A technique to create a
joke made prominent by late-night talkshow host Craig Ferguson. The audience is led to believe that he is talking about a certian topic. The
joke is delivered by
Craig clarifying that he was, in fact, talking about something else.
Fergism 1 (confusing two topics): "The Eiffel Tower and Margaret Thatcher are very different, of course. One'
s had thousands of
men climbing all over it since the 1800s, and the other one is the Eiffel Tower."
Fergism
2 (twisting the meaning of an expression or sentence): "My first guest tonight (...) is the first comedian to perform a solo show at the (Hollywood)
Bowl, you know, doing comedy. I did a solo
piece at the Bowl myself, but it was in the audience."
Fergism 3 (changing to a
sex-related topic): "My first concern, of course, was for my staff, and by staff I mean penis."