Oulipo: Perverb
Perverbs are obtained by crossing proverbs. If we join the first part of “All roads lead to Rome” to the second part of “A rolling stone gathers no moss,” we obtain the perverb “All roads gather no moss.” The remaining parts yield a second perverb, “A rolling stone leads to Rome.” Perverbs have two main Oulipian uses, here exemplified: they can be organized into strophic poems; they can be “interpreted” as narratives.
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