Tag Archives: elocutio

Pysma

Pysma (pys’-ma): The asking of multiple questions successively (which would together require a complex reply). A rhetorical use of the question.

Shouldn’t the G-20 be meeting in Las Vegas or Atlantic City as a tribute to the rationale of its decision making? What will the G-8’s next game of chance be? Chuck-a-Lucky Euro? Wheel of BP-Sterling? Dicing for Dollars? Global Lotto? What’s the motto? “We bet your life”?

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

Accismus

Accismus (ak-iz’-mus): A feigned refusal of that which is earnestly desired.

I won’t accept your resignation.

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

Anacoluthon

Anacoluthon (an-a-co-lu’-thon): A grammatical interruption or lack of implied sequence within a sentence. That is, beginning a sentence in a way that implies a certain logical resolution, but concluding it differently than the grammar leads one to expect. Anacoluthon can be either a grammatical fault or a stylistic virtue, depending on its use. In either case, it is an interruption or a verbal lack of symmetry. Anacoluthon is characteristic of spoken language or interior thought, and thus suggests those domains when it occurs in writing.

We’re on our way to–where is it that we’re going again?

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

Comprobatio

Comprobatio (com-pro-ba’-ti-o): Approving and commending a virtue, especially in the hearers.

Generosity is aligned with all that is good. It alleviates suffering. It restores hope. It engenders trust. It is manifest in so many ways, but always, with no expectation of reward.

Tonight we are gathered to celebrate, not reward, your generosity. We are here to witness the benefits your loving kindness has brought to so many people, and moreover, to publicly observe, to better know, and to gratefully acknowledge generosity’s virtue.

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

Procatalepsis

Procatalepsis (pro-cat-a-lep’-sis): Refuting anticipated objections.

You will claim that the the six-month moratorium is unwarranted as far as we cannot show that there is good reason to believe that current deep drilling projects do not pose a threat. We believe that there are not sufficient grounds to make that claim–we need to determine what caused the catastrophe before we allow similar operations to continue. Once the cause is determined, we will be able to make a well-founded decision regarding the overall safety of the practice and whether corrections need to be made, new safeguards implemented, or whether the practice must be abandoned altogether. Until then, we must suspend operations. In short, the moratorium serves a purpose–it provides a safe window of opportunity to ask and effectively answer some fundamental questions that will form the basis for a decision about what to do next.

Six-months are not forever. The key word here is “moratorium” and the key reason is due diligence.

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

Eucharistia

Eucharistia (eu-cha-ris’-ti-a): Giving thanks for a benefit received, sometimes adding one’s inability to repay.

I really appreciate what you did for me. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you!

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

Aposiopesis

Aposiopesis (a-pos-i-o-pee’-sis): Breaking off suddenly in the middle of speaking, usually to portray being overcome with emotion.

I was driving to the mall to get my hair cut and a little bunny ran right out in front . . . I . . . I tried to . . . but . . . but  . . . it was awful. Poor little thing.

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

Kategoria

Kategoria (ka-te-go’-ri-a): Opening the secret wickedness of one’s adversary before his [or her] face.

I had you followed last night. You weren’t at your office until 2:00 a.m. You were at Motel California with our next door neighbor. I can’t live with a cheating liar. I hired an attorney this morning. I’m moving out. I’m taking the cat with me.  I’m divorcing you. Give my regards to Sleazo.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.

Epitasis

Epitasis (e-pit’-a-sis): The addition of a concluding sentence that merely emphasizes what has already been stated. A kind of amplification. [The opposite of anesis.]

I can’t believe how long it’s been since we’ve had some time to ourselves. Alone at last!

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.

Appositio

Appositio (ap-po-sit’-i-o): Addition of an adjacent, coordinate, explanatory or descriptive element.

Their marriage, a partnership that lasted 40 years, is suddenly coming to an end. They say they’ve grown apart.

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

Tricolon

Tricolon (tri-co-lon): Three parallel elements of the same length occurring together in a series.

You drill.  You spill.  You kill.

