Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Oxymorons and Redundancies

There are phrases used each day whose words are in contradiction with each other. These phrases are called "oxymorons".  "Oxy" indicates those things 'astute" whereas "moron" are those destitute of astuteness. It's the "sharp" vs. "dull" polarization of ideas. The world is full of oxymorons and the media makes meaningless contradictions take on meaning.

Likewise there are phrases which use synonyms to transmit one idea. Saying something one time is discreet. Saying it again is repetition. The phrase becomes "redundant".

Here are examples of each (you decide which are which):
  • almost a catastrophe
  • patriotic rebel.
  • faithless Christian.
  • Pretty ugly.
  • Two twins
  • Pair of swim trunks
  • Awesome (means both admiration and fear)
  • Happy hooker.
  • Democratic Party.
  • Stench of skunks.
  • Gravity is weight.
  • Success is trying.
  • Trying is the mere admission of failure.
  • Failing is succeeding.
  • Death is when life ceases.
  • Many yesterdays.
  • A gambler who is pragmatic.
  • Doublethink is an oxymoron.
  • An oriental who's cowardly and yellow.
  • Feminism (the one word which is at odds with itself)
  • My new fan really sucks.
  • I like people! My wife and I enjoy conjugal visits.
  • Androgyny makes us all look different.
  • Kissing is so osculating!
  • To get along people must coagulate.
  • My goal was to try to quit smoking.
  • Completed most of what my goal was to finish.
  • Safe abortion.
  • Busy slacker.
  • Clumsy oaf. 
  • Nitpicker who is fair.
  • Hateful sinner.
  • That's literally what's close to what I said.
  • Chinese cowards are yellow.
  • You say opposite things,  but you're both right.
  • He's certainly a tall dwarf.
  • Happy Holiday. (That may not be obvious, but commercialism makes holidays far from happy!)
  • Motivated by antipathy.
  • That's an equine looking horse.
  • That's seriously gravitas of her.
  • He's ambidextrous and can use either hand.
  • He got his head decapitated, or worse yet: his foot was decapitated.
  • I tasted it with my tongue.
  • Kissing sucks!
  • I've told you a million times not to exaggerate.
  • Seriously kidding!
  • You're forgiven, but you're no longer my friend.
  • Although I trust you I'm still jealous.
  • Non-religious yoga.
  • Secular Islam.
  • Government transparency.
  • Government integrity.
  • Breaking gridlock through consensus.
  • I've never gone here before.
  • Sweet sugar.
  • Nice and sassy.
  • Pretty ugly.
  • Islam is a peaceful religion. (Islam teaches violent death to others and terror as a means of evangelism and Sharia Law).
  • It's almost exactly high noon. (almost and exactly are at odds with each other).
  • Hateful Christian.
  • Unfriendly friend.
  • Cautious carelessness.
  • Covert spying. (Anyone know of overt spies? They need to be fired!)
  • Stupid idiot. (Any smart idiots out there? Yes, I know "savant idiots", but they have only limited intelligence).
  • Limited freedom.
  • Liberal Democrat. (The conservatives have been driven out or indoctrinated).
  • Yesterdays past.



No comments:

Post a Comment