Huh? Para-what? Parapro-who?
My friend Owen, who recently relocated from Chicago to Florida, posted something about this on Facebook. Needless to say I had never heard of the term. But, as it was Owen, a fellow whose wit and wisdom I greatly respect and the post mentioned that Winston Churchill loved these paraphrasiological thingies, I read on.
Owen’s post, which he thanked his friend Edward for, defined a paraprodoskian as a figure “of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected.” An internet search, revealed similar definitions, e.g.
A paraprosdokian 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. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax. ~ Wikipedia
Another internet search (dang, if blogging, the way I do it, doesn’t involve a lot of internet searches) took me to The Hindustan Times, yes, The Hindustan Times. The author, Karan Thapar, defined paradoxolitives as “a figure of speech in which the second half of a phrase or sentence is surprising or unexpected. It can be a clever form of wit or a neat way of making a dig.” Well my interest perked right up at the realization these paradigicalisms can be laden with sarcasm! I love sarcasm and have tried to master two varieties of it: sarcasm so subtle the targeted person takes it as a compliment and the exact opposite, the kind of sarcasm of obviously funny and is delivered with a huge smile on my face. Are there other kinds of sarcasm?
No wonder Winston Churchill loved them, among his many leadership and diplomatic attributes, he could be on sarcastic SOB.
Sometimes we do things or notice phenomena that we are not so sure about or cannot really get our minds around until we, or more likely someone else, gives it a moniker i.e., names it. Such is the case with prespidiliations and in my previous blog Manhattanhenge.
As it turns out, I have been an admirer and user of this turn of phrase before knowing what to call them. My absolute favorite is, “I would agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.” For years, whenever a maître d asks if we have reservations, I respond: “We have reservations but we came anyway.” Another favorite is one attributed to Mark Twain (but marktwainstudies.com claims he never actually said or wrote this): “Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.” From The Hindustan Times we have:
PG Wodehouse’s description of a fat woman is devastating: “She looks as though she’s been poured into her clothes and forgot to say ‘when’.” So, too, Groucho Marx’s parting comment to his hostess: “I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.”
In a comment on his post, Owen provided another example from the king of both dry delivery and paraprodoskians, Steven Wright: “If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.”
Here are the presbetyricals from Owens post for your enjoyment:
- Where there's a will, I want to be in it.
- The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it's still on my list.
- Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
- If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.
- War does not determine who is right - only who is left.
- Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in fruit salad.
- They begin the evening news with 'Good Evening,' then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
- To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
- I thought I wanted a career. Turns out, I just wanted pay checks.
- In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put "DOCTOR."
- I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
- 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.
- Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
- A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.
- You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
- Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
- There's a fine line between cuddling and...holding someone down so they can't get away.
- I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.
- You're never too old to learn something stupid.
- To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
- Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
- Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
- Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
- I'm supposed to respect my elders, but now it’s getting harder and harder for me to find one.
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