Tag Archives: definitions

Posted on February 1, 2017 | Leave a comment

Diacope (di-a’-co-pee): Repetition of a word with one or more between, usually to express deep feeling.

Me boring?

You think I’m boring? Spending time with you is like hanging out with an overripe eggplant

Me boring?

What about the time you made us watch C-span? Watching empty Senate chambers is almost as exciting watching an empty parking lot. Ya-hoo! That was boredom squared!

Me boring?

You’re the one who’s boring!

What do you think of that, most boring person of the century? Why don’t we find something exciting to do, like looking through my baseball card collection?

Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Dialogismus

Posted on January 31, 2017 | Leave a comment

Dialogismus (di-a-lo-giz’-mus): Speaking as someone else, either to bring in others’ points of view into one’s own speech, or to conduct a pseudo-dialog through taking up an opposing position with oneself.

‘On Friday I helped make America safe again. These Executive Orders are the best thing going anywhere & I mean it.’

We all know why your Executive Orders are the ‘best thing going.’ It’s because you don’t need to do anything except co-author them with you loony advisors, sign them, and hand them over–a truly convenient way of constituting your authority, bypassing Congress, and literally ‘ruling’ the USA with edicts covering the range of your campaign promises.

However, we would prefer legislation–that Congress play a key role in forming new laws of the land and judges play a role where the Executive Orders (AKA edicts) are contested on Constitutional grounds.

Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Dianoea

Posted on January 30, 2017 | Leave a comment

Dianoea (di-a-noe’-a): The use of animated questions and answers in developing an argument (sometimes simply the equivalent of anthypophora).

Where was I last night? Where do you think I was? In a hot tub? At a banquet? Relaxing in the Presidential suite at Trump Towers?

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

SURPRISE! Despite having a green card and living in the US  for the past 5 years, what do you think happened? You’re right: I was detained at JFK & slept on the floor last night. Now, I’m quite hungry! I’m trying to get home to my wife and two baby daughters. They live in New Jersey.

Thank you so much for the displays of solidarity & for the legal assistance.

Wish me luck!

Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Diaphora

Posted on January 28, 2017 | Leave a comment

Diaphora (di-a’-pho-ra): Repetition of a common name so as to perform two logical functions: to designate an individual and to signify the qualities connoted by that individual’s name or title.

Professor Smith is not Professor Smith when he ridicules students who’re unable to answer his obtuse questions. In these cases, he’s not even being a professor, let alone a bad professor.

We need professors who are professors–who treat students with respect and enable them to learn all they can possibly learn.

I will have a meeting about this episode with Professor Smith. My hope is that we’ll come up with some kind of plan to get him back on the Professorial track.

  • Post your own diaphora on the “Comments” page!

Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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