Epergesis (e-per-gee’-sis): Interposing an apposition, often in order to clarify what has just been stated.
I saw you right over there, that is, in my office, rummaging through my desk. What were you looking for?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged appositio, apposition, elocutio, epergesis, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
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.
When I was a little boy, right before he died, the last thing my Grandpa said to me was, “You better go to school. School is good for you.” So I went to school. I went, and I went, and I went; and I graduated, and I graduated, and I graduated. Education saved my life. Grandpa was right. Thanks Grandpa! Thanks for the great advice!
So, I want to say to you, even though I’m not your grandpa: You better go to school. School is good for you. Take it from me, education will save your life.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged dialogismus, elocutio, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
Epicrisis (e-pi-cri’-sis): When a speaker quotes a certain passage and makes comment upon it.
Related figures: anamenesis–calling to memory past matters. More specifically, citing a past author from memory–and chreia (from the Greek chreiodes, “useful”) . . . “a brief reminiscence referring to some person in a pithy form for the purpose of edification.” It takes the form of an anecdote that reports either a saying, an edifying action, or both.
At Gettysburg, it was Abraham Lincoln’s earnest hope that “this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” This hope is alive today–especially as we wind our way, as a nation, toward the upcoming presidential elections. As candidates vie for our attention and for our votes, we should ask at the close of every one of their speeches: “What would Abraham Lincoln say about their resolve–their desire–to listen to the people’s voice?” For every election is underwritten by our deep faith in the people’s voice–in the collective good will and dignity of the people, and the desire of the people, as far as they are people, for liberty and justice and peace and prosperity–the soul of the Republic and the substance of our humanity.
Definitions courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged anamnesis, anecdote, chreia, elocutio, epicrisis, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
Ellipsis (el-lip’-sis): Omission of a word or short phrase easily understood in context.
I gave a book to my daughter and my daughter, a book to me!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged ellipsis, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, style, The Daily Trope
Mesozeugma (me’-so-zyoog’-ma): A zeugma in which one places a common verb for many subjects in the middle of a construction.
Neither hope nor fear could move her; neither bright promises nor beligerent threats.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged composition, elocutio, example, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, mesozeugma, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope, trope
Brachylogia (brach-y-lo’-gi-a): The absence of conjunctions between single words. Compare asyndeton. The effect of brachylogia is a broken, hurried delivery.
Love, hate, fear, joy, anger, pity, hope, guilt, disgust–all banging together in his pulsing head. He was flipping out! He needed more than a vacation–he needed a medical leave.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged asyndeton, brachylogia, composition, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Simile (si’-mi-lee): An explicit comparison, often (but not necessarily) employing “like” or “as.”
He was so closed-minded that trying to get him to change his mind was like trying to push an armored car up a hill with a lawn tractor.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged composition, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, simile, style, The Daily Trope
Prolepsis (pro-lep’-sis): (1) A synonym for procatalepsis [refuting anticipated objections]; (2) speaking of something future as though already done or existing. A figure of anticipation.
1. They’re going to say we don’t have the resources–the experiential and material capital to pull this one off. Well, I say, we’ve accomplished similar goals–even more challenging goals–in the past. Remember the Foster deal? Complicated! But it came off like clockwork! We made a bundle and everybody was happy. And moreover, as far as the money goes, we’ve always managed to raise the funds we need to finance our ventures. Remember how quickly we secured financing for the Panama project? What about the 600 cargo containers for the Singapore deal? Let’s not forget the oyster farm! We’re all over the map–but all roads lead back to due diligence, well-calculated risks, and happy investors. Come on–let’s go for it!
2. I can’t believe you told her about last night. My Spam is fried. The end. That’s it. We’re through.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
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Tagged composition, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, procatalepsis, prolepsis, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Consonance: The repetition of consonants in words stressed in the same place (but whose vowels differ). Also, a kind of inverted alliteration, in which final consonants, rather than initial or medial ones, repeat in nearby words. Consonance is more properly a term associated with modern poetics than with historical rhetorical terminology.
The dried hard bud will never blossom–caught in time–somehow dead and alive all-at-once: like a memory, like a broken promise; a broken promise I can’t forget.
Posted in consonance
Tagged alliteration, composition, consonance, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Adianoeta: An expression that, in addition to an obvious meaning, carries a second, subtle meaning (often at variance with the ostensible meaning).
He fielded the line drive with his nose.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged adianoeta, composition, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, style, The Daily Trope
Syllepsis (sil-lep’-sis): When a single word that governs or modifies two or more others must be understood differently with respect to each of those words. A combination of grammatical parallelism and semantic incongruity, often with a witty or comical effect. Not to be confused with zeugma: [a general term describing when one part of speech (most often the main verb, but sometimes a noun) governs two or more other parts of a sentence (often in a series)].
You broke my heart and my i-phone–what’s next, my leg?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
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Tagged elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, style, syllepsis, The Daily Trope
Alleotheta (al-le-o-the’-ta): Substitution of one case, gender, mood, number, tense, or person for another. Synonymous with enallage. [Some rhetoricians claim that alleotheta is a] general category that includes antiptosis [(a type of enallage in which one grammatical case is substituted for another)] and all forms of enallage [(the substitution of grammatically different but semantically equivalent constructions)].
