wellerism

9.9

A phrase that begins with a known saying and ends with a funny or surprising remark

noun
/ˈwɛlərɪzəm/

Literature

: wellerismo

A classic wellerism might be: 'Patience is a virtue,' said the dog as he waited for his bone.

Examples

During the meeting, he quipped a wellerism: 'Too many cooks spoil the broth,' followed by, 'But they sure make a great mess in the kitchen!'
One wellerism goes, 'Every cloud has a silver lining,' as the man said when he saw the rain wash away his crops.
Children enjoy creating wellerisms by adding unexpected remarks to famous proverbs.
That was a classic wellerism that made everyone laugh.
He often uses a wellerism to lighten the mood.
A humorous wellerism might be: 'Money talks,' said the penny as it rolled away.
She cleverly turned the saying 'Actions speak louder than words' into a wellerism by adding, 'Especially when you forgot to mute your microphone.'

Synonyms

witticism

vswellerism

4 7.2

A clever short remark meant to make people laugh

is a quoted phrase plus an ironic comment that gives a literal twist

Surface Forms

wellerism singular

wellerisms plural

Morphology

wellerism = Weller (opaque) = Weller + ism

Formed from the proper name 'Weller' + the suffix '-ism'; without literary knowledge of Sam Weller the meaning cannot be inferred by learners.

Etymology

Wellerism comes from the Dickens character Sam Weller, who often quoted a well-known saying and then added a funny or unexpected comment. So a wellerism is a quote followed by a humorous or ironic comment that gives the saying a new, often 'literal', meaning.