From the lyrics to Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone by The Temptations:
Papa was a rolling stone
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died all he left us was alone
What is the the name of this device?
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It's sheer irony for "left nothing".– CentaurusJul 27, 2021 at 20:53
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Does that include the play on the words "a loan"?– Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_Jul 27, 2021 at 20:53
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As @Cascabel points out, it might be a pun.– CentaurusJul 27, 2021 at 20:56
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1@Cascabel I don't think there is any deliberate pun here.– SidJul 27, 2021 at 20:57
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2A deliberate garden path sentence played for surprise. Powerful.– Yosef BaskinJul 27, 2021 at 21:11
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1 Answer
A paraprosdokian (/pærəprɒsˈdoʊkiən/) 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 such as Groucho Marx. ...
Etymology "Paraprosdokian" comes from the Greek "παρά", meaning "against" and "προσδοκία", meaning "expectation".
Paraprosdokian
Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation.
"Where there's a will, I want to be in it," is a type of paraprosdokian.
Etymology: From παρά + προσδοκία.
I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.
For the origin of this gem, see quoteinvestigator.com
He taught me housekeeping; when I divorce I keep the house.
"Zsa Zsa Gabor on her fifth husband, quoted by Ned Sherrin in Cutting Edge, 1984". The Guardian
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2Well, that was certainly unexpected. 🙂– user205876Jul 27, 2021 at 22:06
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1@DjinTonic. I was speaking in jest. The answer itself is first rate.– user205876Jul 28, 2021 at 20:25
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