Enallage (e-nal’-la-ge): The substitution of grammatically different but semantically equivalent constructions.
The rain in Phoenix fell and fell and fell. Drenched with nearly 2 inches of H2O, Interstate 17 closed, the airport closed, and 31,000 suburban Phonecians lost their electricity.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Epilogus (e-pi-lo’-gus): Providing an inference of what is likely to follow.
What’s next? Peace? War?
WE know what’s next.
THEY know what’s next.
It isn’t peace.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged current-events, elocutio, epilogus, example, figures of speech, peace, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, trope, war
Epimone (e-pi’-mo-nee): Persistent repetition of the same plea in much the same words.
Please don’t start marching until you know where you’re going.
Please don’t start dropping bombs until you know where they should fall.
If you must do it, please do it right.
The world is on fire.
Fight fire with water.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Epistrophe (e-pis’-tro-fee): Ending a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words.
The horizon. The landscape’s horizon. The future’s horizon. Time’s horizon. Life’s horizon.
Facing the horizon, we ask, “What’s next?” We answer, “We don’t know.”
Anxiety stoked, we ask again, “What’s next?” This time the question has an urgent tone.
Decision is our fate. Decision is our duty. Decision is our humanity, and our humanity is bound by imperfection, uncertainty, and agency swaying to the chiming questions tolling in our heads:
Why? Why? Why? Why?
Love? Hate? Hope? Fear?
How? How? How? How?
When? When? When? When?
Now? Never? Tomorrow? Forever?
You decide.
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Tagged current-events, decision, duty, elocutio, epistrophe, example, fate, figures of speech, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, trope
Epitheton (e-pith’-e-ton): Attributing to a person or thing a quality or description-sometimes by the simple addition of a descriptive adjective; sometimes through a descriptive or metaphorical apposition. (Note: If the description is given in place of the name, instead of in addition to it, it becomes antonomasia or periphrasis.)
D-Tape Dick is well-known for the life-sized humorous effigies he creates out of duct tape. His best known piece is “Abe Lincoln Dancing on a Fly Swatter Outside a Liquor Store.”
My favorite is “Carl Rove Bending Over With Blue Toothbrush Protruding.”
It is rumored that D-Tape Dick is currently working on a series called “Protrusions” that features additional celebrities posed with ‘signature’ protrusions. We’ve heard that Rush Limbaugh is up next, protruding a golden microphone, followed by Lady Gaga with a pork chop.
Where will it end? Ha. Ha.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged Abe Lincoln, Carl Rove, current-events, elocutio, epitheton, example, figures of speech, Lady Gaga, rhetoric, Rush Limbaugh, The Daily Trope, trope
Graecismus (gree-kis’-mus): Using Greek words, examples, or grammatical structures. Sometimes considered an affectation of erudition.
There are more jumbled thoughts slopping around in my head than there are ingredients in Aristophanes’ famous fricassée λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυποτριμματοσιλφιοκαραβομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφοφαττοπεριστεραλεκτρυονοπτοκεφαλλιοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιραιοβαφητραγανοπτερύγων!
Or, given my seemingly endless vexations, the mandate of brevity, and my recourse to a food metaphor, let us just say that I’m a Nutella® case.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged Aristophanes, current-events, elocutio, figures of speech, fricassée, graecismus, Nutella, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, trope
Mempsis (memp’-sis): Expressing complaint and seeking help.
Hello world! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!
The Alert gizmo my daughter pinned to my robe is fake! When I press the button with the red flag on it plays a ring tone and sings “Arise! Arise! Arise!” Although I find this very inspirational while I’m on my back here on the floor, I actually need somebody to help me arise, arise, arise.
I’m glad I have my iPhone in my pocket. 911 is a life saver!
“Hello 911? I’ve fallen and I need immediate assistance so I can arise, arise, arise. Yes, I’m sure it’ll take three tries, so please dispatch a paramedic strong enough to lift a baby minke. My address is . . .”
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged 911, current-events, elocutio, example, figures of speech, iPhone, mempsis, minke, rhetoric, trope
Paragoge (par-a-go’-ge): The addition of a letter or syllable to the end of a word. A kind of metaplasm.
Fox News follows the principle of Foxspindoxa: The expectation that anchor Bill O’Reilly’s spin will be echoed day and night by network affiliates for a minimum of 12 hours, and/or be immediately replaced when a concurrent spin is spun by Bill within the 12-hour period.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Paromologia (par-o-mo-lo’-gi-a): Conceding an argument, either jestingly and contemptuously, or to prove a more important point. A synonym for concessio.
You’re right! You caught me! I did it. I flushed your death meth bye bye down the toilet. You’re lucky you didn’t end up there first. Now it’s time for another even more expensive life-changing experience. It’s called REHAB! Pack your crap. I’m calling a cab.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged concessio, elocutio, example, figures of speech, paromologia, rehab, rhetoric, trope
Synathroesmus (sin-ath-res’-mus): 1. The conglomeration of many words and expressions either with similar meaning (= synonymia) or not (= congeries). 2. A gathering together of things scattered throughout a speech (= accumulatio [:Bringing together various points made throughout a speech and presenting them again in a forceful, climactic way. A blend of summary and climax.])
