Where There’s a Will, I Want to Be In It.

Paraprosdokians and Life: For Wordsmiths Only

If you’re not acquainted with the term, it means a type of wordplay where the second part of a statement is surprising or unexpected, causing re-interpretation of the first part. The word is made up from the Greek roots for ‘against’ and ‘expectation’.

Often, they’re funny. Churchill is said to have loved them. He authored some himself. For example (when the US finally entered the Second World War),

‘You can always count on Americans to do the right thing — after they’ve tried everything else.’

Satirists, too, like to use paraprosdokians in their writings and presentations. Graucho Marx, for example, is said to be the author of these old gems:

‘In Africa, I once shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in there, I’ll never know.’

And, ‘She got her good looks from her father; he’s a plastic surgeon.’

And, ‘Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.’

Below, some examples on selected life topics:

Interpersonal Social Skills: ‘Some people cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.’

And, ‘Light travels faster than sound. That’s why some people look intelligent till you hear them speak.’

Intellect: ‘The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has limits. (Sometimes atributed to Einstein)

Children: ‘If you’re supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some couples have more than one child?’

Wealth: ‘Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery a lot easier to live with.’

Decision-making: ‘I used to be indecisive; now I’m not so sure anymore.’