Bomphiologia (bom-phi-o-lo’-gi-a): Exaggeration done in a self-aggrandizing manner, as a braggart.
I am the stars in your sky, the hope in your heart, and the love of your life. What more could you ask for, baby?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in bomphiologia
Tagged bomphiologia, elocutio, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, trope
Tapinosis (ta-pi-no’-sis): Giving a name to something which diminishes it in importance.
The so-called “fiscal cliff” is actually a fiscal curb. If we go over the fiscal curb, we’ll drive off the road to prosperity.
Definition courtesy of: “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in tapinosis
Tagged elocutio, example, figures of speech, fiscal cliff, fiscal curb, politica, rhetoric, style, tapinosis, trope
Metonymy (me-ton’-y-my): Reference to something or someone by naming one of its attributes. [This may include effects or any of the four Aristotelian causes {efficient/maker/inventor, material, formal/shape, final/purpose}.]
Hey Big Tooth, give me five! Long time no see! Are you still a shrink?
Definition courtesy of “Sliva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in metonymy
Tagged Aristotelian causes, elocutio, example, figures of speech, metonymy, style, trope
Epimone (e-pi’-mo-nee): Persistent repetition of the same plea in much the same words.
The PAC wants to go over Lemming Cliff!
We need your help! The PAC is depending on you! Come to the meeting! Show up! Be there! Tonight!
Be a good little rodent and follow the PAC over Lemming Cliff!
Do it for the PAC!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Anesis (an’-e-sis): Adding a concluding sentence that diminishes the effect of what has been said previously. The opposite of epitasis.
My little doggy is cute, affectionate, and obedient. That said, he smells like a polluted mud flat at low tide on a hot afternoon.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.edu.byu)
Paraprosdokian: a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase [or series = anticlimax] is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe the first part. . . . For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists. An especially clever paraprosdokian not only changes the meaning of an early phrase, but also plays on the double meaning of a particular word.(1)
It’s the hairdo, not the hare, that wins the race!
1. “Paraprosdokian.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 4 Jan 2008, 03:30 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 9 Jan 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraprosdokian>.
Anthimeria (an-thi-mer’-i-a): Substitution of one part of speech for another (such as a noun used as a verb).
Are you going Black Fridaying today?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in anthimeria
Tagged anthimeria, elocutio, example, figures of speech, rhetoric
Antithesis (an-tith’-e-sis): Juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas (often, although not always, in parallel structure).
My opinion is neither true nor false, neither is yours. Some opinions differ. Some opinions don’t.
Opinions may be judged as better or worse, negative or positive, ill-founded or well-grounded, but never true or false.
That’s the truth.
It’s election day in the USA and one thing is for certain, one’s vote is one of the most powerful ways to express one’s opinion.
That’s my opinion.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in antithesis
Tagged antithesis, election day, elocutio, example, figures of speech, opinion, trope, vote
Charientismus (kar-i-en-tia’-mus): Mollifying harsh words by answering them with a smooth and appeasing mock.
Another Big Whopper! All bun and no meat! Don’t you have anything else to dish up to the American people? Now that you’ve stuffed them with big empty whoppers for the past three months, don’t you think they’re just about fed up?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in charientismus
Tagged big whoppers, charientismus, example, figures of speech, politics, presidential debates, rhetoric
Asyndeton (a-syn’-de-ton): The omission of conjunctions between clauses, often resulting in a hurried rhythm or vehement effect. [Compare brachylogia. Opposite of polysyndeton.]
Mitt joked, gestured, scowled, shook his head, sighed, grimaced, blustered, interrupted, spoke overtime, and lied, lied, lied.
That guy knows how to impress an audience and win a debate! None of that “empty Ombamababble” for Mitt! He’s knows how to tell it like it isn’t with such conviction that it’s better than the truth!!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in asyndeton
Tagged asyndeton, brachylogia, debate, lies, politics, polysyndeton, Romney
Epitrope (e-pi’-tro-pe): A figure in which one turns things over to one’s hearers, either pathetically, ironically, or in such a way as to suggest a proof of something without having to state it. Epitrope often takes the form of granting permission (hence its Latin name, permissio), submitting something for consideration, or simply referring to the abilities of the audience to supply the meaning that the speaker passes over (hence Puttenham’s term, figure of reference). Epitrope can be either biting in its irony, or flattering in its deference.
A specific form of epitrope is the (apparent) admission of what is wrong in order to carry your point.
Go ahead and vote for Mr. Romney if you want to! If you want to send Big Bird to the ostrich farm, if you want Elmo to talk like George Bush, if you want amphibians to be banned from having relationships with pigs, go ahead, vote for Mr.Romney. He’s got a heart of gold.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Anadiplosis (an’-a-di-plo’-sis): The repetition of the last word (or phrase) from the previous line, clause, or sentence at the beginning of the next. Often combined with climax.
If debating is something you don’t enjoy it will show through your delivery, delivery induces the audience’s sense of your sincerity, sincerity lays a foundation for trust, trust wins elections.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in anadiplosis
Tagged anadiplosis, climax, current-events, debate, politics, presidential debates, sincerity, trust
Aporia (a-po’-ri-a): Deliberating with oneself as though in doubt over some matter; asking oneself (or rhetorically asking one’s hearers) what is the best or appropriate way to approach something [=diaporesis].
