paraprosdokian, paraprosdokia
(Greek: beyond expectations; surprise endings; a pun which is fun)
A phrase or sentence that takes readers to an unexpected conclusion: The paraprosdokian prepares people to anticipate something; however, it ends with a surprisingly different meaning and it is usually humorous.
Paraprosdokians are also defined as figures of speech in which the last part of the sentences or phrases are contrary to what is normally expected.
Etymology: from Greek para-, "beyond" and prosdokia, "expectation"; prosdokia consists of pro-, "before" + dokein. "to think, to imagine, to expect".
Teenager: An adolescent whose hang-ups do not involve his or her clothes.
The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
The last thing I want to do is hurt you; however, it's still on my list.
There are many women who spend a lot of scents on perfumes.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more Mickey Bach illustrations.
Those who jump off a bridge in Paris are in Seine.
Time flies like an arrow while fruit flies like a banana.
To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and then say that whatever you hit was the target you were aiming at.
To belong is to take one’s time.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many sources is research.
Toothache is the pain that drives some people to extraction.
We never really grow up; we only learn how to behave in public.
Wear short sleeves and then you can support your right to bare arms.
When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.
When people die, arrangements are made to barium.
When someone is in prison, what is his or her favorite punctuation mark?
A period, because it is at the end of a sentence.
