wellerism
"Every man has his price," as the wellerism goes, but the honest farmer refused the bribe.
Noun: A wellerism is a specific type of witty or humorous saying. It consists of a well-known quotation or proverb, followed by a facetious (often punning or literal-minded) remark that is attributed to a specific speaker, typically introduced by a phrase like "as X said." The humor arises from the incongruity between the original statement and the new, literal context.
A wellerism is used as a form of verbal humor and wordplay. It is a structured joke format that plays on the double meaning or literal interpretation of a familiar phrase. - The structure is: "[Familiar quotation]," as [speaker] said [when/while doing something humorous or incongruous].
- "We'll have to rehearse that," as the undertaker said when the hearse broke down. (This plays on the double meaning of "rehearse" – to practice, and a pun on "hearse" – the vehicle.)
- "Everyone to his taste," as the farmer said when he kissed the cow. (This humorously applies a proverb about personal preference to an absurd situation.)
- "So far, so good," as the man said when he fell from the skyscraper. (This creates dark humor by applying a phrase of satisfaction to a disastrous event.)
- The speaker in a wellerism is often a stereotypical or generic character (e.g., "the sailor said," "the old woman said").
- The humor is often dependent on cultural knowledge of the original proverb or quotation.
- It is named after Sam Weller, a character in Charles Dickens's , who frequently used this form of speech.
- Proverb: A short, well-known saying that states a general truth or piece of advice. (e.g., "Too many cooks spoil the broth.") A wellerism typically begins with a proverb.
- Epigram: A concise, clever, and often paradoxical statement.
- Pun: A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word. Wellerisms often contain puns.
- Quip
- Witticism
- Play on words
While not idioms themselves, wellerisms are a format for delivering humorous twists on idioms and proverbs. The familiar first part is often an idiom.
"Every man has his price," as the wellerism goes, but the honest farmer refused the bribe.
- a comparison comprising a well-known quotation followed by a facetious sequel