Paraprosdokian

A paraprosdokian (from Greek, meaning "beyond" and "expectation") 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. For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists.

            Some paraprosdokians not only change the meaning of an early phrase, but also play on the double meaning of a particular word, creating a syllepsis.

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I went to a general store. They wouldn’t let me buy anything specifically. - Steven Wright

I went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast at any time.” So I ordered French toast during the Renaissance. - Steven Wright

I went to San Francisco. I found someone’s heart. - Steven Wright

I wished the buck stopped here, as I could use a few. - Unknown

I’ve been doing a lot of abstract painting lately, extremely abstract. No brush, no paint, no canvas, I just think about it. - Steven Wright

I’ve got my faults, but living in the past is not one of them. There’s no future in it. - Sparky Anderson

I’ve suffered from all of the hang-ups known, and none is as bad as the telephone. - Richard Armour

If ants are such busy workers, how come they find time to go to all the picnics. - Marie Dressler

If anything is worth doing, it is worth telling someone how to do it well. - Franklin P. Jones

If at first you do succeed, try, try not to be a bore. - Franklin P. Jones

If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. - Steven Wright

If at first you don’t succeed, think how many people you’ve made happy. - H. Duane Black

If at first you don’t succeed, try drinking a beer while you do it. You’ll be amazed at how much less you care. - Unknown

If it weren’t for my lawyer, I’d still be in prison. It went a lot faster with two people digging. - Joe Martin

If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something. - Unknown