Epistrophe (e-pis’-tro-fee): Ending a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words.
It’s cold today. The bills are due today. I’ve got to do my laundry today. My cat is driving me nuts today. Why can’t tomorrow be today, today?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged elocutio, epistrophe, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
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)
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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)
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Tagged elocutio, example, figures of speech, fiscal cliff, fiscal curb, politica, rhetoric, style, tapinosis, 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)
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).
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Tagged anthimeria, elocutio, example, figures of speech, rhetoric
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
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)
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)
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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
Ecphonesis (ec-pho-nee’-sis): An emotional exclamation.
Repeal it!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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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).
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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).
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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.
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Tagged elocutio, epiplexis, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, 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).
Mush! Coosh! We eat it so fast our hands go swoosh! Mmmmm.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged coosh, example, figures of speech, mush, onomatopoeia, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, trope
Sarcasmus (sar’-kaz-mus): Use of mockery, verbal taunts, or bitter irony.
Those Greeks sure know how to manage their money–nothing beats double-triple-minus-∞ junk bond status as a testament to Greece’s brilliance at managing its finances.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in sarcasmus
Tagged example, figures of speech, Greece, junk bond, rhetoric, sarcasmus, The Daily Trope, trope
Astrothesia (as-tro-the’-si-a): A vivid description of stars. One type of enargia.
In some story of ancient origins, stars are holes that let out a dreamy light to still our spinning thoughts and send us off to dream underneath the blanket of night.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged astrothesia, enargia, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, stars, The Daily Trope, trope
Catacosmesis (kat-a-kos-mees’-is): Ordering words from greatest to least in dignity, or in correct order of time.
Birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age. Life’s phases narrate time.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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Tagged catacosmesis, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, trope
Hypozeuxis (hyp-o-zook’-sis): Opposite of zeugma. Every clause has its own verb.
Last night the sweaty Indiana campaign crowd cheered, the winning candidate smiled and waved, and Lugar’s legacy was demolished, flattened, paved over. And today, on that great flat expanse, the fleet of shiny new 2013 Conservative Avengers (made in USA) is lined up in a row in accord with the giant red, white, and blue sign at the entrance:
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in hypozeuxis
Tagged example, far right, figures of speech, hypozeuxis, politics, rhetoric, Senator Lugar, The Daily Trope, trope, zeugma
Allegory (al’-le-go-ry): A sustained metaphor continued through whole sentences or even through a whole discourse.
Prince Mite Yenmor looked out from his mountain lair across the Lake of Salt and saw the Untied States, and feeling in his slender royal gut a yen for more, with gleaming eyes and snow capped teeth he spoke: “Yea, I shall be ruler of this realm. I shall spend more than a fortune in gold and I shall buy a troop of low-browed voting sluggards, and inflaming their hearts, I shall make them thirst for justice, and so, as they so-thirst, I shall call them by the proud name of their beverage of choice–The Mighty 7 Ups, The Bud Lite Brigade, or, oh yes, that’s it! The Lipton Lancers! That shall suit them to a tea! Ha ha, my royal sense of humor waxes!”
And so, Prince Yenmor bought and named the Lipton Lancers and set out to quench the Lancers’ thirst for justice and topple King Amabo with a mighty loud and raucous chorus of finely penned insults, oft repeated BIG LIES, and the jewel in the crown of Prince Yenmor’s certain victory: the unyielding allegiance of Sir Fox the Crier who broadcast Yenmor’s nice hair, good posture, glorious smile, and royal words throughout the Untied States.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in allegory
Tagged 7 up, allegory, Bud Lite, example, figures of speech, Lipton, Obama Amabo, politics, rhetoric, Romney Yenmor, The Daily Trope, trope
Oxymoron (ox-y-mo’-ron): Placing two ordinarily opposing terms adjacent to one another. A compressed paradox.
He is cunningly ingenuous with the rolled up sleeves of his shirt and the “Aw shucks howdy do” as he reaches out to shake hands with you. But the shirt is tailor made, and so is the handshake–tailor made to make you think he’s “just like you” so a vote for him is a vote for you too!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in oxymoron
Tagged example, figures of speech, oxymoron, politics, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, trope
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