The tree was hit by the car. Or, did the tree hit the car? Ask an insurance adjuster–they know everything about accidents (and grammar too)!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
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Tagged alleotheta, antiptosis, composition, elocutio, enallage, figures of speech, public speaking, style, The Daily Trope
Conduplicatio (con-du-pli-ca’-ti-o): The repetition of a word or words. A general term for repetition sometimes carrying the more specific meaning of repetition of words in adjacent phrases or clauses. Sometimes used to name either ploce or epizeuxis.
Sometimes it’s worth it to take a risk. Often a risk is not worth taking. Do you really want to take this risk?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged composition, conduplicatio, elocutio, epizeuxis, figures of speech, ploce, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Epiplexis (e-pi-plex’-is): Asking questions in order to chide, to express grief, or to inveigh. A kind of rhetorical question[–the speaker does not expect an answer].
Why did you drink and drive? Why did you get behind the wheel? Even if you don’t care about yourself, don’t you care about your friends who you could’ve killed? What are we going to do with you? Out of jail on $1,000 bail. Don’t you think you’ve really gone over the top this time? Underage drinking! DWI! Go to your room! We’ll talk about this in the morning.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
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Tagged composition, elocutio, epiplexis, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, rhetorical question, style, The Daily Trope
Epizeuxis (e-pi-zook’-sis): Repetition of words with no others between, for vehemence or emphasis.
You are nothing but trouble–trouble, trouble, trouble!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged composition, elocutio, epizeuxis, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Apodioxis (ap-o-di-ox’-is): Rejecting of someone or something (such as the adversary’s argument) as being impertinent, needless, absurd, false, or wicked.
I can’t believe what I just heard! You say the death penalty saves money–it’s cheaper than life sentences–we’ll save money on food and “housing” if we take prisoners’ lives–comparing the cost of a lethal injection to the cost of a life sentence as a good reason for supporting the death penalty is absurd–no it’s worse than absurd–it’s downright evil! Let’s just call your so-called argument “accounting gone wild” or “bookkeeping for psychopaths” and move on to something worth talking about–something to the point–something reasonable!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged apodioxis, composition, elocutio, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, style
Asteismus (as-te-is’-mus): Polite or genteel mockery. More specifically, a figure of reply in which the answerer catches a certain word and throws it back to the first speaker with an unexpected twist. Less frequently, a witty use of allegory or comparison, such as when a literal and an allegorical meaning are both implied.
Rudy: I can’t help but thinking you’re a fool to talk like that to the President.
Dennis: Then, my friend, I’ve fooled you.
Rudy: What kind of fool would play the fool?
Dennis: The one that’s in this play called ‘politics’–where pretense bears the weight of being earnest and speech is more likely to be heard when spoken by a cocksure jerk–apparently unaffected–directly to the face of power!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged allegory, asteismus, composition, elocutio, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, style
Sarcasmus (sar’kaz’-mus): Use of mockery, verbal taunts, or bitter irony.
What’s the matter Georgie–did the big bad Congress give you a boo boo?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged composition, elocutio, example, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, sarcasm, sarcasmus, style, trope
Onomatopoeia (on-o-mat-o-pee’-a): Using or inventing a word whose sound imitates that which it names (the union of phonetics and semantics).
The Cheese Doodles bag kroowooshed when he opened it.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged composition, elocutio, figures of speech, onomatopoeia, public speaking, rhetoric, style
Apocarteresis (a-po-car-ter’-e-sis): Casting of all hope away from one thing and placing it on another source altogether.
All my life I thought that wealth and fame were the two keys to ultimate happiness. Now, after all, I realize that there is no key to ultimate happiness, rather, happiness is the key.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged apocarteresis, composition, elocutio, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, style
Antisagoge (an-tis-a-go’-gee): 1. Making a concession before making one’s point (=paromologia); 2. Using a hypothetical situation or a precept to illustrate antithetical alternative consequences, typically promises of reward and punishment.
1. There’s no doubt that there’s a high degree of risk involved, but if we don’t act now all bets are off.
2. Imagine this: It comes to your attention that one of your fellow employees is stealing office supplies to support the small business he’s set up on the side to defray the costs of his wife’s cancer treatment. What should you do? If you turn him in, he will be fired. If you don’t turn him in, you will be fired. What should you do? Be creative–surely there are more than two possible choices!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged antisagoge, composition, elocutio, figures of speech, paromologia, public speaking, rhetoric, style
Catacosmesis (kat-a-kos-mees’-is): Ordering words from greatest to least in dignity, or in correct order of time.
From sunrise to sunset–sunset to sunrise–morning, noon, and night–there is no time that is not the right time for eyes-wide-open vigilance.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged catacosmesis, composition, elocutio, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, style
Thaumasmus (thau-mas’-mus): To marvel at something rather than to state it in a matter of fact way.
I am amazed by your “So what?” attitude toward the miserable consequences of so many failed decisions!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged composition, elocutio, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, style, thaumasmus
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