Futile fact: I cannot find paraprosdokian in any dictionary I own, including the OED and its Supplements and the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. It’s the only word I’ve never found in the OED–a real first. But the Random House Unabridged on my shelf and on my iPhone does give an example of a zeugma (sillepsis): On his fishing trip he caught three trout and a cold. Basically it’s all about double meanings, as Stephen says.
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 re frame 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.
Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it’s still on the list.
If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong. (I have to remember this one)
We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
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 a fruit salad.
Evening news is where they begin with ‘Good evening’, and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; To steal from many is research.
A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is wh ere a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.
Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted pay checks.
A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don’t need it.
Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says “In an emergency, notify:” I put “DOCTOR”.
I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
/ FONT>Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!
Always borrow money from a pes simist. He won’t expect it back.
A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.
Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
I discovered I scream the same way whether I’m about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot.
I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not sure.
I always take life with a grain of salt, plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.
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.
A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
All good ones for HD. Would you try translating in Gujarati – OR coin new ones that will have a punch in Gujarati.
What is the equivalent Gujarati grammar word ?
શ્લેષ કે વ્યાજસ્તુતિ?
વાહ! શું તમારી બહાદુરી! ઉંદર જોઈને નાઠા !!
મઝા આવી. શ્રી સુરેશભાઈએ આપેલો શબ્દ સારો છે. – વ્યાજસ્તુતિ. આ તો અલંકારનો એક પ્રકાર છે. અને paraprosdokian માત્ર અલંકાર નથી. પરંતુ શબ્દનો અર્થ આપણી વિસ્તારીને અહીં વાપરી શકીએ.
આજે મારા હસબંડ બહારથી આવીને કહે, ” ખાયા પિયા કુછ નહી ગિલાસ તોડા બાર આના” ઘડીક તો હું સમજી નહી કે શું કહે છે પછી તેણે કહ્યુ કે મારૂં કામ થયુ નહી અને ઉપરથી સમય બગડ્યો. ફરી તો જવુ જ પડશે આજે ના ગયો હોત તો સારૂં હતું ” ભાષનો ઉપયોગ ભાષાશાત્રીઓ પણ ગોથા ખાય તેમા થતો હોય છે. આ લેખ વાંચવાની મજા આવી.