Wellerism

noun

Wel·​ler·​ism ˈwe-lə-ˌri-zəm 

: an expression of comparison comprising a usually well-known quotation followed by a facetious sequel (such as "'every one to his own taste,' said the old woman as she kissed the cow")

Did you know?

Sam Weller, Mr. Pickwick's good-natured servant in Charles Dickens' The Pickwick PapersK, and his father were fond of following well-known sayings or phrases with humorous or punning conclusions. For example, in one incident in the book, Sam quips, "What the devil do you want with me, as the man said, w[h]en he see the ghost?" Neither Charles Dickens nor Sam Weller invented that type of word play, but Weller's tendency to use such witticisms had provoked people to start calling them "Wellerisms" by 1839, soon after the publication of the novel.

Word History

Etymology

Sam Weller, witty servant of Mr. Pickwick in the story Pickwick Papers (1836–37) by Charles Dickens

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

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