How should we approach immigration reform?
Amnesty for all?
Build a wall?
Let’s just say US immigration policy needs an overhaul!
Hey–we should give Joe Arpaio a call!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in aporia
Tagged aporia, diaporesis, elocutio, example, figures of speech, immigration reform, Joe Arpaio, The Daily Trope
Epanorthosis (ep-an-or-tho’-sis): Amending a first thought by altering it to make it stronger or more vehement.
Trying to understand what’s going on in the world by consuming social media is like trying to cross a busy intersection while you’re spinning around in circles! No–it’s WORSE than that! It’s like running into a burning building to save your life!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in epanorthosis
Tagged elocutio, epanorthosis, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
Traductio (tra-duk’-ti-o): Repeating the same word variously throughout a sentence or thought. Some authorities restrict traductio further to mean repeating the same word but with a different meaning (see ploce, antanaclasis, and diaphora), or in a different form (=polyptoton. . . . ). If the repeated word occurs in parallel fashion at the beginnings of phrases or clauses, it becomes anaphora; at the endings of phrases or clauses, epistrophe.
Hope for rain and hope will reign even if it doesn’t rain!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in traductio
Tagged antanaclasis, drought, elocutio, epistrophe, example, figures of speech, ploce, polyptoton, rain, rhetoric, traductio, trope, weather
Ominatio (o-mi-na’-ti-o): A prophecy of evil.
When the party who is to blame places the blame on those who are blameless;
When the party who is to blame willingly fails to cooperate to remedy the harm they themselves have caused;
When the party who is to blame wantonly induces and perpetuates the peoples’ painful suffering, ironically, for partisan political gain;
Then, they thwart the Peoples’ Pursuit of Happiness and dishonor Liberty’s name.
Surely, when the party who is to blame will rise to great power, it shall come to pass that the Republic’s wounds will fester and will not heal;
Surely, when the party who is to blame will rise to great power, the world will recoil in horror–shocked and awed–by the party’s psychotic pursuit of The End of Time as the preordained purpose of its reign.
Beware the Day of Election!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in ominatio
Tagged Armageddon, elocutio, example, ominatio, presidential elections 2012, prophecy, rhetoric
Symploce (sim’-plo-see or sim’-plo-kee): The combination of anaphora and epistrophe: beginning a series of lines, clauses, or sentences with the same word or phrase while simultaneously repeating a different word or phrase at the end of each element in this series.
Without some degree of certainty about healthcare reform, it is difficult for businesses and investors to plan for the future.
Without some degree of certainty about healthcare reform, it is difficult for parents and their children to plan for the future.
Without some degree of certainty about healthcare reform, it is difficult for working people and retirees to plan for the future; and, for people with preexisting conditions, even after the Supreme Court’s ruling, it is nearly immoral to force them to sweat out the summer in fear, at the edge of catastrophe, not knowing whether they will be insured after November’s election.
Stop beating your Republican chest and boasting that you will repeal the Affordable Care Act (or what you call “Obamacare”) when you’re elected.
Your cruelty is unbearable.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in symploce
Tagged example, figures of speech, Obamacare, politics, Presidential campaigns, repeal, repeal affordable care act, symploce
Ecphonesis (ec-pho-nee’-sis): An emotional exclamation.
Repeal it!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in ecphonesis
Tagged ecphonesis, elocutio, example, figures of speech, rhetoric
Ampliatio (am’-pli-a’-ti-o): Using the name of something or someone before it has obtained that name or after the reason for that name has ceased. A form of epitheton.
Even though he’s 45 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 240 pounds, I still call him Skinny Boy. It isn’t about his age or his height and weight, it’s about Skinny Boy and the great times we had as kids–back when, if he turned sideways and stuck out his tongue, he looked like a zipper!
. . .
Hey, Skinny Boy, it’s great to see you again after all these years–high school was insane! What’ve you been up to? You put on a few pounds!
Post your own ampliatio on the “Comments” page!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in ampliatio
Tagged ampliatio, elocutio, example, figures of speech, nicknames, reunions, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
Palilogia (pa-li-lo’-gi-a): Repetition of the same word, with none between, for vehemence. Synonym for epizeuxis.
That’s all he wants to do: spend, spend, spend! You cannot spend your way out of a recession. It’s simple math. You must slash your way out of a recession: Taxes! Public employees! Entitlements! Slash, slash, slash! That’s the way to do it!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Prozeugma (pro-zoog’-ma): A series of clauses in which the verb employed in the first is elided (and thus implied) in the others.
Time is consciousness of when. Space, of where. Me, of here and now.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Mesozeugma (me’-so-zyoog’-ma): A zeugma in which one places a common verb for many subjects in the middle of a construction.
The lunar eclipse was beautiful; the soft sound of the dan bau, the night sky, your gentle smile too.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in mesozeugma
Tagged dan bau, elocutio, example, figures of speech, mesozeugma, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, trope, zeugma
Epiplexis (e-pi-plex’-is): Asking questions in order to chide, to express grief, or to inveigh. A kind of rhetorical question.
What kind of idiot are you? Didn’t you realize that you’d get hurt if you used my chainsaw blindfolded? Where did you get the idea that doing what your stupid so-called friends dare you to do is the right thing to do? You’re lucky to be alive. I hope your foot heals soon.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in epiplexis
Tagged elocutio, epiplexis, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, trope
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