A colleague sent me a list of “paraprosdokians” – a real word. Believe me, I googled it. They are figures of speech where the latter part of the phrase or sentence is unexpected and often humorous. Apparently, Winston Churchill loved them. So do I.
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. On my desk is a work station.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Well if you googled it, it must be right then eh ,-)
Brilliant. I love these. I will try to memorise a few in my pathetically short term memory. Old age doesnät come alone does it????
Simon,
Old age! Why didn’t they warn us?
Paul
I love these.
Here’s another favorite of mine attributed to the British Bulldog…
“There but for the grace of God — goes God.”
“He’s a humble man, with a great deal to be humble about.”
Ji,
Said, I believe, about the Labour Party leader.
Paul
Tim,
I love Woody Allen’s, “The only thing standing between greatness and me is me.”
Paul
I’m with Tim and Simon – love humour based on language.
Lynda,
Me, too!
Paul
Good stuff. #3 & #4 are my favorites. They can be used any time, any place.
Bob,
I know, but I have an odd fondness for #2!
Paul
As I don’t feel great today, I needed a laugh! Thank you!
Fran,
I love the thought that these silly things brought laughter into your life.
Paul
I didn’t know there was a particular name for them.
When speaking of my grandparents the saying went
“Where there’s a Will, there’s a Mary”
It worked on more levels than one.
My personal favorite is #3
Maura,
As noted above, I think my favorite is #2. I worry slightly about what that says about me…
Paul
I love words that describe words. My teen-agers posted a paraprodokian on our refrigerator: “If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.”
Thanks for a wonderful laugh this morning!
Michelle,
Always, always my pleasure.
Paul
Like it! Will save this page for future reference!
Katy,
It’s such a good idea to save things that make you laugh. I shall have to start a file to cheer myself up when needed.
Paul
These are fun. If only #5 were true!
Denise,
Isn’t #5 true?
Paul
Some of these are brilliant. I plan to use #2 with my teenagers at the earliest opportunity.
The version of #5 that we lived by in college was “You can only be young once. But you can be immature for the rest of your life.”
Now that I know this word, I have a feeling I am going to be seeing paraprosdokians everywhere. For instance, in reading a political website this morning, I saw someone had this in their signature line:
“Revenge is a dish best served on White House china.”
Coincidence?
Denise,
Hooray! Someone else besides me likes #2.
Paul
A slightly icky one: “You can pick your friends. You can pick your nose. But you can’t pick your friend’s nose.”
Eric,
As you say “icky,” if not actually “picky”!
Paul
Very entertaining! Thank you!
Claire,
Glad you liked them.
Paul
Delightful!
Jane,
Gr8!
Paul
This just made me laugh…you would think there would be some in my own shatchel but I can’t seem to drag any out.
#2 is a keeper indeed!
I had to laugh with #8. Thanks for sharing. God bless