Wellerism /WEL-ər-izm/. noun. An expression combining an obvious statement—usually a well-known cliche, quotation or proverb—followed by a facetious addition. A canonical example: “I see, said the blind man,” which exists in myriad forms. Named after Sam Weller, a comic character in Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers, prone to making this kind of statement, for example, “There; now we look compact and comfortable, as the father said ven he cut his little boy’s head off, to cure him o’ squintin’.” Unlike the “sarcastic interrogatives”explored here last week, Wellerisms have been clearly documented in other languages, such as in the Dutch, “Alles met mate, zei de kleermaker en hij sloeg zijn vrouw met de el,” which translates into English as, “everything should be done measuredly, said the tailor and he hit his wife with a ruler.”
See also: Tom Swiftys, a form of Wellerism that uses a pun on the attribution. Again, an example from Dickens: “You find it Very Large?” said Mr. Podsnap, spaciously.” Both of these are of a rhetorical form covered here before, the paraprosdokian.
And one more thing…note how Wellerisms and Tom Swiftys can be reversed and turned into a joke or riddle: “What did Archimedes say to the skunk? Eureka!”
Some more Wellerisms and Tom Swifty’s (what are some of yours or others you’ve heard?):
- I see, says the blind man. Tell us news. (James Joyce)
- Everyone as they like, as the woman said when she kissed her cow. (Francois Rabelais, translated by Peter Motteux)
- “My business is looking good,” said the model.
- “That’s my mission in life,” said the monk as he pointed to his monastery.
- “Let’s dig up that body,” said Tom gravely.
- “I have to go,” Tom said peevishly.