http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swifty
A Tom Swifty (or Tom Swiftie) is a phrase in which a quoted sentence is linked by a pun to the manner in which it is attributed. Tom Swifties may be considered a type of Wellerism.
"That's the last time I'll stick my arm in a lion's mouth," the lion-tamer said off-handedly."Can I go looking for the Grail again?" Tom requested."I unclogged the drain with a vacuum cleaner," Tom said succinctly."They had to amputate them both at the ankles," Tom said defeatedly."Who discovered radium?" asked Marie curiously."Hurry up and get to the back of the ship," Tom said sternly."Who put the moss in the bog again?" asked Tom repeatedly."A word that contains all five vowels? And I suppose you want those vowels to appear in alphabetical order?" asked Tom facetiously.“Charlatan! Pretender! Mountebank! Quack! Rogue!” Tom said euphoniously."I'm not going to evangelize the rest of the neighborhood," concluded Tom distractedly."The robber is coming down the stairs", Tom said condescendingly."Nnnn", Tom murmured forensically."I think I'm a homosexual", Tom said, half in earnest."I am the bone lord," Tom proclaimed skulkingly.As will be seen, the standard syntax is for the quoted sentence to be first, followed by the description of the act of speaking. The hypothetical speaker is usually, by convention, called "Tom" (or "he" or "she"), unless some other name is needed for the pun (as in the Marie Curie example above).
― "I am the bone lord," Tom proclaimed skulkingly. (dyao), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:03 (fifteen years ago)
"Did you really pay a hooker to go with you to the art museum?" asked Tom horticulturally.
― "I am the bone lord," Tom proclaimed skulkingly. (dyao), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:04 (fifteen years ago)
"That one hit the net - here I'll do it again," Tom said reservedly.
― "I am the bone lord," Tom proclaimed skulkingly. (dyao), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:11 (fifteen years ago)
"I am he," Tom pronounced.
― Euler, Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:13 (fifteen years ago)
"I'm not going to make an ass out of you or me", said Tom unassumingly.
― the big pink suede panda bear hurts (ledge), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:19 (fifteen years ago)
"Regional comedy duos aren't what they used to be", said Tom crankily.
― just darraghmac tbh (darraghmac), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:23 (fifteen years ago)
"A couple of us studied with Karlheinz Stockhausen, 'nother guy was a jazz drummer, singer was a black guy from America", said Holger cannily
― Is that your Ayrshire bacon? (Tom D.), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:27 (fifteen years ago)
... no, got that wrong, should still be Tom
"I left my car lights on - can anybody give me a jump?" said Tom revoltingly.
― "I am the bone lord," Tom proclaimed skulkingly. (dyao), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:30 (fifteen years ago)
'can a mod tell me my sb number?' tom said jaggedly
― iatee, Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:30 (fifteen years ago)
"I would be an ideal candidate for the next pope", Tom pontificated.
― the big pink suede panda bear hurts (ledge), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:32 (fifteen years ago)
"He told me to meet him in a massage parlour he frequented, but not to mention the fact that he was the manager of Portsmouth FC, and when there he insisted I whip him", lied Tom flagrantly
― Is that your Ayrshire bacon? (Tom D.), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:33 (fifteen years ago)
"vinyl LPs are hard work. when it gets to the end of side one I have to get up from my armchair to play the other side", Tom discovered.
― tomofthenest, Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:36 (fifteen years ago)
"I have just returned from a tour of Japan, China, and the Philippines, but I don't quite know where I am now or why I am wearing this Hérmes scarf," said Tom in a disoriented fashion.
― T Bone Streep (Cave17Matt), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:38 (fifteen years ago)
"I am aching to hear 'What's New Pussycat' on my new hi-fi", said Tom jonesingly.
― Felice deKraken (brownie), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:39 (fifteen years ago)
"Man, when I sang "Waiting for the Man" tonight, I swear my voice sounded like an Ornette solo", said Lou reedily
― Is that your Ayrshire bacon? (Tom D.), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:39 (fifteen years ago)
"Can't stand those assholes from Denmark," said Tom disdainfully.
― itchy rainbolt (clotpoll), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:41 (fifteen years ago)
"Pants!" yelled Tom, briefly.
― the big pink suede panda bear hurts (ledge), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:45 (fifteen years ago)
"Down with the French aristocracy!", said Tom boorishly
― Is that your Ayrshire bacon? (Tom D.), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:47 (fifteen years ago)
"I really like that Lindsay Graham," Tom said queerly.
― bnw, Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:49 (fifteen years ago)
"your posts on the anagram thread were great" said Otm.
― tomofthenest, Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:52 (fifteen years ago)
"Mustaches and Hawaiian shirts are always cool," Tom said selectively.
― bnw, Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:53 (fifteen years ago)
"Get hands off my feckin' bollocks!", said Tom testily
― Is that your Ayrshire bacon? (Tom D.), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:54 (fifteen years ago)
"I have just had eighteen bananas in a row. I do believe that is a record," said Tom dolefully.
― screamin' lord sufj (unregistered), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:55 (fifteen years ago)
"You want me to get that stick and bring it back to you?", barked Tom fetchingly
― Is that your Ayrshire bacon? (Tom D.), Thursday, 22 April 2010 14:57 (fifteen years ago)
"Knickers!" yelled Tom, lingeringly.
― the big pink suede panda bear hurts (ledge), Thursday, 22 April 2010 15:06 (fifteen years ago)
"I'm bleeding!" said Ed readily.
― dyªº (dyao), Thursday, 22 April 2010 15:10 (fifteen years ago)
"It's my favorite Pearl Jam album," said Tom often.
― screamin' lord sufj (unregistered), Thursday, 22 April 2010 15:11 (fifteen years ago)
"I've just had a tour of Santo Domingo" said Watagatapitusberry.
― dyªº (dyao), Thursday, 22 April 2010 15:12 (fifteen years ago)
"what's ten divided by zero?" asked Tom indefinably.
― screamin' lord sufj (unregistered), Thursday, 22 April 2010 15:18 (fifteen years ago)
"The scientists are virtually screaming from the rooftops now. The debate is over! There's no longer any debate in the scientific community about global warming. But the political systems around the world have held this at arm's length because it's an inconvenient truth, because they don't want to accept that it's a moral imperative," said Tom allegorically.
― screamin' lord sufj (unregistered), Thursday, 22 April 2010 16:04 (fifteen years ago)
"THE CAR STILL WON'T FUCKIN MOVE," shouted tom tirelessly
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 22 April 2010 16:11 (fifteen years ago)