A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax.
Here are a few examples:
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I didn’t say it was your fault, I just said I was blaming you.
If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong. (I have to remember this one for Bradley)
Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
Evening news is where they begin with ‘Good evening’, and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it’s still on the list.
Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says “In an emergency, notify:” I put “DOCTOR”.
A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. Where I blog, I have a work station.
John Ford is a hard-working, top-notch Boston luxury condo broker, who hasn’t had the luxury of selling a single luxury condo so far in 2011.
(Due to real estate marketing concerns, I may have to delete the last one.)
