Pun
A play on words, either on different senses of the same word or on the similar sense or sound of different words. This gives an ambiguity to the sentence, which is purposely added for a humorous or rhetorical effect. According to Ambrose Bierce, pun is "A form of wit, to which wise men stoop and fools aspire". Literary figures like Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Oscar Wilde, and George Carlin were famous for its use in their works. This so-called lowbrow humorous device works on double entendre.
A zeugma is an interesting device that can cause confusion in sentences, while also adding some flavor. Let's take a famous example from Star Trek: The Next Generation: "You are free to execute your laws, and your citizens, as you see fit." In this sentence, the word "execute" applies to both laws and citizens, and as a result, has a shocking effect.
Therefore, a zeugma is a figure of speech where a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence. In the above example, it has a dramatic effect. However, sometimes the attempted use of a zeugma can be confusing.
"She opened her door and her heart to the orphan." (Wunderland)
"He opened his mind and his wallet at the movies."
"She batted her eyelashes and third." (Words & Stuff)
irony
“How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; a statement or situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea.
Malapropisms
Absurd or humorous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound. Adjective: malapropian or malapropistic.Malapropisms are sometimes called, more formally, phonological word substitutions.
"Well I try to look at the bright side. I guess you could say I'm an internal optometrist."
(Steve Carell as Barry in Dinner for Schmucks, 2010)
"A malapropism does not have to be amusing or surprising. It does not have to be based on a cliche and of course it does not have to be intentional. There need be no play on words, no hint of deliberate pun."
(Donald Davidson, "A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs," in Philosophical Grounds of Rationality, ed. R. Grandy and R. Warner, 1986)
"Why, murder's the matter! slaughter's the matter! killing's the matter! But he can tell you the perpendiculars."
(Mrs. Malaprop in Richard Sheridan's The Rivals)
