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Paraprosdokian Days
According to Wikipedia, 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 reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, and sometimes provides an anticlimax.
Take a look at some of these and you can see what I mean….
– Change is inevitable except from a vending machine.
– A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.
– You are never too old to learn something stupid.
– Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.
– I used to be indecisive and now I’m not sure.
– Hospitality is making your guests feel like they’re at home even if you wish they were.
– The voices in my head may not be real; but, the have some good ideas!
– Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says “if an emergency, notify:” I put DOCTOR.”
– Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back.
– You don’t need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
– I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
– Why does someone believe you when you say there are 4 billion stars but check when you say the paint is wet?
– 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.
– To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
Double Positive
Teacher: “Class, it’s an interesting linguistic fact that, in English a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, such as Russian, a double negative is still negative. However, there is no language in which a double positive can form a negative.”
Student: “Yeah, right.”
