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Syllepsis

There is a disputed proposal that this article should be merged with zeugma

Syllepsis is a figure of speech in which one word simultaneously modifies two or more other words such that the modification must be understood differently with respect to each modified word. This creates a semantic incongruity which is often humorous.

Examples:

He leaned heavily on the podium and stale jokes.
He lost his hat and his temper.
She went home in a flood of tears and a sedan chair -- Charles Dickens
He said, as he hastened to put out the wine,
his cigar and the cat and the lamps... - Flanders and Swann, "Madeira M'Dear"
...by raising her glass,
her courage, her eyes and his hopes. - ibid.
...she made no reply,
up her mind, and a dash for the door. - ibid.
You held your breath and the door for me. -- Alanis Morissette, in "Head Over Feet":
... and covered themselves with dust and glory. Mark Twain, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
Last updated: 02-27-2005 12:10:35