He was a big, tall, towering nightmare. A screamer. A yeller. A beligerant blunt-force human trauma. He never backed down. He never gave way. He got hit by a Fedex truck. Then, he hit the Fedex truck, sued, won, and moved to Belize.
Or:
He’s a father, brother, son, husband, uncle, cousin, nephew, and grandson. He’s connected 8 ways to his family, but only one way to his friends!
Or:
In summer, he spent his afternoons rolling cigarettes in the garage and “looking for things.” He would ride up and down the driveway for hours on “Phony” his minature pony.
At night he would go out in the yard, pull down his pants, and hop up and down until he fell over.
Every morning he would get up, go to the kitchen, stick his butt in the microwave, and crow like a rooster. Then, he would boil water, make tea, throw a cupfull on the rubber portrait of King George III in the bottom of the sink and yell “Party on that Georgie boy.” His favorite breakfast was a pancake ham sandwich dipped in a bowl of warm Amarula.
It was during the fall, winter, and spring that he worked at night in his office, and during the day, in his laboratory in Washington, D.C. He was an inventer. He had 16,211 patents. He made Thomas Edison look like a tinker. He earned well over $3,000,000 per year in royalties for things like his “How Now Snow Plow,” “Karmic Bath Towel,” and “Chunky Tuna Maker.”
In short, the guy was different. He marched to the color of a different crayon. He thought outside of the outside. He was a beggar and a chooser. He was a comma without a clause.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged accumulatio, climax, congeries, elocutio, example, figures of speech, inventor, rhetoric, synathroesmus, synonymia, Thomas Edison, trope
Catacosmesis (kat-a-kos-mees’-is): Ordering words from greatest to least in dignity, or in correct order of time.
From the Tesla Model S, to the Nissan LEAF, to my humble E-Z Go; from grand sedans to golf carts, the electrics are here to stay!
Hello quiet and clean! Goodbye, gasoline!
Or:
We are born, we live, we die. End of story?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged birth, cars, catacosmesis, death, E-Z Go, Electric cars, electric golf carts, elocutio, example, figures of speech, gasoline, life, Nissan LEAF, rhetoric, Tesla Model S, transportation, trope
Diazeugma (di-a-zoog’-ma): The figure by which a single subject governs several verbs or verbal constructions (usually arranged in parallel fashion and expressing a similar idea); the opposite of zeugma.
A: Anthony Weiner’s shocking photographic forays mangled his political career, roughed up his marriage, and kicked his supporters in the crotch. I think we’ve seen him go under once and for all.
B: Under where?
A: That’s not funny.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged anthony weiner, current-events, diazeugma, elocutio, example, figures of speech, politics, rhetoric, trope, underwear
Paralipsis (par-a-lip’-sis): Stating and drawing attention to something in the very act of pretending to pass it over (see also cataphasis). A kind of irony.
I can’t tell you exactly where Edward Snowden is hiding, but Warwick House, 12th floor, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Island East has a big welcome mat that says “Hæli Fyrir Eddy” on it!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged cataphasis, Edward Snowden, elocutio, example, figures of speech, Hong Kong, Iceland, paralipsis, rhetoric, trope, welcome mat
Homoioptoton (ho-mee-op-to’-ton): The repetition of similar case endings in adjacent words or in words in parallel position.
Note: Since this figure only works with inflected languages, it has often been conflated with homoioteleuton and (at least in English) has sometimes become equivalent to simple rhyme: “To no avail, I ate a snail”
This is a long and difficult campaign trail. As I travel this troublesome road I will not fail. No matter where it takes me–through the lands of indecision and even the hamlets of hatred–I will prevail. For your hope is my travail. I will bear the burden of your dreams everywhere I go. Their weight will make me stronger. Their beauty will feed my hunger for truth and sustain me as I go forth to find a way to bring us all back home.
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Tagged elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, homoioptoton, homoioteleuton, The Daily Trope
Euphemismus (eu-phe-mis’-mus): Substituting a more favorable for a pejorative or socially delicate term.
With deep sadness, I must tell you all, that this morning at 6:45, our beloved friend and mentor went on to a better place.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged elocutio, euphemismus, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
Synonymia (si-no-ni’-mi-a): In general, the use of several synonyms together to amplify or explain a given subject or term. A kind of repetition that adds emotional force or intellectual clarity. Synonymia often occurs in parallel fashion. The Latin synonym, interpretatio, suggests the expository and rational nature of this figure, while another Greek synonym, congeries, suggests the emotive possibilities of this figure.
This day is sad, unhappy, without joy–without the bright lightning flashes of laughter that often lit our stormy lives–she is gone, she is done, she is ended, and we are left here together to fill this time together with words of rememberance sent from deep within ourselves–to summon her bold loving spirit to our time of grief and longing as we begin to learn to live without her without forgetting, without cutting the threads of friendship she wound around our lives.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged elocutio, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, style, synonymia, trope
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