Wednesday, April 10, 2019

PARAPROSDOKIANS: "I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you."

Posted by R. Ann Siracusa



YES, VIRGINIA, THERE REALLY IS A PARADROSDOKIAN!
You may not find any paraprosdokian at the La Brea Tar Pits, but they exist. Really, they do! You can find them in Merriam Webster and most other dictionaries, snoozing between the pages.
However, you probably are familiar with this species which is commonly known as the ever- popular comedic One-Liner. Merriam-Webster defines paraprosdokian as “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 re-interpret the first part.”
In fact, some paraprosdokians can change the meaning of the initial phrase and play on the double meaning of the words, creating a syllepsis. 
No! That’s not a baby paraprosdokian or a sexually transmitted disease. Syllepsis is another figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others in different senses. (e.g., caught the train and a bad cold.)
WRITERS AND READERS, REJOICE!
The paraprosdokian figure of speech is one everyone is familiar with, but writers should understand its use as another writing tool.
If you're like I was, at this point you are saying—or perhaps yelling—"What the heck are you talking about?" Even stronger language may be appropriate.
It is much easier to give examples of Famous Pararosdokians:
● "He was at his best when the going was good."— Alistair Cooke on the Duke of Windsor
●"If I could just say a few words...I'd be a better public speaker."__ Homer Simpson
●"If I am reading this graph correctly...I'd be very surprised."—Stephen Colbert
●"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it."—Groucho Marx
●"I haven't slept for ten days, because that would be too long."—Mitch Hedberg

NOW I GET IT!
We're all acquainted with these one-liners because they're frequently used in comedy. They're fun. They're also useful in writing for several reasons.
● First, because writers are constantly advised to avoid clichés and to come up with new and fresh ways of expressing the same old ideas. A writer can use this technique to invent new and interesting metaphors.
                   ● Second, the use of this figure of speech can create humor or dramatic effect, or even for producing an anticlimax.
This device is used not only in comedy but in literature and frequently in films. Here are some examples of the use of the device in literature:
● Example #1 – My speech to the Graduates by Woody Allen
"Contemporary man, of course, has no such peace of mind. He finds himself in the midst of a crisis of faith. He is what we fashionably call ‘alienated.’ He has seen the ravages of war, he has known natural catastrophes, he has been to singles bars."
The sentences goes along dealing with the meaning of life. The juxtaposition of final phrase contrasts so much with the serious topic, that it’s unexpected and, therefore, humorous.
● Example #2 - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
“Trin Tragula – for that was his name – was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher or, as his wife would have it, an idiot…”
Trin Tragula is portrayed as "a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher”, all characteristics the reader would think of as good traits. Adams, however, ends his litany by mentioning how Trin Tragula’s wife perceives him (“as his wife would have it, an idiot”). This ending is a surprise to the readers and creates comic effect.
● Example #3 - The Cottage Maid by Patrick Branwell Bronte
“Religion makes beauty enchanting,
And even where beauty is wanting,
The temper and mind,
Religion refined,
Will shine through the veil with sweet luster...."
While this one is truly incomprehensible to me, it is explained this way. "In this excerpt, the author is talking about religion through the first four lines. However, in the last line, there is a sudden shift of sense" which gives a different meaning from the rest of the text.https://literarydevices.net/paraprosdokian/
JUST FOR FUN: Here is a Short List
There are many lists of well-known and not-so-well-known paraprosdokians. Here are a few:
● "I like going to the park and watching the children run around screaming, because they don't know I'm using blanks." —Emo Philips
● "I sleep eight hours a day and at least ten at night." —Bill Hicks
● "I don't belong to an organized political party. I'm a Democrat." —Will Rogers
● "On the other hand, you have different fingers." —Steven Wright
● “I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.”
● “Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.”
● “I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.
● “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.”
● “Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.”
HAVE FUN WITH IT!
AUTHOR R. ANN SIRACUSA
Travel to Foreign Lands for Romance and Intrigue

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