Wikipedia: Paraprosdokian
A paraprosdokian is 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 reframe the first part.
Some examples:
- “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
- “I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my father, not screaming and terrified like his passengers.” — Bob Monkhouse
