I agree that most people don't think of The Pentagon when they hear the word "pentagon" alone. But the title says, "Attack on the pentagon". Furthermore, given that the Guardian is a UK newspaper, I would argue that most people in the UK know what The Pentagon is and associate the phrase with the building.
But let's assume I'm wrong and most readers don't know what The Pentagon is or wouldn't have associated the title with the US government building. If that's the case, then what is the point of the pun at all?
Just asked a number of people around how do they read this title. Nobody had "The Pentagon" in mind. London, UK, geeky population, so there might be some bias.
But let's assume I'm wrong and most readers don't know what The Pentagon is or wouldn't have associated the title with the US government building. If that's the case, then what is the point of the pun at all?