PARAPROSDOKIAN

Simon John Philip was my Deputy Inspector General many years ago when I was a District officer. A man of taste, very proud of his uniform, he had a great sense of humour. In my long years of service I am convinced that it is an extremely important requisite to lighten the seriousness of business in the stressful jobs like that of policing because laughter is a subconscious release of tension. It gets rid of gloom, aggravation, depression, worry—all forms of tension.

Laughing is a serious business, according to researchers. It can help in conditions as diverse as diabetes and eczema, heart disease and asthma. It can boost the immune system and help fight infections, and laughter-yoga, clapping and chanting ho ho ha ha ha – can be an effective therapy for depression. What's more, 15 minutes of laughter can burn up 40 calories, while 10 minutes of belly laughter has a considerable analgesic effect on people with chronic pain.

While we were participating in  the annual revolver shooting competition, an inspector oblivious of the watchful eye of Mr. Philip walked up and informed him in bangla: Saar, ami 6-ta ‘bull’ merechhi.( I have scored 6 bull shots).  Prompt came Mr. Philip, again in chaste bangla: Apni ‘gool’ marchhen’ (You are bluffing). The sudden deflation of the chest of the officer sent all of us in splits.

Word play is a technique and a form of wit  primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phonetic mix-ups such as spoonerisms, malapropisms, obscure words and meanings, clever rhetorical excursions, oddly formed sentences, , double entendres etc .And now we add to it-Paraprosdokian.

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.. Some paraprosdokians not only change the meaning of an early phrase, but they also play on the double meaning of a particular word.

The phrase paraprosdokian occurs in classical Greek literature, meaning “contrary to expectations”. However, the word appeared in print as early as 1891 in an article in Punch Magazine. The word hasn’t yet reached the recent revision of the letter P in the Oxford English Dictionary. The -ian ending is more commonly found in adjectives in English than in nouns, though a few, such as comedian and tragedian, do contain it. Paraprosdokians are used typically for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anti-climax. 

Here are some examples::

“Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.”

“We never really grow up -- we only learn how to act in public.”

“War does not determine who is right, only who is left.”

 “I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.”

“I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure.”

Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film and television star. He was known as a master of quick wit. His distinctive appearance carried an exaggerated stooped posture, glasses, cigar, and a thick grease-paint mustache and eyebrows. These exaggerated features resulted in the creation of one of the world's most ubiquitous and recognizable novelty disguises, known as "Groucho glasses": a one-piece mask consisting of horn-rimmed glasses, large plastic nose, bushy eyebrows and mustache.

Few of Groucho Paraprosdokian sentences are:

“She got her good looks from her father; he's a plastic surgeon.”

“Alimony is like buying hay for a dead horse.”

“Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.”

“Getting older is no problem. You just have to live long enough.”

 “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”

Henry "Henny" Youngman was a British-born American comedian and violinist. He was known as "The King of the One Liners". These depicted simple, cartoon-like situations, eliminating lengthy build-ups and going straight to the punch line, occasionally with interludes of violin playing. Here are just a few.

“Do you know what it means to come home at night to a woman who'll give you a little love, a little affection, a little tenderness? It means you're in the wrong house, that's what it means.”

“I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up - they have no holidays.”

“‘I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.”

“I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places.”

Sir Winston Churchill once said, “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”

He was a famously witty man. Some among hundreds of his paraprosdikians are shared here.

 "I like pigs. Cats look down on you; dogs look up to you; but pigs treat you like an equal."

"In the course of my life I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet."

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."

"Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip."

"There are two things that are more difficult than making an after-dinner speech: climbing a wall which is leaning toward you and kissing a girl who is leaning away from you."

"A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen."

"If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons."

Laughter is an integral part of emotional health. You just need to have the comical sense to see absurdity in daily life and ... there! You’re smiling and can convert that positive energy into movement, growth, and power for something meaningful.

I would have loved to conclude this write-up on a personal note, with a paraprosdokian: “To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research”. And lastly by quoting another one: “You're never too old to learn something stupid.”

But I couldn’t resist my temptation of sharing this paraprosdokian and share a laugh with you.

A man is riding his motorcycle down a mountain road. Suddenly he loses control and goes hurtling off the cliff.

As he’s sailing through the air, he shouts out: “God! Please make a miracle! Save me!”

Moments later his shirt gets caught on a protruding branch—leaving him dangling thousands of feet above the ground.

There’s no way out, so he looks heavenward and shouts: “God! Please save me!”

“Do you trust Me, my beloved son?” calls the voice from heaven.

“Yes, God, I trust you. Just please save me!”

            “Okay then,” says God. “Let go of the branch and I’ll catch you.”

The man thinks for a moment, looks around, and calls out: “Is anyone else out there?!”

It is a powerful little gadget. This laughter.