When confronted by Lavinia about his flirtations over the Ouija Board, John insists that 'the affair was quite above-board? Bring out the pun in john's statement
Answers
The phrase ‘above-board’ means ‘legal and honest’. It is in this sense that John uses it to say that there is nothing unfair in his affair with Helen. But the word ‘board’ here can also be taken to mean the Ouija board. It can mean that John’s affair with Helen was not through the Ouija board but through something above the board. It means that he didn't hide or conceal anything and he played above the board . The second meaning is that he was not flirting with Helen on the Ouija board and actions and motives were honest and legal.Elsie Brown makes a beautiful use of ‘pun’ in John’s statement. Through the clever or humorous use of the word ‘above-board’ the author explains John’s stand. When confronted by Lavinia about his filtrations over the Ouija board, John insists that the affair was quite ‘above-board’. It means that he didn’t hide or conceal anything and he played above the board. The second meaning is that he was not flirting with Helen on the Ouija board and actions and motives were honest and legal.