Some Cannon Fodder
Antiphrasis: The humorous or ironic use of a word or phrase in a sense opposite of its usual meaning. For example: "Brutus is an honorable man." Antony in Julius Caesar
Paralipsis: Drawing attention to something while claiming to be passing over it. An example from Moby Dick: "We will not speak of all Queequeg's peculiarities here; how he eschewed coffee and hot rolls, and applied his undivided attention to beefsteaks, done rare."
Antanaclasis: A play on words in which a key word is repeated in a different, often contrary, sense. Examples: "Your argument is sound, nothing but sound." -Benjamin Franklin "If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm." -Vince Lombardi
Etymology: From Greek antanaklasis (echo or reflection), from anti- (against) +
>ana- + klasis (breaking or bending).
Dichotomy: a division of two mutually exclusive if not contradictory categories.
From Greek "dichotomia," the noun from dichotomeo "cut in two" from the adverb dicha "in two, asunder" + temno "cut." The same root underlying "temno," *tom-/*tem-, emerged in Latin tondere "to shear, shave" from which English acquired "tonsorial" and "tonsure" but also "anatomy," "atom" (not-cuttable), and "temple." The same root developed via Germanic languages to "timber." yourDictionary.com
Paralipsis: Drawing attention to something while claiming to be passing over it. An example from Moby Dick: "We will not speak of all Queequeg's peculiarities here; how he eschewed coffee and hot rolls, and applied his undivided attention to beefsteaks, done rare."
Antanaclasis: A play on words in which a key word is repeated in a different, often contrary, sense. Examples: "Your argument is sound, nothing but sound." -Benjamin Franklin "If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm." -Vince Lombardi
Etymology: From Greek antanaklasis (echo or reflection), from anti- (against) +
>ana- + klasis (breaking or bending).
Dichotomy: a division of two mutually exclusive if not contradictory categories.
From Greek "dichotomia," the noun from dichotomeo "cut in two" from the adverb dicha "in two, asunder" + temno "cut." The same root underlying "temno," *tom-/*tem-, emerged in Latin tondere "to shear, shave" from which English acquired "tonsorial" and "tonsure" but also "anatomy," "atom" (not-cuttable), and "temple." The same root developed via Germanic languages to "timber." yourDictionary.com
posted by Daniel @ 10/08/2006 11:17:00 PM
2 Comments:
At October 09, 2006 12:25 AM,
Wishydig said…
One of my favorite examples of antanaclasis (thank you for the new word) comes from the book of Genesis chapter 40 when Joseph interprets the imprisoned cupbearer's dream telling him that Pharoah will "lift up his head" and restore him to his former office. The baker gets excited thinking his dream is going to be good and Joseph says to him "Pharoah will lift up your head--from you!--and hang you on a pole." --NRSV
At October 14, 2006 2:48 PM,
Buffy Turner said…
Very nice, Daniel. And have you read Moby Dick? I suppose you probably have.
Until last year I never knew Moby Dick was of the macrocephalus species rather than that of the homo sapiens. When I'd hear Moby-Dick-this and Moby-Dick-that I always envisioned arms and legs and even a suit and tie on occasion.
And so the book rims the top of my execrable Have Not Reads.
In my Renaissance class the other day, we were looking at examples of Zeugma. It's all I can do to stay aseat amdist such exhilarant appellations for literary manuevers, ya know? What could be more exciting? What higher happiness than having a name to cinch up formal feats so snugly, so scrumptiously?
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