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. For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists. Some paraprosdokians not only change the meaning of an early phrase, but they also play on the double meaning of a particular word, creating a form of syllepsis.
Examples:
“There but for the grace of God—goes God.” —Winston Churchill
“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
“On his feet he wore…blisters.” —Aristotle
“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.” —Groucho Marx
“A modest man, who has much to be modest about.” —supposedly Winston Churchill, about Clement Attlee
“I like going to the park and watching the children run around because they don’t know I’m using blanks.” —Emo Philips
“I haven’t slept for ten days, because that would be too long.” —Mitch Hedberg
“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
“He was at his best when the going was good.” —Alistair Cooke on the Duke of Windsor
“To our wives and our sweethearts — may they never meet.” — Traditional Royal Navy toast
1. a person or thing that attracts notice, especially
because of its brilliance or beauty
2. something serving for guidance or direction.
Etymology: from
Middle French cynosure (16c.), from
Latin Cynosura, literally “dog’s
tail,” the constellation (now Ursa Minor) containing the North Star, the
focus of navigation, from Greek kynosoura,
literally “dog’s tail,” from kyon
(genitive kynos; see canine) + oura, “tail.”
“i am a monument to all your sins” is such a fucking raw line for a villain it’s amazing that it came from halo, a modernish video game, and not some classical text or mythos
classic texts have nothing on the crazy people come up with in modern times tbh
“I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.”
– Joshua Graham, Who Is A Fallout New Vegas NPC, Something Most People Throwing This Quote Around Don’t Realize
“If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have.”
– Shadow the Hedgehog in what is widely considered one of if not the single worst game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise
this is the source for this text and it haunts me on a regular basis
“Pick a god and pray.”
-Fredrick from Fire Emblem Awakening
Huh, it’s almost like art isn’t just fine art…
this is my addition to this ever growing list of raw quotes originating from unexpected sources
Throwing my fav our there, from One Piece Marine Ford arc.
RandomFandom 