Title:
Paraprosdokian
–
The
Art
of
Surprising
Endings Have
you
ever
heard
of
the
word
"paraprosdokian"?
It's
a
mouthful
and
also
a
lesser-known
literary
device
used
in
humor
writing.
A
paraprosdokian
is
a
figure
of
speech
where
the
latter
part
of
a
sentence
or
phrase
is
unexpected
and
surprising,
thus
creating
a
humorous
or
ironic
effect.
This
word
comes
from
the
Greek
language,
meaning
"against
expectation." Here
are
some
examples
of
famous
paraprosdokians: -
"I've
had
a
perfectly
wonderful
evening,
but
this
wasn't
it."
--
Groucho
Marx -
"If
I
am
reading
this
graph
correctly,
I'd
be
very
surprised."
--
Stephen
Colbert -
"I
haven't
slept
for
ten
days
because
that
would
be
too
long."
--
Mitch
Hedberg The
art
of
paraprosdokian
is
not
only
limited
to
written
or
spoken
language.
It
can
also
be
found
in
movies,
TV
shows,
and
everyday
conversations.
It
serves
as
a
clever
twist
of
words
that
makes
people
laugh
or
think
twice. The
reason
paraprosdokian
works
so
well
is
that
it
creates
a
sense
of
surprise
and
subverts
the
audience's
expectation.
Humans
are
wired
to
constantly
seek
out
patterns
and
predict
outcomes.
When
those
patterns
are
disrupted,
it
catches
our
attention
and
engages
us
in
a
different
way. Paraprosdokian
is
not
easy
to
master.
It
requires
creativity
and
a
keen
sense
of
humor.
It's
also
a
risky
game
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play,
as
it
can
easily
fall
flat
or
offend
the
audience
if
not
used
appropriately. In
conclusion,
paraprosdokian
might
be
a
mouthful,
but
it's
also
a
powerful
tool
in
the
world
of
humor.
It
surprises
and
delights
us,
and
reminds
us
of
the
joy
of
witty
wordplay.
So
next
time
you
want
to
make
a
joke,
try
adding
a
paraprosdokian
to
your
punchline
and
see
if
it
lands.