time I reviewed all the Halloween pieces, I missed this one.  So when I came upon it later and unexpectedly, it simply jumped out at me, and my belly laugh started again.  Of course it had to be #1.  Our relaxed skeleton is casually resting his foot on a pumpkin as he roasts a rat for his evening meal.  The coals are red-hot, and sure to do the job.  The black cat is letting his master know that he is expecting his fair share.  There is no question he will get it, since the piece is entitled "Bone Appetite!", and that's what we say just as we sit down to a meal with our best friend. Department 56 Bone Appetite