Wellerism (2/7/12)

I've written about Anu Garg and his brilliant Wordsmith a.word.a.day website before. He has been sending out emails since 1994. The NY Times says "The most welcomed, most enduring piece of daily mass e-mail in cyberspace." I agree. I particularly love the weekly summary he sends out with amazing comments on the week's words from individuals throughout the world.

Last week he ran a contest on Wellerisms. 

MEANING: noun: An expression involving a familiar proverb or quotation and its facetious sequel. It usually comprises three parts: statement, speaker, situation.

Examples:
"We'll have to rehearse that," said the undertaker as the coffin fell out of the car.
"Prevention is better than cure," said the pig when it ran away from the butcher.

ETYMOLOGY: After Sam Weller and his father, characters known for such utterances in Charles Dickens's novel Pickwick Papers. Earliest documented use: 1839.

The responses were wonderful. Check them out here. Here are his top three winners. I actually had some other favorites. But I defer.

"Would you put it on one side for me?" he said when the man at the Airfix shop told him they had a model Italian cruise ship in stock.
-Bullus Hutton, Vancouver, Canada (bullus shaw.ca)

"Health is wealth," said the doctor as he totaled his earnings.
-Rama Bishnoi, Mumbai, India (ramabishnoi yahoo.com)

"Darling, I've missed you!" she said as she fired the gun a second time.
-Ken Kirste, Sunnyvale, California (kkkirste sbcglobal.net)