This volume focuses on serious aspects of wordplay related to phenomena of exclusion, complementing previous research where its funny and innocent dimension has been foregrounded. Wordplay is not only an essential means of bonding people and reinforcing group identities, but it can also serve to exclude others. This function of exclusion is often a key part of the communicative game at play. The papers in this volume, written by authors from a variety of countries, explore types and functions of exclusive wordplay and its inherently multi-addressed nature across different languages, cultures, and historical periods.