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There's a Japanese band called "Dreams Come True", and on March 21st (2009) they released an album entitled: "Do You Dreams Come True". The title of the album has troubled me since this time.

enter image description here

src: http://cdinfo.s201.xrea.com/media/1/DreamsComeTrue_DoYouDreamsComeTrue.jpg

"Do You..." here is being used in the sense of "Do You Rock" or "Do You [some transitive verb]" (which is improper but somehow acceptable), and this is being combined with the phrase "Do [Your] Dreams Come True?".

Now, I simply can't imagine an American band actually using a pun like this as an album title. In fact, I can't imagine this pun being used by a native English speaker at all. That said, I also can't precisely tell you why this is the case, except to guess that "acceptable puns" in colloquial or formal English should rely on less obvious grammatical errors. Is there a technical reason why this pun "feels wrong"?

(By the way, let me know if this question is unacceptable or off-topic and it will be deleted ASAP)

[Update] There is a short Google.groups discussion from 2009 regarding this album title and the verbification of DCT: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/honyaku/Fbshb4i0sEI/czUx51VR3v4J

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    You are correct. It's value, even as a pun, is highly questionable. Why would you dreams come true? That would be like asking, "Do you other fish in the sea?" It's utter nonsense. And, you have posted this question properly and in a well thought out manner. – David M Mar 21 '14 at 14:09
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    @DavidM Thanks, I'm just concerned because like the pun, this question "feels off". :) – AM55 Mar 21 '14 at 14:10
  • @DavidM Well, my interpretation is that it's something akin to "Do you rock?" which, in quotes, has 49,300,000 results on Google. I think its saying "Do You [rock to our band "Dreams Come True]". To make something up, the American band 'Kiss' could write "Do you Kiss?" as a slogan. And if you answer in the affirmative, you could be considered a fan of the group. – AM55 Mar 21 '14 at 14:12
  • Yes. I saw that in it, too. But, it's soooooooo forced here. At least kiss is a verb. – David M Mar 21 '14 at 14:13
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    I've been listening to DCT on YouTube for the past 10 minutes or so and clearly the pun I identified was not what what they meant. – Michael Owen Sartin Mar 21 '14 at 16:02
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I find it an interesting question in the sense that it stretches the discussion of just what can and can't be verbed. I am unsure as to the exact evolution of the following, but it seems that "Do you drink coffee first thing in the morning" may have led to "Do you 'do' coffee first thing in the morning?", which would be understandable (even if quite colloquial and absent from style usage manuals) as "Do you 'coffee' first thing in the morning?", with replies like "Yes, I coffee any time", or "No, I don't ever coffee, I'm more of a tea person" etc.

So "Do you 'Dreams Come True'?" looks like a 'verbing' of "do you listen to 'Dreams Come True'?" and hence a valid, if slightly obscure, pun of "Do your dreams come true?". I'd find it more attractive if they had used a slightly different colour or font for the "Dreams Come True" part - of course quote marks would have worked but probably spoilt the pun.

There is discussion on verbing, or verbifying, in lots of places. See here, for example.

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  • @wwkudu It seems like, in English, if something is cool, it has a non-negligible probability of being verbified. Here, I think the "Do You..." is not just referring to "listen to", but rather, to be part of some fan community with certain characteristics or some common ideology. – AM55 Mar 21 '14 at 15:53
  • @wwkkudu Actually, let me ask you a question. Knowing nothing about the band (they're actually very famous), would you say that this title "feels arrogant"? – AM55 Mar 21 '14 at 15:59
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    Agreed. It's not just "listen to" or "drink", it's "do you habitually" or "do you in general like to..." or even "do you accept this as a part of your identity?" Yes it's arrogant but not in a way that exceeds a lot of marketing messages - puffing level perhaps? – wwkudu Mar 21 '14 at 16:44
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    It definitely does seem that "Do you dreams come true" is something that a Japanese ESL student might say, intending "Do YOUR dreams come true" (in addition to the excellent explanation above). This interpretation of the pun may appeal to folks who do not speak perfect English. – jchook Nov 22 '16 at 13:58
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This doesn't really feel like a pun at all to me. It's just a phrase that is jammed in another phrase with little effect.

If the band were named Fish Out of Water, or to be a bit more real Fall Out Boy, there would be more of a pun. Puns take work, and even just a verb-based band name, like Train, wouldn't make this a pun.

Do you Train just feels like a weak attempt at being cute and leaves me waiting for another word. And it sounds like a gym ad. Do You Dreams Come True just sounds like bad english.

But Do you Fish Out of Water... Taken at face value it's asking if I perform an act, but between the lines it's asking if I support Fish Out of Water, if I see them perform, if I watch their act. That is a pun.

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