Monday 24 February 2014

Paraprosdokians


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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Last night, me and my girlfriend watched three DVDs back to back. Luckily, I was the one facing the telly. - Tim Vine

Last time I tried to make love to my wife nothing happened, so I said to her, 'What's the matter, you can't think of anybody either?' - Rodney Dangerfield  

Last week my mother-in-law fell into a wishing well, can’t believe it actually worked. - Unknown

Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague. - William Safire

Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else’s can shorten it. - Cullen Hightower

Laughing is the best medicine. Unless you are laughing for no reason, then you need medicine. - Unknown

Law of logical argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about. - Unknown

Life doesn’t imitate art, it imitates bad television. - Woody Allen 

Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill because they pissed me off. - Unknown

Love your enemies. It makes them so damned mad. - P. D. East

Make crime pay. Become a Lawyer. - Will Rogers

Marriage should be like a workshop where the husband works and the wife shops. - Unknown

Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle. - Bob Hope

Money doesn't always bring happiness. People with ten million dollars are no happier than people with nine million dollars. - Hobart Brown

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