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

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Cacozelia

Cacozelia (ka-ko-zeel’-i-a): 1. A stylistic affectation of diction, such as throwing in foreign words to appear learned.  2. Bad taste in words or selection of metaphor, either to make the facts appear worse or to disgust the auditors.

The mise en scène of the parking lot is not exactly what I would call méthodique! We must utilize every erg at our disposal to hasten its rejuvenation with fresh white stripes.

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

Oxymoron

Oxymoron (ox-y-mo’-ron): Placing two ordinarily opposing terms adjacent to one another. A compressed paradox.

His obnoxious beneficence is captured in his ‘charitable’ foundation’s motto: “We $ Losers”.

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

Apagoresis

Apagoresis (a-pa-gor’-e-sis): A statement designed to inhibit someone from doing something. Often uses exaggeration [or hyperbole] to persuade. It may combine an exaggeration with a cause/effect or antecedent/consequence relationship. The consequences or effects of such a phrase are usually exaggerated to be more convincing.

If you burp like that again I’ll have you arrested!

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Definitions courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.

Anthimeria

Anthimeria (an-thi-mer’-i-a): Substitution of one part of speech for another (such as a noun used as a verb [or a verb used as a noun]).

Let’s tomato the Democrat candidate!

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.

Polysyndeton

Polysyndeton (pol-y-syn’-de-ton): Employing many conjunctions between clauses, often slowing the tempo or rhythm. (Asyndeton is the opposite of polysyndeton: an absence of conjunctions.)

Over one month ago the oil rig Deep Horizon exploded and 11 people were killed, and the oil still gushes from the blown out well–barrels and barrels and barrels and barrels of water-polluting, and wildlife-killing, and coastline-wrecking oil.  And soon, the hurricanes will come, and nobody knows what the combination of 120+ mph winds, and surging sea water, and millions of gallons of oil will do to the Gulf of Mexico and its contiguous shorelines. One thing is for certain though: our nation’s dependence on fossil fuel (for profit and power) trumps all the imaginable catastrophic consequences of crude oil flowing up from beneath the sea through 5,000 feet of pipe.

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

Adage

Adage (ad’-age): One of several terms describing short, pithy sayings, or traditional expressions of conventional wisdom. [Others include apothegm, gnome, maxim, paroemia, proverb, sententia, and anamnesis {a related figure}]

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.

Epitheton

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.)

Ricky is a rogue bulldozer.

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

Polyptoton

Polyptoton (po-lyp-to’-ton): Repeating a word, but in a different form. Using a cognate of a given word in close proximity.

Promotions promote employee morale (as long as the people who’re promoted obviously deserve the recognition).

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

Aphorismus

Aphorismus (a-phor-is’-mus): Calling into question the proper use of a word.

They call it an accident. We call it criminal negligence. We’re waiting for the indictments.

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

Periphrasis

Periphrasis (per-if’-ra-sis): The substitution of a descriptive word or phrase for a proper name (a species of circumlocution); or, conversely, the use of a proper name as a shorthand to stand for qualities associated with it. (Circumlocutions are rhetorically useful as euphemisms, as a method of amplification, or to hint at something without stating it.)

Let’s go to death on a bun for lunch.

Those shoes are so Hollywood.

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

Prozeugma

Prozeugma (pro-zoog’-ma): A series of clauses in which the verb employed in the first is elided (and thus implied) in the others.

Selfishness thwarts charity; narrow-mindedness, learning; pride, everything else.

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

Diazeugma

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.

The stock market’s triple digit dip freaked out the 401K crowd, panicked the portfolio managers, and sent shockwaves across the world’s financial markets.

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

Symploce

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.

The measure of your happiness is the friends you make. The measure of your success is the differences you make. The measure of your character is the decisions you make. The measure of your measure is the measures you take. Do you measure up?

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

Antiprosopopoeia

Antiprosopopoeia (an-ti-pro-so-po-pe’-i-a): The representation of persons [or other animate beings] as inanimate objects. This inversion of prosopopoeia or personification can simply be the use of a metaphor to depict or describe a person [or other animate being].

I am a big mean jelly bean.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.