Punsters United Nearly Yearly (P.U.N.Y.) is a small, unofficial group, formed in 1990 to assist the O. Henry Home and Museum in Austin, TX. Specifically, we help coordinate and present the museum's largest fundraiser each year, the annual O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships.

The O. Henry Home and Museum is actually inside the house in which the famous short story author William Sydney Porter (a.k.a. O. Henry) lived while in Austin. The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Pun-Off helps to provide operating and renovation funds for the museum. In the process, we provide free entertainment for over 1,000 spectators each year, collecting funds through raffles, book sales, and audience donations during the event. The Pun-Off is also an event that allows the most twisted minds in the country, P.U.N.Y. members and otherwise, a chance to show just how far the English language can be bent without breaking.

Discussions shall include and mostly be limited to P.U.N.Y. status announcements, news on other pun-related events, pun challenges and discussions, and ideas about future fund raisers and competitions. Basically, anything pun-related or O. Henry related is fair game.

NOTE: Some messages may contain mildly mature subject matter. Parental discretion is advised. Please keep things at least at a PG level if you join. ;-)

Please note that messages posted by new members are moderated at first. This was made necessary by a number of inconsiderate spammers. Also, please note that the moderator reserves the right to reject and/or ban anyone who applies for membership. This is again for anti-spam purposes, so if you join with a member name that looks like a spammer address, you might be banned without notice. If you are a legitimate user and you experience problems with any of this, please notify the listowner.