Paraprosdokian Humor

Tuesday September 21st 2010, 6:02 pm — Al
Filed under: Notes & Quotes

Frank Haller forwarded a few excerpts (below) from the Patriot Post.

Note to our thousands of sesquipedalian patrons. These were offered as examples of “paraprosdokian sentences” – referring to a figure of speech in which the last part of a sentence reframes the meaning of the first part. Unless you have too many friends, just say “bait and switch.”

*

I would agree with you except that then we’d both be jackasses.

War does not determine who is right – just who is left.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

To steal ideas from someone is plagiarism; to steal from many people is research.

A bus station is where the bus stops. A train station is where the train stops. My desk is called a work station.

You’re never too old to learn something stupid.


 






Copyright © The Gang of Three, All Rights Reserved