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Throwback Thursday: Paraprosdokians


Have you ever heard of paraprosdokians? According to Wikipedia, "a paraprosdokian (/pærəprɒsˈdoʊkiən/) is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence, phrase, or larger discourse is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part."

Here are some examples from a five year old post of mine. They still make me chuckle.

~~~

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Paraprosdokians


A friend sent me this today. I guess it must be making its way around the internet. It gave me a chuckle. Maybe you'll find it amusing, too. (I especially like #3 and #14.)
Winston Churchill allegedly loved paraprosdokians which are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous. Here are a few I've collected.

1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it.
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.
3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.
5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.
7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
8. They begin the evening news with 'Good Evening,' then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
10. Buses stop in bus stations. Trains stop in train stations. My desk is a work station.
11. I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted paychecks.
12. In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of
emergency, notify: ' I put 'DOCTOR.'
13. I didn't say it was your fault...I said I was blaming you.
14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut... and still think they are sexy.
15. Behind every successful man is a woman and behind the fall of every successful man is usually another woman.
16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.
17. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
18. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
19. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.
20. I used to be indecisive; now I'm not so sure.
21. You're never too old to learn something stupid.
22. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
23. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
24. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
25. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
26. Where there's a will, there are relatives.
And my favorite is...
I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it is getting harder and harder for me to find one!
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Comments

  1. Judy KruegerOctober 20, 2017 at 11:12 AM

    Now I have a name to put to my dad's sense of humor!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersOctober 20, 2017 at 11:49 AM

      Exactly! I never knew there was an actual word for it, but, then, of course there would be.

      Delete
  2. CarmenOctober 20, 2017 at 4:56 PM

    Oh, they are priceless, and true too! I laughed so hard... :-D

    ReplyDelete

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