A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech that uses an unexpected ending to a series or phrase. It can be used for joking or for dramatic effect, and often produces an anticlimax.

Examples:

• "Stately swept he along, and under his feet were his chilblains." (Aristotle)
• "He was at his best when the going was good." — Alistair Cooke on the Duke of Windsor
• It was a beautiful day in March when I was hit by a bus.
• I was born at a very young age, which I regret deeply to this day.

A humorous triple is a kind of paraprosdokian.

Rhetoric